Packing Flake Tobacco

smokertruck · Oct 11, 2013

Looking for a description on how to prepare & pack a flake tobacco.

searched but come up with sites on tobaccos not how to prepare properly.
want to try the erinmore flake.
thanks

pruss · Oct 11, 2013

Hey there. There are a couple great articles and threads on this very topic.
Here are some for you to peruse:

http://pipesmagazine.com/python/pipe-smoking/flake-pipe-tobacco-preparation/
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/the-cube-cut-method
I've used the cube-cut method almost exclusively since Roth and Harris talked me into it. It changed my flake experience considerably.
Good luck on your journey.
-- Pat

pruss · Oct 11, 2013

You're a step too slow old man!

I need more coffee... *goes to make another espresso* :nana:
-- Pat

cigrmaster · Oct 11, 2013

For a beginner to flakes I would recommend the cube cut method at first, for me it burns more consistently than a fold and stuff and the flavors are great. After you get comfortable with that, I would then start playing with fold and stuff, that is also a great smoke when you get it right. I never recommend fully rubbing out a flake as for me it defeats the purpose of smoking flakes, plus the pipe Gods will shrink your pecker if you do it.

rmason · Oct 11, 2013

plus the pipe Gods will shrink your pecker if you do it.

So true Harris, cube cut is the only way to go for me, but yet again I've never quite got the fold and stuff method.

~Ron

cigrmaster · Oct 11, 2013

ron, the fold and stuff is what I use exclusively when I am smoking outside. I am always conscious of the wind and heating up my pipe so the fold and stuff burns cooler in the wind for me. I find the trick is to make sure you have a good air pocket at the base of the bowl, this way when the tobacco expands, it does not clog the bowl and make for too tight a pack. Play with it and see if you can get it to work, the flavors can sometimes be even better than a cube cut.

werdna · Oct 11, 2013

I just tried my first cube cut, thanks to this thread. I was a little hesitant because I like my bowl firmly packed, and cube cut seemed a bit loosey goosey. I'm happy to say it was very enjoyable, easyily stayed lit, and smoked well. I've been folding and stuffing for the past week, and that went well for me also. I'll keep playing with both styles and see what happens.
Oh, and you can't shrink a pre-shrunk pecker.

cigrmaster · Oct 11, 2013

werdna, I pack my cube cut flakes pretty tight and they burn nicely, much tighter than a fold and stuff.

zack24 · Oct 11, 2013

Having tried the fold & stuff and cube cut under the rigorous tutelage of Harris, I greatly prefer cube cut- tends to stay lit better and burn more evenly. The fold and stuff tends to burn down through the center...(or maybe I wan't paying enough attention to the directions...

werdna · Oct 11, 2013

"French Fry" method

I've developed a style like this to pack my MacB Golden Extra, and I like the way it burns and tastes. It's a lot quicker than rubbing it out, and easier than otherwise packing the long cut.

tarak · Oct 11, 2013

Okay, going to take my infantile level experience and challenge the sages. As far as rubbing out defeating the purpose of flakes- if I understand it right, flakes were created to make for economical use of space on sailing ships. Then, as a bonus they discovered "Hey, doing this flake thing causes it to taste really good!"- but I'm lead to understand this taste difference is due to the process of creating the flake...immense pressure causes the tobacco to marry in a favorable way.
If this is true, the flavor if a flake is in it's creation- so how does rubbing it "defeat the purpose"? Teach me, I am your Padawan...

tarak · Oct 11, 2013

Are fully rubbed flakes put through the exact same process, then rubbed?

bryanf · Oct 11, 2013

I usually fold in half, rough rub a little, just enough to break it up a little, then stuff and sprinkle the dust from rough rubbing on top to help in lighting. I pack very tight. I guess the effect is similar to the french fry method. First time I've heard it called that. The trick is to get a good even light, and always use at least one charring light. I prefer a small bowl, but I also have a lovat with a conical shaped chamber like a dublin internally that smokes them very well.
I smoke flakes about 8 of 10 bowls a day, usually outdoors. Other two bowls are either ready rubbed or shag.

flyguy · Oct 11, 2013

...plus the pipe Gods will shrink your pecker if you do it.

Sooo that's why....

skapunk1 · Oct 11, 2013

I've recently stumbled upon an interesting method that I'm using now. I take the flake, cut into three strips lengthwise, and fold each one back and forth zigzag style, and stuff each one by one, then sprinkle my kindling on the top and give it one solid press. Not sure why, but this seems to work best with all my pipes....except my large cob....which seems to thrive from a full bend and stuff.

peter70 · Oct 12, 2013

I never got the hang of fold&stuff, or cube cutting. Either I got the pack too loose, or too tight. I usually rub a flake, but only to the degree, as e.g. the Rattrays Ready Rubbed are done. Not completely to shreds, but to irregular chunks approximately the size of the cubes with a few thinner parts in between. This seems to be the easiest in terms of keeping it lit and flavorwise I don't taste a difference between this and cube cutting.

skapunk1 · Oct 12, 2013

I believe it depends on the flake, if its a strong flavoured flake, you wont notice much difference, but in a milder tasting flake, like Dunhill or PS LNF it does make a significant difference.

smokertruck · Oct 13, 2013

Bought erinmore flake - using the 1/8 cut - tastes much better then the mixture - tried folding but find it breaks at the fold - is this a sign that the tin is a bit dry - the tin lid is easy to replace very little friction as i close it & smell the tobacco when closed ? when i try to fold it length-wise it breaks rather than folds then i cut it 1/8-1/4 -

still very close to the original erinmore - am sold on this erinmore flake smoke.
thanks for the above responses.

futureman · Oct 13, 2013

I've been having inconsistent smokes with flakes lately. I'm convinced the problem is in the packing of the flake. Some of you indicate a "tight" pack is desirable. Can you explain what you mean by "tight"?

cigrmaster · Oct 13, 2013

tarak, when some of us say rubbing out a flake defeats the purpose, what we mean is that when you smoke a flake either fold and stuffed or cube cut, you get a cooler smoke and to me better flavors. When you smoke it fully rubbed it will tend to burn hotter and the flavors do not get concentrated like they do with the other two preps. I no longer smoke any ribbon cuts or shags or any other cut but flakes because I prefer the cool burning and concentrated flavors I get from flakes. Packing the cube cut it is important to get the right amount of resistance, I go too tight over too loose because I can open it up if it is too tight by using a pipe cleaner through the stem and shank. It rarely happens that I do not do it perfectly because I always check the draw before lighting, but once in a great while the tobacco will expand a bit more than I think it will so I do have to loosen it a tad.
One thing I realized by packing firmly is that the flavors at the end of the bowl are amazing, the lower I go the more concentrated they get and I never have a problem smoking to the bottom. My issue is sometimes sucking in hot ash trying to get the last bit of flavor.

Packing Flake Tobacco

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