Issues With Flakes and Coins

[carolinachurchwarden]

So I've been having some issues with my flakes and coins. On both accounts, no matter how I fold, how much, or how little, my coins keeps opening up a little and sticking to the sides of my bowl. When I light up, I make sure that I have a nice, even burn on the top, but it keeps burning better in the middle, so not burning evenly across the top of my flakes or my coins. This keeps leaving me with unburnt tobacco clinging for dear life to the sides of my bowl, trying not to die, I reckon. Are their any tips you guys might have that will help me get a better, even burn, or do you just have to scrape the sides down and relight as you go?

 

[mountainman]

Honestly, I have never really liked the fold and stuff method for coins or flakes. To me, it seems that it is trying to do something the hard way. I always felt like I spent my pipe time fighting to keep it lit. Eventually I just decided rubbing it out, tearing it into smaller pieces, and letting it dry to the perfect moisture level worked best for me. Ever since I have been a happy smoker and typically one match will get me through 80% of a bowl, with maybe a second light towards the end. I know this doesn't help your issue, but just a different perspective on packing methods.

 

[mso489]

Do what works for you. Some have the touch for fold and stuff, and never look back. But if rubbing out makes a good packed bowl for you, I say do it. The experience is the satisfaction of smoking, not doing some routine that doesn't seem to work. Play around with it when you have the time and inclination, but when you go for a smoke, go with what you know works for you. Your satisfaction is the goal.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Dry it out some more. There's a reach they put a radius on pipe tools. Use the edge to scrape down that tobacco sticking to the sides.

 

[crashthegrey]

My first suggestion is use a narrower chambered pipe. Second, just tamp the sides toward the middle a couple of times. Third, pack a little lighter. D, slow down, you may be smoking too fast to burn down the center like that. 5, make sure your charring light leaves a very consistent top before really lighting and going. Hexagon, experiment and see what you enjoy most.

 

[prairiedruid]

Fold then twist a bit; this will help keep flakes from clinging to the walls of your pipe.

 

[crashthegrey]

Good call druid of the prairie. I forgot that bit. When you get your flakes or coins in the bowl, but a finger on top and slowly twist it a bit. This will assist greatly. Fold, stuff, and twist.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

All good info, fellas. I generally do ensure that I have a good light across the top and it works well, for the first 15 minutes or so, but that's when it almost seems like it starts to die out near the edges and only stays lit more in the middle. I have been scraping those sides down and in, but wasn't sure if their was a way to stuff it to make sure I can keep it lit evenly. Sometimes I lose myself while smoking it, so I don't really pay too much attention to how it's burning in the bowl, since the flavor and smoke is the same, then it slowly dies and goes out. It's only on the relights that I actually notice that the burn seems to be in the middle. The pipe I've been using primarily is my Country Gent, as it seems deep enough, but the diameter of the bowl could be throwing it off then. I've been just experimenting with it mostly. First I smoked either the flake or coins I have, I rubbed one out, let it dry and packed. This last round I decided to just try folding and stuffing for a few bowls and each time I get about the same effect. I'll try to stuff it and twist it to see how that goes on my next bowls.

 

[cigrmaster]

I scrape the sides of my bowl, tamp and then relight. Nothing difficult in getting the bowl going again.

 

[mso489]

When i tried fold and stuff with PS Luxury Bullseye, it was dry and came apart, so I rubbed it out and it smoked well. Adapt the leaf to your needs.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

That's the coin I'm smoking, PS LBF, and the flake is ODF. I love them both, when I can keep them lit. I may just start rubbing them both out. I was only folding and stuffing on the recommendation that they have more flavor when they're just folded and stuffed. I gave it a try, but if I get more out of it by rubbing out, then that's what I'll do.

 

[crashthegrey]

Just because some prefer to fold, does not mean it will be better for your. Follow your heart, or tongue, or pipe. Whatever you want to call it.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Well, I'll try it anyway once, and if it doesn't work then fine. I'm not trying to follow like monkey see, monkey do, I just see how others have smoked it and wanted to try every way of loading possible to figure out what works for me. But if I'm not doing something right to smoke it that way, then I'm not actually giving it the best chance at success before deciding that method doesn't work for me.

 

[workman]

I usually dry flakes and coins enough that they break when I fold.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I usually dry flakes and coins enough that they break when I fold.

So your method is almost like a rubbing out, without rubbing out? Kind of goes in a little more crumbly? Mine was close to that, but I think I only let it dry out for about a half hour or so. I'll let it dry a bit longer and keep playing with it. If all else fails, I'll just rub them all out from now on. Just always wondered why they make it that way if you're not supposed to smoke it that way, so that's what I've been trying to make work. Just means I'll have to order more as I go, not a bad thing.

 

[cwpiperman]

I really do like to rub both coins and flakes out. For me, the enjoyment of the behavior of the tobacco in the pipe after rubbing out is combined with the "extended tin note" that one gets when rubbing out a flavorful blend like Dunhill Navy Rolls or HH Old Dark Fired....Plum Pudding SR.......MMMMMMM.mmmmmmmm.....smells just fantastic. But I digress...........
CW

 

[olkofri]

Just always wondered why they make it that way if you're not supposed to smoke it that way,

Rubbish. Pipe smoking might be founded on solid science (physics, particularly thermodynamics), but it's also a personal activity, and every person is different—different mouth anatomy, different taste buds, different strengths and ways of drawing smoke.
I'm not knocking the advice given down—I ask for advice all the time myself—I just had a thread started on coins and flakes too—but among all the collective knowledge you have to find something that works for you, and then stick with it.
Case in point, I've become enamoured of the DrPerl filters: I have a fast cadence and I tend to sippuff, and these pipes/filters allow me to smoke with little to no tongue bite. This probably means that my several cobs will be facing an early retirement, and that from now on I'll buy mostly 9mm drilled pipes, but heck, it is what it is. The point is to enjoy the smoke, not to conform to standards.

 

[jaytex1969]

I keep both the pipe nail (the square headed one) and a round headed tamper near by.
When smoking flake/coin/broken flake, I tamp with the round head, making sure that the edge of the head against the side of the chamber is lower, kind of angling towards the center.
When need be, the tiny "scoop" end of the square pipe nail is used to gently pick/poke the ash so I can dump it, then the same tiny scoop end is used to get behind the good stuff stuck to the wall and pry it a bit toward the center.
Then, the round head is again used to tamp and even the remainder for relighting.
Drying and rubbing out does ease the operation considerably, but I am one of those who find some extra flavor dimensions with some folded flakes. I get a much deeper bottom end note on the ODF, as an example, when I fold and stuff.
To address your thread title, I also have issues with flakes and coins. The flakes keep finding me and the coins keep escaping...

 

[prairiedruid]

Another option would be to cube cut them.

 

[sparroa]

I was never fond of the fold and stuff method because of the burn issues. I almost exclusively rub out my flakes and coins.
Cube cutting was once a favourite of mine but I've found recently that rubbing out my tobacco to a fine cut and drying it sufficiently has improved my experience over other methods...
Flakes and coins offer more concentrated flavours as per their production methods such as pressing and I think they are also superior for storage/aging over the long haul. I don't think it is as important to smoke them intact as you probably think. A freshly rubbed out flake will still be different than the ready rubbed version straight from the factory.