Intimidated by Flake

zonomo · Feb 8, 2013

I've been watching a few YouTube videos of guys packing flake tobacco and it seems like a lot of work. Since I have only smoked bulk or tin, which is grab and go, i am a bit worried that I'll do it wrong, or it takes too much time. On the other hand, I dont want to miss out on any good tobaccos that only come in flake. Can someone enlighten me please? Thanks.

troutface · Feb 8, 2013

I've been cube cutting my flakes lately and loving it. Easy prep,easy load,good burn, and lots of flavor. I'll still rub out broken flakes like Christmas Cheer.

kanaia · Feb 8, 2013

Grinders work great.

Perique · Feb 8, 2013

Just rub it out. Fully. And you're good to go. Don't deny yourself the world of great flake tobaccos.

gray4lines · Feb 8, 2013

Just think of flakes as having more options, not more work.
When in doubt, rub it out!
Or, you can cube or fold. It's as complicated as you want it to be. I have never had a problem simply because the tobacco was a flake.

(I only started smoking a pipe in Oct, so no experience necessary)

ohin3 · Feb 8, 2013

Weather I rub out, fold and stuff, tear into strips, cut into cubes etc, I always take one little pinch and leave it out till its bone dry and rub it into dry dust for the top of the bowl to get the whole thing going nice and even. I do keep seperate jars of dry dust for some of my main stay flakes like Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, Esoterica Penzance and the like...all the old faithful standbys.

flyguy · Feb 8, 2013

Cube cutting works best for me. I use a pair of sharp scissors. It's a no-brainer for me and I need all of my brain cells. I usually rub-out broken flake tobaccos such as McC Black Woods.

zonomo · Feb 8, 2013

I think when i go to my next Seattle Pipe Club, I am going to ask someone to show me how to do this.

pruss · Feb 8, 2013

I hear you on the intimidation factor of prepping a bowl of flake. I've only loaded two bowls of flake in my life. My wife bought me a tin of Gawith's Best Brown Flake for Christmas. The first bowl I rubbed out and loaded, then let sit for an hour before lighting. The second bowl I cut into 1cm squares and loaded the bowl with them. Both bowls smoked great, long and steady, and the tobacco was lovely. Made me wish I'd never waited to go to flake.
Give it a go. You'll do fine, and enjoy the smoke.
-- Pat

crpntr1 · Feb 8, 2013

I've been cube cuting all mine lately

Its not as hard as you're worried that it is

flyguy · Feb 8, 2013

@Zonomo Scroll down to the left hand of this page. Under featured articles there is an article titled "Flake Pipe Tobacco Preparation". There are YouTube videos showing all of the methods.

sparroa · Feb 8, 2013

It's as simple as this.
Pick up a flake, cut it across the grain with a scissors reserved for that purpose(NOT with the grain, ie. the long side of the flake) and then fluff up the cut pieces with your hands. You will have plenty of small cubes ready to be dried to your taste. Also, you can choose to cut them larger/smaller to suit the burning properties of the particular flake. I generally think that finer cuts are best.
+1 to ohin's "dust" recommendation listed above - it always helps as a fire starter.
There is really nothing to this process. It doesn't even require a video. Just try it with a flake this very minute!
If all else fails, you can just rub them out and it's not much different than loose cut.

foggymountain · Feb 8, 2013

Just crumble it up and put it in in 2 or 3 levels. It's not a big thing. It will also smoke slowly this way and a bowl will last a long time. People like to make instructional films so this has been made a big fuss about. It's really simple. Just break off half a flake, crumble it quickly by folding and crushing it, and insert in the pipe. Then do the same with the other half. If there is space on top put some of the loose tobacco that always accumulates in the top of the can, on top of the bowl.

mustanggt · Feb 8, 2013

Once I learned and tried all three methods I decided on cube cut. You may have to devote a little more time to prep but you will be rewarded with a beautiful smoke. Nothing to be intimidated about it at all. Jump in with both feet and enjoy the experience.

zonomo · Feb 8, 2013

Definitely going to try. Now, what flake too get. ;-)

rhogg · Feb 8, 2013

Crumple it up in your fingers until it looks like something you are used to. Intimidate the flake!
Stuff it, Smoke it, Mash it, Put it in a stew.
It ain't complicated bro, it just looks different. Sometimes the level of detail people go through is entirely prerogative. Think about it. If you are going to record yourself giving instructions on smoking tobacco it is highly likely that your thinking more than the average bear. Not that it is a bad thing, but reality is it does not require a whole lot of brain power to actually do.
For now just do it. Later on you can develop a sophisticated method of packing flake that convincingly envelopes your ego with the belief that tobacco tastes different when you burn it in front of a camera. It is like recording sex. Bottom line is it is still sex. Betcha didn't need a YouTube video for that the first time. Ha!

bigboi · Feb 9, 2013

Zonomo- my first flake I ever tried was a navy flake. I was impressed. I am just a newbie when it comes pipe smoking but my favorite flakes so far or Luxery Bullseye flake, Luxery Navy flake, and then Orlik Golden slice.
Oh for me the cube cut method was the easiest for me.

philip · Feb 9, 2013

Some methods are easier than others, but there is really no wrong way to smoke them. Just go for it.
If you'd like I'll try to remember to bring a couple of flakes to the club next week and you are welcome to try them. I'm sure the members there will be happy to share their techniques with you.

sparroa · Feb 9, 2013

The uniform European flakes are the best for cube cutting, IMO.
Orlik, Dunhill, MacBaren, etc. (Wessex Burley Slices - perfectly suited for it)
I have also had great success with more irregular flakes such as Samuel Gawith or Peter Heinrichs.
In truth, though, any full flake can be cubed successfully...

matchstickman · Feb 9, 2013

Since I have only smoked bulk or tin, which is grab and go, i am a bit worried that I'll do it wrong

Good pipes and good tobaccos are kind of like sex. If you enjoy it, there really is no right or wrong. When I smoke flake, I just take a flake and work it around in my fingertips to get some broken flake style pieces, let it dry for a little while, the just stuff in the pipe and have at it. I havent smoked a whole lot of flakes but Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake ain't too bad, and Orlik Golden Sliced is along the same vein. I have just added a ton of flakes to the cellar though, so my options are pretty open at this point.

Intimidated by Flake

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