Fancy a Shag?

[shughes0212]

Hi, all! I’m wondering if anyone has tips to share for packing and smoking shag-cut tobacco.

I’m still in the experimental phase of my pipe career, and although it is beginning to look as though I could be pretty happy just smoking Orlik’s until the sun goes out, I have also happened to acquire a pound of D&R Three Sails in my wanderings. The Three Sails smells great and makes lovely cigarettes, but I can’t seem to figure out how to get it to burn right in the pipe: either it goes up like sawdust or I inadvertently tamp it down into a sodden unsmokable wad.

I’m guessing that this, like everything else in life, ultimately comes down to just fiddling with it until you find the right balance, but are there any special, shag-specific techniques out there that I might be missing?

As for pipes, so far, I’ve been trying it in the little mini-churchwardens that I like for flake. The small bowl/long stem shape seems like it ought to make sense for shag too, but then I haven’t tried it in anything else either. Is there a shape that lends itself to the cut?

Many Thanks!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Dry it out more, break it up a bit before packing it. Shag cut is my least favorite, regardless of what you do, it seems to burn faster than I'd like.

 

[bullet08]

Typically, shag cut will burn faster and burn hot. I load 'em like any ribbon cut tobacco, but they usually end up with more tobacco in the chamber. Three step loading, can't remember if that's the name, should work well. As to fancy a shag part, unless you are petit, skinny, young and most important, female, don't ask. And even if you are, unless you are over 21, don't bother.

 

[shanez]

sodden unsmokable wad

If it's turning into a wet clump you need to dry it more. I'd experiment with drying it then packing it and packing it and letting it dry it in the pipe.

I like what might be considered an average size bowl for it and then up to more of a wide pot size.

Like Hoosier said, it seems to just go fast.

 

[karam]

Just replying to the thread's title, as someone who's lived in the UK for 12 years I'd avoid going about anywhere in the UK saying that

 

[Ahi Ka]

 

[kcghost]

Shag cut smokes too fast and hot for me.

 

[sablebrush52]

D&R blends tend to be pretty dry to begin with, so, unlike my usual advice, I would try smoking it as it comes from the bag. You can always try drying it a bit on the next bowl.
Shag cuts tend to burn readily, so the trick is to adopt a slow cadence of sips. If it does go out, just relight.
Pack so that it's lightly firm and springy. You don't want to pack too firm. The challenge lies in finding a very slow smoking cadence. If it gets hot, slow down.

 

[anotherbob]

I find shags go good if I cram them into the pipe and go slow not worrying about letting it go out and not worrying about even burn just smoking tiny bits at a time and stopping if it gets hot and letting it go out.

 

[bullet08]

I find shags go good if I cram them into the pipe and go slow not worrying about letting it go out and not worrying about even burn just smoking tiny bits at a time and stopping if it gets hot and letting it go out.

It's best not thinking too much when smoking. Seems to make things better for the occasion.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Pack so that it's lightly firm and springy. You don't want to pack too firm. The challenge lies in finding a very slow smoking cadence. If it gets hot, slow down.

This. Most people pack too tight. Packed right, you really don’t need to do so much as sip, the tobacco smokes itself. I firmly believe they smoke better NOT broken up.

 

[jewman22]

you tease, that was click bait.

 

[anotherbob]

you tease, that was click bait.

not really. In the context of this site you knew what the subject actually was. More cheesy then click bait. Oh wait you thought he had some for sale.

 

[anotherbob]

This. Most people pack too tight. Packed right, you really don’t need to do so much as sip, the tobacco smokes itself. I firmly believe they smoke better NOT broken up.

Personally I find shags can be packed more firmly. The trick is to check the draw and make sure the draw is the same or nearly the same as it would be with a ribbon you feel is properly packed. I find a firmer pack actually slows it down a bit. Then to maybe over explain things. With a ribbon I try to get the whole top of the chamber evenly combusted across the whole surface (try is the key word), with shags I find if only the middle is burning and moving wildly through the bowl it's fine so I more try to just light the tobacco without concern for evenness.

 

[mso489]

I've smoked Five Brothers, and Petite Robin Semois, with good results. Mostly I don't match pipes with the blend or cut, but for these dry fine-cut blends, a deeper bowl and not too broad works well, to slow down the burn a little and to accept quite a bit of tobacco to extend the smoke. Slow sipping. Shag will never be the cut for long deliberative smokes. If you get 30 minutes, that's pretty good.

 

[UncleRasta]

I believe I do. Fancy a shag I mean

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

With a ribbon I try to get the whole top of the chamber evenly combusted across the whole surface (try is the key word), with shags I find if only the middle is burning and moving wildly through the bowl it's fine so I more try to just light the tobacco without concern for evenness.

Try not puffing very much, or hard, hold the lighter or match away from the top of the bowl a little, and roast the tobacco like a cigar. moving the flame around in a clockwise (or counterclockwise) direction. With a little patience and practice, you can get a very even light for anything with less effort and irritation. Tobacco tastes best when it just smolders in the bowl, flakes or shags.

 

[jpberg]

Try not puffing very much, or hard, hold the lighter or match away from the top of the bowl a little, and roast the tobacco like a cigar. moving the flame around in a clockwise (or counterclockwise) direction. With a little patience and practice, you can get a very even light for anything with less effort and irritation. Tobacco tastes best when it just smolders in the bowl, flakes or shags.

Yes.

 

[FurCoat]

Never had a problem with shag cuts and enjoy them much more than a course ribbon cut. I pull it apart some, load a bowl full and pack down with a healthy pinch more and it burns just fine with no relights.

 

[shughes0212]

Awesome. Thanks, y’all! This has all been helpful. I played around with it a bit with everyone’s advice in mind and got a good smoke in the end. I think I did kind of a medium-light pack, keeping the tobacco more or less in the clumps it naturally wants to hang in and fitting as much in as I could without feeling like I was forcing it. (I almost always overpack if I try to do the three-step, so usually err in the direction of an informal frank pack.)

I think the cadence thing ended up being the key: the way I came to think of it is to just let it go out, or only just barely stay lit, and then relight or give it a covered puff or two instead of tamping mid-smoke.

The thing that’s tricky to get a feel for I think is not just how quickly it burns, but how reactive the ember is in general. Whereas it usually takes a ribbon cut or a flake a couple of minutes to go out on its own, or a bit of solid puffing to really blaze up, the shag can go out in seconds, or take off with just one hearty gulp.

One odd thing: I think I may have helped it also by actually adding a tiny bit of moisture to the leaf. I had put a 72% boveda humidifier pack that I normally use for cigarette tobacco into the bag the other day when I had been ready to give it up and just consign the stuff to rolling use. On the other hand though, that’s only a slight bump in humidity, and, as it coincided with my form improving, it’s hard to say how much it contributed.

Anyway, thanks again! Seems I’ve got a lot to look forward to with that D&R. It’s funny, it seems like Virginia really likes unusual preparations. I loved my flake, and I’m quite pleased now with the shag too, but ribbon cut Virginia never seems to have much to it.