Mixture vs Flake?

[crpntr1]

What's the difference between the two, obviously the cut, but is one "better" than the other & if you think so, what makes it better? Do they smoke differently? Thanx.

 

[cortezattic]

Creating a flake tobacco serves two general purposes:

• 1) to mature the tobacco (artificial “aging” by the use of pressure, most of the time with some heat involved), and;
  
  2) to marry the flavors much more quickly.

Additional benefits to pressing tobaccos is that they tend to be more stable in long-term storage and are a bit less prone to mold and drying out as compared to loose leaf blends. Also, all pressed and sliced tobaccos give the smoker a little more freedom in controlling the burn rate of the blend. If the flakes, slices or coins are stuffed more or less intact into the pipe, the tobacco will burn more slowly and cooler, but won’t deliver quite as much flavor. Rubbing the pressed tobaccos out will increase the flavor, but it will tend to burn a bit hotter.

From Russ Ouelette's article, Tobacco Blending Processes.

 

[markw4mms]

+1 To what Cortezattic said, I much prefer a flake to a loose cut/ribbon.

 

[crpntr1]

@cortez thanx for the info..@markw4mms what is it that you like about the flake more than the loose cut?

 

[judcole]

I smoke 'em both. Can't say I really prefer one to the other.And for lovers of latakia blends, there are damned few flakes.