Tamping Flake Tobacco
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I use a rubbed out flake (GL Pease Navigator), and am still having trouble gettin the hang of it. I rub it out really well and try to get it as fine as a loose blend. It gets tamped on the first relight from the charring light and then after every other relight.
If you grind the flakes to dust between your hands, just use your Czech tool to flatten them out and smash them down a bit, but be ready to relight a few more times than with other pipe tobaccos.
If you mix them with something tasty like Lane 1-Q, you can pack your pipe using the Frank method.
If you mix them with something tasty like Lane 1-Q, you can pack your pipe using the Frank method.
When I am outside I will fold and stuff my flakes and that usually requires more tamping than when I cube cut my flakes. I do tamp lightly so I do not put the pipe out. I am also in the camp that believes flakes should be smoked either in a fold and stuff, cube cut or broken into big chunks with your fingers. The reason flakes taste so good and burn so cool is the fact they are compressed, when you fully rub them out it is like smoking a ribbon cut which in my experience, burns much hotter than flakes. I believe if people take the time to learn the cube cut and fold and stuff, they will get more enjoyment out of their flakes.
What Roth and Harris say works for me - I used to fully rub out flakes, but the pipe burned hot and there wasn't a whole lot of flavor. Consequently, I didn't care a great deal for flakes. I've been cube-cutting for more than a year (and I will fold-and-stuff occasionally) - much better result. Slow-burning, lots of flavor, cooler pipe.
I have issues burning the tobacco at the sides of the chamber with fold n stuff. I feel like I'm only smoking half of what I pack. I prefer to rip flakes into 1/8" to 1/4" chunks. Ill tamp when the smoke thins out. Just enough to get the ember where it needs to be.
Bottom line, aging. Being tinned in a compressed state, especially if left alone for awhile will effect the smoke a lot more then if it's rubbed or not right before burning (although, yes, that makes a difference too). So, people may like flakes for the particular blend and how the flavors meld, but don't care to deal with the burning qualities of flake--so rub it out!
I normally fold-n-stuff or rub out based on which pipe/blend combo I have. Some just don't burn well in flake form. And my big problem with cube cutting is it just takes longer than I normally care to put in before my smoke. One nice thing about flakes is you can fold-n-stuff, and it can be the quickest pack available!
Must have missed the thread where this was beaten to death, so I'll bite...
Mostly because there are some very interesting sounding flakes out there that aren't sold as "ready-rubbed", and because I'm still new at this. :P
I swear I'll try cube-cutting soon, but for now it's easier to find my hands than a pair of scissors in my tobacco storage area.
Phred, fold a flake length wise a couple times, then rip off little chunks from the end. I like to think of this as "simulated cube cutting".
Or carry a pocket knife. Then you don't need to find scissors...just a table you don't mind cutting on!
I do a slight rub and stuff method, and tamp just like any other tobacco, though sometimes you have to shepherd stragglers back into the bowl.
Undecegon, not to be contentious- you make a good point. Or rather, you've helped me make my point. My reasoning behind my "simulated cube cutting" method, besides giving me the opportunity to call something "my method", is that you get a cube cut effect without the hassle (for me, it's a hassle. It's personal preference after all, men) of having to use anything to smoke but the bare necessities. Pipe, tobacco, lighter, fingers, and arguably, a tamper.
It takes less than 15 seconds to cube cut enough flake for a group 5 pipe, certainly not a big time commitment.
Hmm, Newb input where flakes are concerned. I just 'sorta rub em a bit' and stuff them in the pipe. Smokes fine to me.
Based on this though, it seems like I am missing out on the finer points.
I have one of those Swiss Army credit card thingies with scissors in my wallet. I think I shall begin Cube cutting.
I love this forum!
Based on this though, it seems like I am missing out on the finer points.
I have one of those Swiss Army credit card thingies with scissors in my wallet. I think I shall begin Cube cutting.
I love this forum!
wf, I keep a pair of scissors right by my pipes and tobacco and just use those. The swiss army ones may be a bit small, but check it to see how they work. I used to just break apart my flakes with my fingers into big chunks if I was not folding and stuffing, but I found I get a much more consistent burn with the cube cut method. Let us know what you think after trying it.
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