How do You Pack a Bowl?

[lostandfound]

As the title nearly reads. How do you pack your bowls?
Do you two-step? Three step? How about the Frank method? Air-pocket anyone? Have you said to hell with tradition, and took to developing your own meticulous and exact, yet inarticulable set of steps to a bowl well loaded?
Please make any distinctions between Virginia and Latakia based tobaccos, as well as differences between ribbon, partially rubbed, or flake cut tobaccos.
For example, I've been experimenting with the Frank method when packing English, ribbon cut blends. As for my flakes, I've been sticking with the three step method- or a close approximation, and have found it to be my best chance of achieving an even burn, a good draw, and minimal relights. I don't have much experience with English blends to begin with, so my take on the Frank method is hardly worth taking into consideration.

 

[nsfisher]

After 18yrs of pipe smoking, I don't even think about it. I just put er in and light er up

 

[latbomber]

Push tobacco in until the bowl is full and then check the draw :mrgreen:

 

[smokeybiker]

to those who just fill the bowl without using any of the standard techniques - do you have to constantly re light or do you find it burns even and continuously?

 

[nsfisher]

Burn well, sometimes need a relight or two, but not often. Needed more relights yrs ago, but not so much anymore

 

[bryanf]

I also don't really think about it. I only smoke a few different tobacco's and I pack them all differently. I smoke very slow. Relights? They're not a bad thing. Yeah, whenever I get distracted and let my pipe go out. Usually happens 2 or 3 times a bowl.
In order of what I smoke...
1) Ennerdale Flake. This is a soft flake that is kind of crumbly and easily rubbed out. I take a flake, fold in half, breaking off what is longer than my pipe's bowl depth, lightly rub so it's still chunky, then stuff in my pipe. I pack it very tight at the top. Draws well.
2) Condor. I dip my pipe into my pouch, and use my index finger to scrape tobacco into my bowl and tamp it down. I just fill up my pipe with my finger and tamp it down and light up.
3) SWR- same as Condor.
4) Irish Flake. Same as Ennerdale basically. I have tried cubing a few times and it was an excellent smoke. I just usually stuff it in. Smokes great.
Ennerdale, I leave the top off of my tin for a few hours after putting in there from my bulk jar as only gets better when it gets a little drier. Everything else, I smoke straight from the tin.
I don't really buy SG blends except for in bulk, as I don't like paying for 50 grams of tobacco only to get at least 10 grams of water!

 

[sparrowhawk]

I'm exploring a variety of tobaccos now, courtesy of Carol at Pipeworks. I simply tap the tobacco in, tap the pipe on the side, letting gravity settle the tobacco, tamp it slightly, then take another pinch of tobacco and repeat the process until it reaches the top. Two to three pinches of tobacco usually does it. One light to shrivel the tobacco at the top of the bowl, tamp it so it's even, then a second light to get it going. I only have to relight if the fire goes out when I put the pipe down for a few moments to attend to something.

 

[freakiefrog]

How I pack depends on the pipe I'm smoking. My Meerschaums I pack and tamp in three stages, most of the others I use the circular in my hand method. With twist and flake is normally a rub out and stuff in thing.

 

[lostandfound]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the palm/twist technique? Work well?

 

[mso489]

I'm with nsfisher, the less fuss the better. Often I'll hold the pipe over the pouch or jar and shovel the tobacco in.

Sometimes this will take a layer or two, tamping it down in between, but often it's all one go, just get enough in

there and tamp it down. I've done the layering and different pressures for different levels, but it doesn't make the

smoke any better. It's mostly by feel, to get enough tobacco in the pipe so it is well packed after the first light,

whether you char and have to relight, or it just requires a bit of tamping. But the load and light method seems so

right, and the pipes seem eager and willing to deliver the flavor, that getting technical or ritualistic about it seems

futile. You don't want to jam tobacco into the bowl. There needs to be some springiness and room for the fire to

spread, but not so loose it goes out or collapses into a little pool of ashes after the first light. I think after a few

months, this is pretty much an instinct. But hey, if it makes you happy to follow a multi-step procedure, and it works

for you, do that. With slices or other tobaccos that need to be rubbed out, I prefer to do this into a ceramic bowl or

other container then pack the pipe from there.

 

[freakiefrog]

lostandfound, it works very well for ribbon cut stuff, I get a very even cool burn with that method.

 

[cigrmaster]

I cube most of my flakes and pack them in stages. I fill it to the top and press down lightly making sure I get the sides, do it again with a little more pressure, do it again and really stand on it. This is when I check the draw, it if it is not tight enough, I add more tobacco and really stand on it making sure I get the good resistance I am looking for. I have found a tighter packs works great for cube cutting. When I fold and stuff, I just fold the flakes, stuff them in and am usually good to go. I do not pack them nearly as tight as they expand much more.

 

[salewis]

For a ribbon cut tobacco blend I fill the tobacco about one third and press firmly with my finger. Then fill the other two thirds with tobacco and leave springy and press lightly. Remember, to ensure that the draw is OK before you light the charring light (first light). If the draw is not OK run a pipe cleaner through draft hole which should suffice.

 

[tjameson]

For ribbon cut English blends I also use the "Harry method" putting the tobacco in my palm usually more than is needed and place the bowl per the tobacco and move it in a circle and kind of push the excess tobacco into the bowl with my thumb. This seems to work best for me and leaves an air pocket in the bottom of the bowl. For flake I really prefer fold and stuff or more like fold and twist into the bowl. I try cube cutting and sometimes it burns well but I honestly feel like I lose flavor even though many of the big flake smokers mainly cube cut. I've found that in reality once you have done it for a long time you stop caring and just do what feels right even if that's not necessarily consistent.

 

[mustanggt]

No matter what tobacco I smoke in it I just put some in and tap against my knuckle till it gets to the top and press then light.

 

[cigrmaster]

Tucker, next time you cube cut a flake, pack it much tighter than you normally do and see if the flavors are better. I have found that if I don't pack it tight enough, the flavors are not as good.

 

[werdna]

I've found the Frank method works really well for my ribbon cut tobaccos. There's little or no compression at the bottom of the bowl, and a springy tight pack at the top. It allows for good air circulation with little condensation, and a great draw.

 

[pstlpkr]

Do you two-step?

No... I hate dancing. :nana:
For me it really depends on what I'm smoking.

As for ribbon cuts, it depends on, how moist or dry, and the thickness/how wide the ribbons are. Generally 3 step.

When it comes to flakes (and I know more than my fair share) I will cube cut and gravity fill, or with PS-LBF I'll rub it out.

That about covers it for me.

::

 

[rcstan]

Stuff and fold the flakes unless I cube them. Ribbon cut - I usually scoop it out the pouch or the jar with the pipe itself until it "feels" right. When I first started smoking I used to put a lot more thought into it than now. It's pretty much muscle memory now. I don't usually think about it unless trying a new blend.

 

[rcstan]

I pack the cubes in the same manner as a ribbon cut - scoop out and push down.