Favorite Navy Flake

[Mopiper]

I know there are many out there so whats yours? I have only had Mac Barren Navy Flake so far and I like it quite a bit.

 

[Es0teric]

Depends on your definition of what a Navy Flake is. I would answer Capstan.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

So many good ones. You can’t go wrong with MacBaren Navy Flake or Capstan. My favorite would have to be OGS or HH Pure Virginia. ️

 

[burleybreath]

Flake becomes "Navy" when rum is added, or something, right? I find Mac Baren's Navy Flake to be quite awesome in taste, and it lends itself to an easy fold and stuff packing technique. So, yeah, I agree.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

No longer around, but love Rotary Navy Cut. Capstan is awesome.

 

[mikestanley]

No longer around, but love Rotary Navy Cut. Capstan is awesome.

Agree with Rotary. I'm down to a couple of tins.

Mike S.

 

[Swiss Army Knife]

Is MB Navy Flake comparable to Capstan? I was under the impression that Capstan Blue was more of a straight virginia without a rum topping or anything.

 

[shanez]

Navy is the cut.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Navy is the cut.

This ?. ️

 

[shanez]

History of Flake Tobacco | Smokingpipes.com

Learn more about the maritime history of flake- or navy-cut pipe tobacco.

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[Mopiper]

Navy is the cut.

Thanks. I was not aware of that.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Ernest Borgnine

 

[craiginthecorn]

With all due respect to shanez, I think there's more than cut that defines a modern Navy Flake. I believe that the definition is murky, as it seems to vary from one producer to another. My reading of the article differs from shanez's. I think the point Chuck was making was that flake tobacco made pipe smoking more practical for seamen and that there is a long history of pipe smoking being associated with the sea. As a result, maritime-related names have been very common for pipe tobacco. Carl Ehwa's excellent The Book of Pipes and Tobacco, makes no mention of "Navy" when listing the various cuts of tobacco.

I don't recall ever seeing a Latakia Flake referred to as a Navy Flake, yet the cut is the same as any Navy flake, so I believe a Navy Flake has come to mean a simpler, lightly cased and optionally rum-flavored, primarily Virginia-based flake.

I too like the Mac Baren Navy Flake, but slightly prefer the 4th Generation 1931, which I believe is virtually identical, but possibly with higher quality tobacco. Both of these are more strongly topped than Capstan Blue, Samuel Gawith Navy Flake, or Peter Stokkebye Luxury Navy Flake.

 

[Mopiper]

Ok. I will reread the article. I am looking for one with a more raisin plumb type flavor.

 

[JohnClyde]

Admittedly there's a bit of cutting first, but Salty Dogs is my fave navy style flake once finished with.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I think there's more than cut that defines a modern Navy Flake

Nope

Navy cut tobacco - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I don't recall ever seeing a Latakia Flake referred to as a Navy Flake,

This one is blatantly called Navy Flake and has Latakia.

Navy Flake 50g - Samuel Gawith Pipe Tobacco | Smokingpipes

Samuel Gawith's Navy Flake pipe tobacco comprises Virginias and Latakia with a touch of rum for a traditional navy mixture.

www.smokingpipes.com

 

[Chasing Embers]

Carl Ehwa's excellent The Book of Pipes and Tobacco, makes no mention of "Navy" when listing the various cuts of tobacco.

The same book only lists one way of packing a pipe. Of all the different cuts of tobacco, filling isn't one size fits all and folding and stuffing, which isn't new by any means isn't even mentioned. It's possible that the term Navy cut wasn't familiar to him.

 

[anotherbob]

all of them.

 

[DanWil84]

I also always thought a navy flake should have a addition of rum which was wrong, it adds a little to the "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" seaman theme, so this might be reason why manufacturers still refer a bit to it.

I like MB Navy Flake, but only when its dryer than bone dry. The tin I smoked reached that status only after about 6 months of being open. Fresh opened tin I would really let the flake dry overnight.

 

[beezer]

I've been smoking through a tin of MacBaren Navy Flake that I purchased in 2014 and it's fantastic! Glad I grabbed a bunch back then.