Yes indeed. I remember when you first posted that video. It's simple and to the point. You can go on Youtube and find a video on packing a pipe, and someone will take 15 minutes to explain to you how to pack ribbon cut tobacco into your pipe as though it's some lost arcane, magical science or some such. It's really not. Part of the problem with new smokers is spending too much time trying to get that three step method down just right. Well, it's unnecessary, often resulting in too tight a pack. Someone gets that wrong a few times, they decide it's not for them, and try another packing method. The "Swirl Method" (Cant remember the actual name... the one where you put the tobacco in your palm and rub the pipe against your palm in circles until it loads up all the tobacco... also unnesessary, often resulting in too tight a pack. Then there's the one where you pack the bowl and run your thumbs around the edge of the chamber slightly pushing down.... unnecessary. Rolling your tobacco into a ball and pressing that down into the chamber... might as well use a ram rod while your at it as if your loading a muzzle loading rifle. Also unnecessary. I just load the tobacco into the bowl until it's full, push down lightly (you get the feel of it) and light it up. With flakes, Duane (Embers) explains that perfectly too. The hardest part about flakes is making sure you have the right amount for your chamber size. Sometimes you need to strip off a little piece, or use one and a half flakes or etc., etc., They expand... just learn how much you need, and you're good to go. Cubes... yeah. Like he said. Gravity feed them, tap the bowl to settle them, leave room at the top. Some people are too busy trying to make themselves sound like a great professor of pipe smoking instead of keeping it simple. Simple works just fine.
Same, at least for shag, ready rubbed and ribbon. Other cuts take more prep and drying time. But if it's dry enough it'll smoke fine with most any method of loading.
