American Made Plugs Versus UK Made Plugs.

[mawnansmiff]

Edit: Forget my request Michael, I've found heaps to read via good old Google.
Back on topic though, I find it astonishing that America, the home of tobacco does not have the necessary equipment to make good solid plugs. Considering plugs were being made in the UK/Ireland way back in the 19th. century I would have thought some entrepreneurial American would have jumped on board!
Regards,
Jay.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I don't have access to my OED2 right now but...
From Collins: Plug; a cake of pressed or twisted tobacco, especially for chewing.

That doesn't do it for thee or me!
I believe Tate's definition is a good one, and solid. Can't wait for the OED2 cite!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I think that someone could make a press to make real plugs (homemade), but spending the money to make plugs in any sort of production line capacity and with all "foodsafe quality" materials would be a waste of money, if the War Horse blend is scheduled to disappear with the FDA deeming date.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Back on topic though, I find it astonishing that America, the home of tobacco does not have the necessary equipment to make good solid plugs. Considering plugs were being made in the UK/Ireland way back in the 19th. century I would have thought some entrepreneurial American would have jumped on board!

Market demand drives such, I do believe. While some are bonkers for plugs, many are not. And don't forget that we Americans in general—none on this forum of course—are wont to go for convenience over additional taste, thus most pipe tobaccos here are ready rubbed or soft flake or cake.... Does that 'splain it??

 

[cosmicfolklore]

By far, aromatic smokers and codger blend smokers rule the markets. 1Q is the most sold blend in the world. It is just that the forum is made up of connoisseurs and hobby smokers, which seeks out the anomaly. The forum by no means shows a cross reference of all smokers.

Like wine drinkers, we are the elites, whereas the rest of the world consumes mass amounts of box wines and Boone's Farm.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I believe Tate's definition is a good one, and solid."
John, you believe it because you choose to. Apparently 48% of Americans believe humans coexisted with dinosaurs!
"Can't wait for the OED2 cite!"
Wait no longer. BTW, I don't subscribe either, I have both editions in hard copy.
OED2 volume XI page 1069 gives us...
4a.Tobacco pressed into a flat oblong cake or stick.
4b. A piece of cake or twist tobacco cut off for chewing etc.
1728 The dean threw me this tobacco plug: A longer ha'porth never did I see. [Swift]
1844 Cutting a quid or plug from his cake of tobacco. [Dickens]
You do seem to have a bee in your bonnet about this John which I find quite amusing ::
Regards,
Jay.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Only in the interest of truth and light!
Love the Swift and Dickens quotes, but 4a doesn't speak to whole leaf or cut, but oddly does mention cake! 4b equates plug with cake. Other references bring in chewing tobacco in relation to the word plug, though not in what you cite.
I am concluding the two terms are hopelessly conflated, and unless a blender chimes in and says there's a valuable distinction today, I will sadly demur. In my mind, however, you've created a great home made cake, a feat worthy in and of itself.

 

[pitchfork]

Yer man added some more info to the post about plugs. It seems to suggest that the steaming and pressing alone are what gives the plug its hard, shiny texture, but it also suggests that the tobaccos are always cased in some kind of sugar water. It's possible that the steaming enables the natural sugars of the leaf to provide the necessary "glue" for the plug, but what's written here isn't dispositive on that point. Anyone know a manufacturer we could just ask?
Also, regarding the Swift quote, it sounds like he's referring to a rope or twist -- otherwise, why would a plug (as we know it) be described as "long"?
http://christianpipesmokers.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=41002#p1100129

 

[mawnansmiff]

"but 4a doesn't speak to whole leaf or cut, but oddly does mention cake!"
John, that is a very thin argument. 'Cake' in this instance suggests to me 'slab'.
"It seems to suggest that the steaming and pressing alone are what gives the plug its hard, shiny texture."
Cobguy, I would disagree based purely on my own experiments that involved no heat at all as what I produced was both hard and shiny (on the outside).
"regarding the Swift quote, it sounds like he's referring to a rope or twist -- otherwise, why would a plug (as we know it) be described as "long"?"
You have to take into consideration as to how folks wrote and spoke back then. Also, plug, twist and rope tobaccos then were largely chewed and not so much smoked and back then the terms were pretty much synonymous.
Why repost the link I previously posted? Have you found something new?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I am concluding the two terms are hopelessly conflated, and unless a blender chimes in..."
John, the below is from Gawith & Hoggarth's description of one of their plug blends. Here again, 'cake' is used to describe the slab from which the plugs are cut.
"As Dark Flake unscented but, from the cake, the tobacco is cut into bars."
Regards,
Jay.

 

[woodsroad]

It's possible that the steaming enables the natural sugars of the leaf to provide the necessary "glue" for the plug

AFAIK, "steam presses" do not inject steam into the tobacco. They are simply heated with steam. Could just as well be heated electrically.

 

[pitchfork]

AFAIK, "steam presses" do not inject steam into the tobacco. They are simply heated with steam. Could just as well be heated electrically.

Right. The heating, I mean. Whadda you think?

 

[pitchfork]

Why repost the link I previously posted? Have you found something new?

Yep.

 

[woodsroad]

Right. The heating, I mean. Whadda you think?

Russ will have an informed opinion. I don't have enough experience to speak with any authority.

 

[pitchfork]

Interesting. In the 18th century, at least sometimes, "plug tobacco" was another name for "spun" tobacco, which I would take to be a rope or twist.
From: James Thomson Callender. A short history of the nature and consequences of excise laws; including some account of the recent interruption to the manufactories of snuff ... (Philadelphia, 1795).

 

[deathmetal]

"UK Plugs" sounds like a punk band.

 

[mackeson]

In the UK you need a plug that handles the higher voltage. :?

 

[mawnansmiff]

Woods, I appreciate what you're saying but consider this, steam injected into the tobacco would keep it moist during pressing whereas indirect heat applied to the tobacco would surely dry it out during pressing?
"Interesting. In the 18th century, at least sometimes, "plug tobacco" was another name for "spun" tobacco, which I would take to be a rope or twist."
Pitchfork, that is precisely what was meant in my Swift quote yet you suggest this to be new found info. Most odd.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[woodsroad]

Woods, I appreciate what you're saying but consider this, steam injected into the tobacco would keep it moist during pressing whereas indirect heat applied to the tobacco would surely dry it out during pressing?

Maybe, but that's not how they are made. AFAIK, stem is not injected into the tobacco. Tobaccos are moist when they go into the hot press.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What we need is a tobacco 3D plug printer. Just put in a cartridge with 8-12 different types of leaf, and have it place dots of tobacco on a matrix to blend the tobaccos as well as make them into cool shapes, like chess pieces or matchbox type cars. Just chop off a hunk of a bishop and load it up to smoke. Then of course it makes taking your tobacco across boarders a lot easier also. You could just print the plug out to be jewelry that your wife wears, or make it a large Western style belt buckle.