Anybody Like Gawith Shag Cut?

[AppalachianPipe92]

I love some Dark Birds Eye (when thr mood hits). Kendal shag is another. Good Kentucky's and a true shag cut. I dig

 

[BingBong]

Just to clarify, there is a usual shag range - this is your Kendal Gold, Dark, Mixed. This is what is termed a shag cut for the UK and most of the world.

HOWEVER for America, shag cut is more the norm and we produce most of our blends as a shag cut just for America. We do not do this for anywhere else.

For the UK and the rest of the world, these are what has been termed Vintage cut in America but is normal pipe tobacco to the rest of the world!

There is no Vintage shag cut - there is either vintage (normal UK pipe tobacco) or shag (finer cut and half way between RYO and usual pipe). Also in the UK the thickness of cut is set by the government for tax reasons.

Vintage cut is the norm for pipe tobacco in the UK and most of the world!! But for some reason the American market prefer shag cut and so we have had to produce special shag cuts for America of pipe tobaccos that would usually (for the Uk and elsewhere) be the usual pipe ribbon cut.

That's very informative and will save huge misunderstanding. I was about to weigh in saying that Skiff and SL are ribbon cut, but you saved me from being a fool!

I do smoke a little RYO, that's shag, and still have 50g of Van Nelle Zwaar left which is the shaggiest shag I've ever seen (although nowadays the nic hit seems to have been reduced; the old Rotterdam production was pleasingly dizzying).

 

[jaingorenard]

That's very informative and will save huge misunderstanding. I was about to weigh in saying that Skiff and SL are ribbon cut, but you saved me from being a fool!

I do smoke a little RYO, that's shag, and still have 50g of Van Nelle Zwaar left which is the shaggiest shag I've ever seen (although nowadays the nic hit seems to have been reduced; the old Rotterdam production was pleasingly dizzying).

I used to love Van Nelle, both the blue packet and the black one.

 

[gawithhoggarth]

I love some Dark Birds Eye (when thr mood hits). Kendal shag is another. Good Kentucky's and a true shag cut. I dig

Kendal dark (which is a shag cut) is the same as Dark Birds Eye and Kendal Kentucky (latter discontinued).

 

[gawithhoggarth]

I do smoke a little RYO, that's shag, and still have 50g of Van Nelle Zwaar left which is the shaggiest shag I've ever seen (although nowadays the nic hit seems to have been reduced; the old Rotterdam production was pleasingly dizzying).

But again certainly in the UK and Europe, RYO is different from shag. Of course people hand roll and smoke shag tobaccos and sometimes pipe tobaccos, but legally and for tax reasons shag is different from RYO.

 

[BingBong]

But again certainly in the UK and Europe, RYO is different from shag. Of course people hand roll and smoke shag tobaccos and sometimes pipe tobaccos, but legally and for tax reasons shag is different from RYO.

I'm certainly missing the subtle difference between RYO and shag, although believe the latter is the finest cut - is it down to width and length of strands?

 

[jaingorenard]

My impression is shag was the finest cut, and included cigarette tobacco, some pipe tobacco, and tobacco intended for either. But it looked like what we now call RYO. Since the taxes in the UK, some pipe tobacco is still called 'shag' but is more like a fine ribbon cut. True shag cut is more like Five Bros or Penny Farthing in the US. Or indeed this Fryer's tobacco I recently opened. But it goes without saying that meanings of words change and there's variation within categories. But I don't think any pipe tobacco we get in the UK is true shag cut anymore

 

[BingBong]

My impression is shag was the finest cut, and included cigarette tobacco, some pipe tobacco, and tobacco intended for either. But it looked like what we now call RYO. Since the taxes in the UK, some pipe tobacco is still called 'shag' but is more like a fine ribbon cut. True shag cut is more like Five Bros or Penny Farthing in the US. Or indeed this Fryer's tobacco I recently opened. But it goes without saying that meanings of words change and there's variation within categories. But I don't think any pipe tobacco we get in the UK is true shag cut anymore View attachment 307259

Thanks, that's helpful - it's a minefield! On a slightly different tack, I've never found 250g bulk bags of pipe blends in the UK - is that down to Govt. meddling as well?

