Navy Blends

[shillelagh3]

What makes a navy blend a navy blend? Is it an ingredient, an aroma or flavor?
In another recent thread, I received some advice on a few navy blends, but upon analysis (but not yet smoking them), I couldn't tie them all together. Some are aromatics, some are English blends, some VAPers. I'm missing something.

 

[patiobum]

Borrowed from pipes2smoke.com :
NAVY CUT: Originally the tobacco was favored by sailors. They would put it in a long thin canvas tube and twist it tight. When taken out it was a thick rope of tobacco that they could carry in their pocket. They could cut off a plug to chew or slice it to smoke in a pipe. Escudo, Three Nuns Slices and Bengal Slices are types of sliced plug. Normally it is a slow burning tobacco fitting with its sailing origins. Navy blends are often steeped in Rum as this what sailors used to to do.
Ive always thought it was a virginia tobaccy soaked in rum that made it a navy blend.
I did a lil experiment with Stokkkebye Luxary Navy Flake. I took 4 oz. poured it onto a ss tray and weighed it. Let it set out on the room air and weighed it for one month. The tray and tobaccy weighed 19.6 oz and after one month it weighed 19.1 oz. I then took .4 oz rum in a spray bottle and spritzed it then sealed it up in a zip loc bag for 2 weeks then schmoked. Not a real noticable rum taste. Just something to do.
It's a hobby, I like to try new things. 8)

 

[jjtroutbum]

Good question OP. I am only familiar with the McBarren navys. They seem to be similar. In blends with or with out rum.

 

[hessenland]

I think it to not be a commonly objective term any more. It really seems to depend on the manufacturer. Some simply add rum to a mixture and call it a navy blend; other cut it a certain way, while others let it age in empty casks. I do not see a common denominator anymore.

When I see Navy, I think rum, which must be the Harlberg family speaking.

 

[oldjazzlover]

You're right they are ussually mostly virginnia's, that's some of the reason I love my Navy flake. Not to mention that it burns slow and sweet. However it does seem to differ some depending on who you get it from. Hope you find one you really like and decide to stick with it. Right now what I'm smoking came from Tinder box, mainly because it's the closest B&M to me and I don't have to wait for a shipment. I'm still waiting on two, I hope they get here soon because I've got ants in my pants!

 

[pstlpkr]

I have a soft spot in my head... uhh heart for :worship: Escudo Navy De Luxe...

It was my introduction to Perique... been hooked ever-since.

 

[fred]

The term 'Navy', as used in the tobacco industry, started back in the days of

wind driven ships. Sailors preferred Plugs and Rope cuts of the blends they

smoked, since they were able to carry them on their person, not having to rely

on finding a hiding place for them, and they could carry more tobacco with these

cuts as well. The term is still in use today, but the definition has become fuzzy

with the broad use of the term by blenders. It can now mean: Rope, Plug, Flake,

Spun Cut and Coin cut, with about any blend type known. The use of Rum to keep

Sailor's tobacco from drying out resulted in the Cavendish process used today

by blenders, who have more resource available to them than just wrapping the tobacco

up in a bit of sail cloth. Today, Cavendish refers to a process where the tobacco

is pressed, steamed and heavily cased with flavoring(s), which can serve to salvage

tobacco that otherwise is of such poor quality as to be useless. So today, the

term Navy Cavendish can be found in some blend descriptions.

 

[expatpipe]

Like the Navy Cut tins. ::

 

[fred]

Player's Navy Cut Flake is considered a traditional English blend.

http://www.mysmokingshop.co.uk/index2.php?mod=category&man=144&cat=69

It's a Virginia blend with a touch of Semois. There is no hint of Rum

used as a topping & there's no hint of Cavendish. This can be contrasted

to Samuel Gawith's Navy Flake, which is a Virginia/Latakia with a top note of Rum.

http://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/by-maker/samuel-gawith/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=8115