How to Prepare Flake Pipe Tobacco

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Puff nstuff

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 2, 2021
197
956
Inland Southern California
Try folding and stuffing the flake into the pipe and then let the pipe sit over night. The tobacco should be plenty dry and should light a little easier.
I found this out myself by accident, having left a folded & stuffed flake in a cob for a day or so before I got around to smoking it a few times. Lights and burns much easier as a result - just gotta make sure to take it easy.
 

MacMarty89

Can't Leave
Dec 8, 2021
309
2,311
34
Greater Eindhoven Area, Netherlands
I rub my flakes out as much as possible. Place the tobacco on a saucer in the microwave for 10 seconds. Then use my own take on the Frank Method and smoke it down to white ash. After 1/3 I dump the ash, relight and repeat. Works for me.

I might try the fold and stuff method though. Microwave the flake before doing that, I think.
 
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beef

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 10, 2021
101
254
Ontario
I have difficulty knowing how much to use with fold and stuff. Today, I tried with PS navy flake. Went out alot, even after drying for an hour, but it seems like it was because it needed to be more tightly packed.
 
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Duck

Can't Leave
Aug 28, 2021
439
2,338
Edinburgh
Take a flake and tease it apart so that the strands are of uniform thickness then stuff the pipe like you usually do. Experiment with different thicknesses of broken flake between two and five millimetres. After experimenting like that then fold and stuff becomes easy, because you know the consistency and pack that you want. No method of folding and stuffing will work of you don't know what you're aiming for.
 

AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
4,489
24,341
Florida - Space Coast
Tried my fist fold and stuff, trying it with SG Full Virginia Flake that i let “dry” for a few hours. Lesson in futility, it was like trying to smoke moist clay, clay that some how had too much breathing space, like ducking air through a garden hose. ???
 

warren99

Lifer
Aug 16, 2010
1,943
23,278
California
Folding and stuffing has never worked well for me--I find that it's too difficult to light. I prefer to rub it out in the palm of my hand.
 
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Jan 28, 2018
12,953
134,628
66
Sarasota, FL
There's no rule that says you have to make an entire Flake fit into the bowl. It varies all over the place. The size/cut of Flakes vary as does the bowl volume. You may need to strip some off of some Flakes while you may need to tear of a small piece of a second Flake to fill up the bowl in other instances. If you find a flake won't fit, start pulling some small pieces off until it does. Comfortably. Put the small pieces back in the tin and use them later.
 
Jun 23, 2019
1,845
12,758
I generally use either the 'cube' cut, or rubbing the flake out in my palm. I've not have much luck with folding and stuffing the flakes. I use scissors to cut the flakes into 'bacon-bits' size, then gravity feed the bowl. Works for me.

Recently discovered and experimented with this method recently and it works really well for me.

Get a pair of scissors and cut across the grain into cubes and then gravity fill. Enjoying some Quiet Nights right now using exactly this method.
 
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OldWill

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 9, 2022
690
3,877
74
Blanco, Texas
If, after stuffing, lighting it is a problem, try sprinkling a pinch or two of either snuff or ryo tobacco on top.
Although I personally have not done this in a long time, it will certainly produce a quick light. I used to use McCrystal's snuff, and it can be fun experimenting with flavors. Stay away from the mentholated ones for this purpose.
 
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Latakia Dave

Lifer
Mar 4, 2021
1,666
20,964
Shenandoah Vally Virginia
I told along the length, then in half, give it a little twist and stuff. I've done it so many times now, I could do it blindfolded. If there's too much to fit the bowl, I pull some small pieces out so it does stuff easily. If there's room left, I add some of the small pieces in the tin to fill it up. Less than ten seconds.
Exactly my process too.
 
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Jun 23, 2022
4
39
Fold and stuff it , loose , charring light and tamper , usually just one relight needed on first quarter of the bowl and it goes all down to ashes with no mess on the pipe, powder … if it’s a VA/VAPER good flake. capstans, solani, Patriot , Ironsides, Markin and Stirling are all excellent. Solani 633, Patriot and Capstan Gold are my favorites VAs now.

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crossroads

Lurker
Jan 6, 2018
22
59
South of England
I use fold and stuff and it works great , however if a flake is too moist it can be a tiresome business keeping it alight, in which case just rub it out and let it dry out.
 

Sobrbiker

Lifer
Jan 7, 2023
2,131
25,729
Casa Grande, AZ
Just finding my way with flakes. I’m enjoying the different methods, but I’m not much of a “ritualist”.
Are there any problems with cube cutting a couple/few ounces and jarring that for “grab and go”?
 
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