 

[jaingorenard]

Thanks, that's helpful - it's a minefield! On a slightly different tack, I've never found 250g bulk bags of pipe blends in the UK - is that down to Govt. meddling as well?

You can still get G&H and SG 250g boxes I think

 

[BingBong]

You can still get G&H and SG 250g boxes I think

I shall search around - tins are great, but popping 5 to fill a Kilner jar always seems terribly wasteful.

 

[gawithhoggarth]

RYO is hand rolling tobacco - taxed completely differently in the UK and the UK government sets the cut of the tobacco. RYO or hand rolling tobacco is much finer than shag tobacco.

Shag is a type of pipe tobacco, it can be not as coarse as your usual mixtures but is a ribbon cut pipe tobacco still deemed pipe tobacco for tax purposes.

The word shag comes from an old norse word meaning beard. Originally used to describe any ribbon cut tobacco coming from Virginia to the UK, it now refers to a ribbon cut pipe tobacco in the UK.

Yes we sell 250g bags/500g bags (and trays) of tobacco to the UK retailers, but these are mostly bulk offering to the retailers to then weigh out to consumers. The cost due to tax in the UK means not many can afford to pay out for a 250g or 500g bag in one go.

 

[BingBong]

RYO is hand rolling tobacco - taxed completely differently in the UK and the UK government sets the cut of the tobacco. RYO or hand rolling tobacco is much finer than shag tobacco.

Shag is a type of pipe tobacco, it can be not as coarse as your usual mixtures but is a ribbon cut pipe tobacco still deemed pipe tobacco for tax purposes.

The word shag comes from an old norse word meaning beard. Originally used to describe any ribbon cut tobacco coming from Virginia to the UK, it now refers to a ribbon cut pipe tobacco in the UK.

Yes we sell 250g bags/500g bags (and trays) of tobacco to the UK retailers, but these are mostly bulk offering to the retailers to then weigh out to consumers. The cost due to tax in the UK means not many can afford to pay out for a 250g or 500g bag in one go.

Thank you for the (much needed) clarification!

 

[jaingorenard]

RYO is hand rolling tobacco - taxed completely differently in the UK and the UK government sets the cut of the tobacco. RYO or hand rolling tobacco is much finer than shag tobacco.

Shag is a type of pipe tobacco, it can be not as coarse as your usual mixtures but is a ribbon cut pipe tobacco still deemed pipe tobacco for tax purposes.

The word shag comes from an old norse word meaning beard. Originally used to describe any ribbon cut tobacco coming from Virginia to the UK, it now refers to a ribbon cut pipe tobacco in the UK.

Yes we sell 250g bags/500g bags (and trays) of tobacco to the UK retailers, but these are mostly bulk offering to the retailers to then weigh out to consumers. The cost due to tax in the UK means not many can afford to pay out for a 250g or 500g bag in one go.

I appreciate what you're saying, but I really don't think 'shag' refers to ribbon cut pipe tobacco. That may be what it's used to describe now, but 'shag' never used to mean that.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I also really like smoking shag cut tobaccos, I wish more pipe blends were shag cut. Although maybe then I'd enjoy them less as they'd be less of a change of pace...

Actually there are quite a number of old school Shag Cut pipe tobaccies But the grand majority of those are produced and sold in Europe,. especially, In France , Begium and Netherlands,and are not imported out of producing countries ,these traditional blends usually include dark Burley varieties&maryland and Paraguay leafs

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I used to love Van Nelle, both the blue packet and the black one.

In the past I smoked almost exclusively for more than 15years those Dutch style Kentucky RYO tobaccioes but unfortunately as of today they are not the same as some 10-20 years ago, rarely If and when I smoke them today I find the overall taste has been downed down & diluted

 

[woodsroad]

“Shag” in the US is RYO. A very fine cut.

It would be helpful for manufacturers to ditch the confusing and contradictory naming conventions and just state the width of cut in millimeters (1mm, .5mm, etc)