Tamping Fold and Tuck flake

It sounds as though your charring light is not even. Both lights, especially with compressed tobacco which has not been rubbed out, must be very even and thorough.

I do love to smoke flake.

first fold flake tobacco and put into pipe.

Second rubbed out little bit of flake with hand palm and place top of flake.

third lighting up and enjoy happy smoking.

Yes, but that flake is folding and tucking something completely different :rofl: ...

Fold and tuck! And then wonder if the State will pay for the procedures as you rot away in prison.

I used to have the same issues. Instead of trying to perfect the method, I instead turned to the cube cut method for flakes. It burns more easily, stays lit better, and I find it even more flavorful.

$.02:
I use the z-fold method (leaving a wide-open draw), and I don't tamp. I light the center (using the thermodynamics method of lighting and smoking, and I occasionally, gently scrape some of the ash away as I go. I also gently scrape some of the tobacco left in the distillation zone into the combustion zone, tamping with only the weight of the tamper.
It works every time for me.
I also use this method with shag cut tobacco, and it works every time there too.
I've found my rhythm.

First off, who is Bruce Jenner?
Second off, when I have a flake I usually fold it in half side to side and then fold it in half top to bottom, then I rest it on my middle finger in between my pointer and ring and use my thumb to gently rub it out a bit, then stuff it into the bowl. I'll use any bit of the flake that broke off as kindling on the top. That coupled with lighting in a circular motion tends to get an even burn.

I like to fold and stuff Orlik and Mac Barren Navy Flake. The key I find it to have one flake rubbed out that you top the bowl with. It doesn't take the whole flake just enough to cover the top and get the folded stuff lit good.

Learnt a lot from this thread.

I can only burn to the bottom of the bowl with only ash remain for rubbed and dried flake, while I haven't tried the cube cut method which sounds promising.

The technical challenge seems to be mostly related to the fold-n-tuck or roll-n-tuck or fold-n-roll-tuck method. I have been trying this method, though without much great success, because it can easily be the laziest and the most natural method.

There was only 2 or 3 times I could smoke it to the bottom of the bowl with more ease, but those were outdoor and windy environment which assisted burning greatly. Most of the case using the fold-n-tuck method, I also had unburnt or partially burnt flake tobacco sticking to the wall with white ash in the middle and it was mostly quite difficult to tamp if I have to. I just tried to empty some ash from to time instead, and then pick some of those partially burnt flake at the bowl wall to the middle.
Using the fold-n-tuck method without success sometimes irritates me: with many re-lighting and great deal of uncertainty about if the bowl is finished or not, and when the top layer didn't light up so easily in multiple attempt while there seem to be tobacco left at the bottom and tamping is impossible - it does sound frustrating more than enjoyable.

Using the fold-n-tuck method without success sometimes irritates me: with many re-lighting and great deal of uncertainty about if the bowl is finished or not, and when the top layer didn't light up so easily in multiple attempt while there seem to be tobacco left at the bottom and tamping is impossible - it does sound frustrating more than enjoyable.

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Because there is little to no air in between the tobacco itself it is very easy to smother your ember with to much ash build up on top. I find that keeping just a slight dusting works best. Top much and the ember can't breath so it dies.

Also don't fill your pipe all the way to the top of the rim that way you don't have to worry about burning it when lighting.