Plug Preparation

[--dante--]

“Kinda like a cheese slice gone awry.”

I like them because it's a multi-layered katana blade, however small. The blade, like the pipe, is something to be mastered.

 

[mingc]

What could be more portable than I pocket knife?

I was referring to my tabletop device.

 

[pathos]

Forgive the off topic, but nice knife. The Nagao Higonokami is a beautiful knife in many ways.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I cut off some slices and use a what normally it's a weed grinder to cut it up into smokeable pieces

 

[danimalia]

I also tend to try to shave more than slice. I like to use a guillotine cigar cutter as it makes it easier to cut off shavings. If the whole plug won't fit in the opening, you can cut the plug in half lengthwise (with the grain). I just make sure to shave an equal amount from each piece with layered plugs like JackKnife Plug so the blend works as intended.

 

[The Clay King]

I smoke plug everyday. Everyone has their preferred method of preparation. I slice it with an iron blade pen knife by holding the plug in my hand gripped by my middle finger and the other two and then cut the plug so the tobacco collects in my hand. If I am in a beer garden then I go with the thin slices, like wise in the office since I can use something to cut the plug on such as the table, my desk, magazine, junk mail flyers etc. You can cut fresh Warrior Plug so fine that it resembles RYO tobacco.

I don't think I could smoke plug or twist even though this is what would have been smoked in clay pipes originally!
I've been advised not to smoke RYO (e.g. Drum, Golden Virginia) in my clay pipes - and Amber Leaf is HORRIBLE in a pipe!

 

[--dante--]

I was referring to my tabletop device.

Ah...right

 

[saltedplug]

One of the reasons I preferred flakes, plugs and twists was that they reminded me of pipe tobaccos past, and I liked rendering them with my hands.

 

[briarbuck]

Tried this over the weekend on a chunk of 3P's I have been nursing. Used a sushi knife and sliced off paper thin strips. Worked it out with my fingers and had this really nice fine shag. Packed it very loose in a small meer with less drying than normal. Noticeably different (in a better way) than smoking big chunky flakes.

 

[--dante--]

I was referring to my tabletop device.

How thin of a slice can that thing do? I could see using it to pre-prep some plug when going on the road a bit or something (one of the rare times I plan something ahead).

 

[mingc]

How thin of a slice can that thing do? I could see using it to pre-prep some plug when going on the road a bit or something (one of the rare times I plan something ahead).

As thin as you'd like. The real question is how uniform you can get the slices. That depends on the firmness of the plug and the steadiness of your hand, which is true for all blades. It helps, of course, if the blade is sharp. The cutter works because it has a nice long and sharp blade that moves on a uniform axis. A soft plug will deform and an unsteady hand will let the plug slide around. But if you have a firm grip on a hard plug, you can do pencil shavings.

 

[fightnhampster]

I use a serrated bread knife. Nothing fancy. I also have started cutting it thinner and thinner as I have become more use to it.

Here is a plug of Triple Play with 3 years on it. Tinned 5/ 17, opened 3/ 20

 

[rushx9]

Tried slicing up some Curly Block with the new pawnshop score giganto-Case. Didn't work out very well as the blade is hollow ground. Pretty much made a pile of tinder.
I've found thin, single bevel blades to be the best for cutting even flakes and coins.
Switched over to the 60's patented gimmicky meat slicer "wonderknife" to get a half decent coin. (basically a bread knife with an adjustable depth guard).

 

[deadidunn]

Forgive the off topic, but nice knife. The Nagao Higonokami is a beautiful knife in many ways.

I second that, great looking knife!!

 

[--dante--]

Forgive the off topic, but nice knife. The Nagao Higonokami is a beautiful knife in many ways.

Thanks, I like that they're hand forged, and made as a nothing-fancy basic utility knife for the time, and still done the same to this day, by a fifth-generation blade smith.

 

[condorlover1]

Here are my 'go too' knives for cutting plugs and reaming bowls. They are all ancient and like most things I own inherited from someone in the family who is now no longer around. From top to bottom we have something post WW1. Middle one is my Grand Father on my Mothers side pipe knife probably purchased pre WW1 with an iron blade, pipe tamp in the end and long spiky thing for cleaning out the bowl. You can see the blade has been worn by repeated grinding over the years. The bottom one is another iron bladed knife from my Father which has his initials on the knife handle that I use all the time but it never leaves my office. They all work excellently for slicing plug up!