Packing a Pipe Well

[Chasing Embers]

a lot of semantics

Only when two words mean the same thing. Anatomically, a chamber and a bowl are two different parts of a pipe.

 

[coys]

Oof a lot of semantics in this thread.

Choice in packing? Hm, It'll depend on the cut of the baccy and the chamber shape and size.

For rubbed-out, ribbon or shag - I favour the "spiral" method in the palm -- always seems to do the trick. 3-step or "frank" method is fine too.

Flakes (or cut plugs) and medallions are usually folded and stuffed for me. But many chop them up into a cube cut and gravity fill. Also with flakes you want to go with a looser pack - it expands (horizontally) and fills the void pretty quick.

I do think this changes the way the tobacco burns (and therefore the flavour - depending on your cadence etc.) Rubbed-out or chopped flakes tend to burn more quickly.

Example: I was smoking some Doblone D'Oro the other day in a tiny pipe. Usually, I stack 3 to 5 medallions and fold them up / roll them a bit and stuff them. The chamber was so small I ended up with a bad pack that way.

In that instance, it was better to just rub out and do the 3-step or spiral fill.

Thanks for the advice. I’ve got some Carolina Red Flake that I haven’t tried folding or cutting into cubes yet, but rather I’ve been rubbing them out by hand. I’ll try this!

 

[PipesAndPilsners]

Thanks, everyone. Never thought I'd get so many replies!

I'm doing better by packing the bowl a bit less. (I actually find I want about half as much as I could possibly pack in there, to begin with.)

I took some of your advice and just dropped the tobacco in the bowl without packing, and then after a charring light gave it a gentle pack. This worked for a while, but after developing some white ash the bowl needed a bit more tamping to burn well. But by the end, I was having a really nice bowl of Presbyterian with plenty of smoke.

Appreciate the help!

Heck yeah! It was an "a-ha" moment for me. Holy smokes, this tobacco tastes so much better now!

 

[bullet08]

There will come a day when you just stuff the chamber without even thinking, and it will smoke like a wonder. It gets even better when you fold and stuff a flake, and it actually works. It's magic.

 

[coys]

There will come a day when you just stuff the chamber without even thinking, and it will smoke like a wonder. It gets even better when you fold and stuff a flake, and it actually works. It's magic.

When you say "fold and stuff", do you mean tearing off strips of the flake and just folding it in half or so? Seems like it would be hard to get it to burn well, but I'm only used to tearing up flake and rubbing it out.

 

[bullet08]

When you say "fold and stuff", do you mean tearing off strips of the flake and just folding it in half or so? Seems like it would be hard to get it to burn well, but I'm only used to tearing up flake and rubbing it out.

Usually, you take the flake and just fold it widthwise then fold it again lengthwise and stuff it into the chamber. Whatever drops out of the flake while you are folding it gets rubbed and used as tinder on top. Of course, if flake is too big or one of those long ones, you trim it to size for your pipe.

 

[pistolero]

Only when two words mean the same thing. Anatomically, a chamber and a bowl are two different parts of a pipe.

Ehh, they sort of are the same thing. If there were no chamber, you wouldn't call it a bowl.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Ehh, they sort of are the same thing. If there were no chamber, you wouldn't call it a bowl.

The bowl is the part of the stummel where the chamber is drilled and determines the shape of the pipe. It's a bit like calling a belly a stomach.

 

[pistolero]

Still say no chamber, no bowl.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Still say no chamber, no bowl.

Tell thar to the carvers that shape the bowl before drilling the chamber.

 

[pistolero]

Until they drill a chamber in it, no one else would call it a bowl. And it's not. A bowl is a container. For like cereal. An object shaped like a bowl, with no chamber, is not a bowl. A solid cylinder isn't a tube. A hemisphere with no hollow isn't a bowl.

 

[timt]

Definition of BOWL

a concave usually nearly hemispherical vessel : a rounded container that is usually larger than a cup; specifically : a drinking vessel (as for wine); the contents of a bowl; a bowl-shaped or concave part: such as… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[Chasing Embers]

Until they drill a chamber in it, no one else would call it a bowl.

Definition of BOWL

a concave usually nearly hemispherical vessel : a rounded container that is usually larger than a cup; specifically : a drinking vessel (as for wine); the contents of a bowl; a bowl-shaped or concave part: such as… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

Both of you just proved that the chamber isn't the bowl.

 

[timt]

Both of you just proved that the chamber isn't the bowl.

oy vey

 

[Latakia Dave]

CHAMBER DRILLS

 

[brian64]

I've discovered if I use chamberless cereal bowls I get a lot less carbs.

 

[sablebrush52]

I’ve seen a few videos about how to load my pipe, but I’m still having some issues getting a nice smooth burn or a decent amount of smoke.

Often, to this point, I end up with only a little smoke and needing many many relights.

I am doing the method where you load it about 2/3 full and tamp, then add a bit more and tamp lightly. Then I char it once and light again. But for some reason, I’m not having a lot of success.

Any advice for getting ample smoke and minimizing relights?

What, exactly, is "ample " smoke, and why is it important?

There are some Burley blends that give off a fair amount of smoke. Most Virginia blends do not, unless the smoker is pushing the blend, creating a hot smoke that kills flavors and incinerates pipes.

Sit at a table with a bunch of Virginia smokers and you wouldn't know anything was going on, except for the occasional wisps of smoke as well as the occasional "fiddling" with their pipe. Otherwise they're just enjoying their smokes for an hour or two without much smoke or any relights.

Experimentation is essential to getting the most from your smoking experience. Experiment with different levels of moisture, different firmnesses in your pack. From what you describe, it sound like there's too much moisture, so try drying down your tobacco until it feels dry to the touch when squeezed. Drizzle it into the bowl and lightly tamp, then add a bit more and tamp again. If you can sense the pack interfering with the flow of air, it's too dense.

As for smoke? Billowing smoke is a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

 

[pistolero]

Both of you just proved that the chamber isn't the bowl.

To the contrary. One doesn't exist without the other... the chamber and the bowl are one and the same. No chamber means no bowl, take the bowl and there is no chamber. "All is one, Grasshopper."