Frank method

[redpanda]

So, I take my pipe, gravity fill it up to the top, tamping very very lightly, and then I take a generous pinch of tobacco and tightly pack it on top while still making sure the pipe can breathe. Is this what the Frank method is more or less about?

 

[rhoadsie]

There are videos on youtube that describe it well. I've followed those and had good results...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrgzFVmurUk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJP0JaNRw6Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U5QbtyNxhA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMtHOAiO8CI

 

[newfie]

More or less Redpanda. Th videos Rhoadsie posted describe it in very good detail.
That being said, I personally have had more success with the Air Pocket Method, which I believe is a spinoff of Frank's way. Don't really know why, but it's true for me.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

For me it gets condensed into a single step of using the four finger pinch to grab and load without spilling all over the place, and it emphasizes that pressure should be horizontal and not vertical.

 

[shutterbugg]

Different cuts take better to different packing methods, and bowl shape plays a part also, so trying to find a one-method-fits-all packing technique is an exercise in futility. The absolute check for correct packing is in the pre-light draw. You should be able to just detect a bit more effort than with an empty pipe.

 

[anarchisthermit]

Lordy, if I had to spend 3 minutes loading a pipe I would go insane. The old codger scoop works for me.

 

[deathmetal]

In fairness, methods like this have a way of getting quicker as I get more experience with them...

 

[redpanda]

Rhoadsie: Thanks for sharing anyway. I have seen them all. In reality though, there is still a learning curve. It has not been working very well for me so far. I pack too tight the top perhaps from fear of it all being too loose in the end.

 

[jvnshr]

That being said, I personally have had more success with the Air Pocket Method

same thing here.

Different cuts take better to different packing methods, and bowl shape plays a part also

I was going to say that. Bowl shape plays a great role in packing. After few experiences I have the results below:
- short round bowls smoke better with Air Pocket method.

- long straight bowls smoke better with 3 layer method.

- big bowls smoke better with Frank method. Most common mistake I was making in Frank method was pushing the tobacco down. You have to push the tobacco to the center to create a tight roof over the tobacco inside the bowl. Also lighting up the bowl only 2 times is not enough. According to Frank you should be using torch lighter, but I think I will never keep a torch close to my pipes.