I'm currently smoking some Samuel Gawith's Navy Flake in my beautiful Don Carlos, in flake form for the first time since discovering this blend. Now I have found that I enjoy the taste of a flake smoked in flake form, but it often has been a lot of effort. This time I made sure to dry the flakes thoroughly. It is worth it! I suspect the more open Italian draw is also an advantage in this instance.
Fold and stuff. Worth the effort
- Thread starter thehappypiper
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
I have tried a couple of flakes now and am amazed at the flavor difference between fold and stuff and cube cutting. Maybe when you cube cut you release the sealed in flavor, not sure but never experienced this before. Fold and stuff to me doesn't seen to give you as much flavor as cutting.
Love folding and stuffing. Smoked a bowl of Best Brown Flake the other day. Admittedly a broken flake, but was still pretty compressed.
It was dryish, having been in my suitcase for a while. Five or six relights in the first twenty minutes, then an hour and a half of slow smoking bliss.
It was dryish, having been in my suitcase for a while. Five or six relights in the first twenty minutes, then an hour and a half of slow smoking bliss.
I like fold and stuff when I have the time for a longer smoke, or when I'm smoking outside. The wind doesn't seem to overheat my pipe with fold and stuff.
There is to me a trade off between the two. These seems to be slightly better flavor when rubbed out but when I fold and stuff it tends to burn more evenly and slower. So I guess if I'm just tasting a blend for the first time I will rub it out just to get the full idea..
over the last 2 months I have developed a love for flake tobaccos. I also have been doing a switch off between fold and stuff , and rubbing out and I like them both they both give the tobacco a different taste. If I have time for a long smoke I will fold and stuff, but also with the colder weather I don't want to be outside for more then 30 minutes. I also have been doing a partial rub out and stuffing it in small flake chunks ( 2003 McClelland Christmas cheer) and have been enjoying that allot.
I've started in on several Virginias lately and it depends on what pipe I reach for on how I prep the flake. In my large bowl I'll fold and stuff but for a mid size billiard or smaller I'll either cube or rub out the flake.
I always use fold and stuff. If the flake is at proper moisture, elongates the smoke and, to me, gives the best flavor. Occasionally I have cubed a flake, but I never fully rub them, it just seems like it burns too hot and the flavor thins out.
Gawith Navy is a tough one. Every Gawith flake is really moist, but among those Navy is the moist one (or moistest one?). My first tin, I laid a few strips out for an hour or two, loaded a bowl, and killed a book of matches and only made it through a 1/4 a bowl. I left the tin in my car for a month, accidentally left the lid loose for three days after I checked to see if it was any dryer, and finally tried it again. It was leathery to the touch, not crunchy at all, but it burnt to the bottom with one light, and had fantastic flavor.
Gawith Navy is a tough one. Every Gawith flake is really moist, but among those Navy is the moist one (or moistest one?). My first tin, I laid a few strips out for an hour or two, loaded a bowl, and killed a book of matches and only made it through a 1/4 a bowl. I left the tin in my car for a month, accidentally left the lid loose for three days after I checked to see if it was any dryer, and finally tried it again. It was leathery to the touch, not crunchy at all, but it burnt to the bottom with one light, and had fantastic flavor.
I have also read that you can fold/stuff the flake into the bottom half, and rub out the top half for easier lighting. Once it starts to burn very well, it will get down to the flake and burn it slowly, and give a good air flow.
I have not tried it, however, as I don't really have much flake. The Gaslight I had I rubbed out.
I have not tried it, however, as I don't really have much flake. The Gaslight I had I rubbed out.
- Status