Help selecting a pipe specifically for flake tobacco

steelman · Jun 17, 2012

I am a relative newbie when it comes to pipe smoking. After self-education and trial & error, I can finally smoke my pipe without much trouble now, and I want to make the leap to flake tobacco.
I am ready to purchase a pipe specifically for VA flake tobacco. My question....is there a shape that best accomodates Flake tobacco? I prefer large pipes for my English blends, but my understanding is that the larger bowls aren't the best shape for the "fold & stuff" method preferred by flake smokers. I also want a pipe specifically for VA blends.....
I was considering a Castello Lovat for this task.......I currently use Savinelli Autographs in XL size (I like something to grab onto..so I prefer larger bowls).
I'd appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks,

Ron

cigrmaster · Jun 17, 2012

For flake pipes I prefer a certain size not so much a shape. I like my flake pipes to be a group 5-6 as the biggest and group 4 the smallest. I use a pipe with nice thick walls because flake can burn a little hotter.
I use many shapes for flake, apples, billiards, free hands. My Winslow apples are particularly great for flake.

pstlpkr · Jun 17, 2012

I don't smoke a whole lot of flake tobaccos.

But, I have found that a very small bowl works best for me.

One that is basically the size of the tip of my little finger.

I'm sure you'll get a number of different opinions...

This is just my humble opinion.
I'm posting these photos so you can get an idea of what size I'm talking about.

nsfisher · Jun 17, 2012

I cannot comment here I believe because I rub out my flakes and layer them. If I were to smoke em as flakes, I think a small bulldog or billard would be a nice choice.

cigrmaster · Jun 17, 2012

I use two methods to smoke flake. One is the fold and stuff, the other is rubbed out. If I am folding and stuffing I will use a group 4-5 size and for rubbing out a group 6 and larger.

mrgunnar177 · Jun 17, 2012

The Belgique pipe by peterson is an awesome pipe for flakes with the small diameter. Good looking pipe as well.

Cheers

Gunnar

msandoval858 · Jun 17, 2012

I tend to smoke pipes in whatever pipe I happen to be in the mood for. Last night I enjoyed some FVF in a huge Castello Oom Paul, though I only packed the bowl 3/4 as I knew I didn't have time to burn it all the way top to bottom.
My favorite flake pipe was a bent rodesian style Mastro de Paja I used to own. It had nice thick walls and a small to medium size bowl that worked so well. During the time I was exclusively smoking cigars, someone made me an offer for it and I gave in and traded it away. That's one I still regret letting go :crazy:

bigvan · Jun 17, 2012

Flakes usually burn pretty hot for me, so thick walls are a must. I'm afraid I'd burn through a Belgique stuffed with flake, MrGunnar.
This Upshall is one of my favorite flake pipes.

cigrmaster · Jun 17, 2012

Bigvan, great looking Upshall. I have 2 Upshalls I use for flake and they are both great smokers. The one I recently got in is too large for the stuff and fold, so I just rub out my flake for that pipe. I love the way flake tastes and smokes in my new toy.
Here is the one from last week for those that didn't see it on another thread.

cortezattic · Jun 17, 2012

Matching Pipes And Tobaccos is a two part article by G L Pease that you should find informative. Here's an excerpt:

Wider bowls tend to provide more flavor intensity, with the wood playing somewhat less of a role in the smoke. This makes perfect sense, of course. There’s more tobacco smoldering, and the surface area of the ember increases with the square of the chamber’s radius, while the amount of briar in contact with the ember increases only linearly. Taller bowls result in an increase of the “filtering” action of the tobacco, softening the taste in the beginning of the bowl, and gradually building up greater and greater intensity as the tobacco is consumed. Tapered bowls exhibit somewhat less of this tendency, though if not packed very carefully, they can become so moist at the bottom as to be difficult to keep lit. Shallow bowls seem to hold a purity of the tobacco’s taste longer, if not as intensely.
There seem to be limits, though. A full flavored tobacco in a very tall bowl can build up too much intensity toward the end of the smoke, and can become tiring, or even acrid if everything isn’t just right. Too wide a bowl can yield too much of a tobacco’s nicotine content, if it is high to start with, especially to someone sensitive to its effects.

For the folded flake, I think a wide bowl will engage too much of the tobacco at one time, and a narrow and perhaps deeper chamber will be easier to stuff. Maybe that's why Dave's cob works so well.

rcstan · Jun 18, 2012

+1 for narrower bowls with thick walls for flakes.

papaskittles · Jun 18, 2012

Well thats that then! im buying my first MM cob, because i love the convenience of flakes

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