Preferred Pipes And Methods For Flakes

[petes03]

Over the years, I’ve come to like certain things a certain way. Flakes are one of them. I prefer mine completely rubbed out in most cases. Especially when it comes to Virginias and Va/Pers. I’ll occasionally leave a little more “chunky” pieces in my English/Balkan flakes.
I also don’t mind leaving a cube cut Burley as-is, so long as it’s cubed small enough.
As for the pipes I smoke them in, I’ve come to prefer a bowl diameter of less than .800, and a depth of less than 1.375 for Va’s and Va/Pers. I will, however, occasionally go up to 1.500 or so in depth.
I don’t mind slightly larger dimensions for English/Balkan flakes, but not much larger.
So what’s your preferred method and pipe size?
Inquiring minds want to know.....

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I share your preference of smaller diameter bowls for flakes but don't mind if they're a bit taller. I almost always fold and stuff my flakes though. I don't smoke a lot of English blends but also prefer a larger bowl diameter for the complex blends.

 

[Chasing Embers]

All combos smoke the same to me. However the tobacco arrives is how I smoke it, in whichever pipe is dedicated to the given genre.

 

[rushx9]

I have 2 tall, narrow dublins, and 2 narrow Billiards dedicated to Va and VaPer. I use these for flakes and loose mixtures, as I feel a flake becomes identical to a loose mixture once rubbed out. When I roll and stuff a flake, I prefer Billiards untapered chambers because the expanding tobacco is less likely to get pinched too tight at the bottom. When rubbed out or cube cut, I prefer the Dublin conical chamber because the expanding tobacco makes tamping less necessary. Sometimes I try wider bowls just to see if my preference has changed. I usually end up wishing I'd stuck with one of my VA pipes.
Balkan/English flakes get smoked in a wide bowl, just like loose English Mixtures.

 

[kg.legat0]

I also prefer flakes in narrower pipes...I personally get the best mileage out of flakes smoking a good ole MM Legend. I wad the flake up, rub it out, let it sit for 5 minutes to let a small amt of moisture out, then pack fairly lightly ...works for me, ymmv...

 

[briarbuck]

Around a 3/4" tapered bowl seem to be the most consistent for me.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I am really liking this MM General I got recently. It has a deep enough bowl that I can either fold or gently rub out a flake out into strands and stuff it longways. Makes for a nice long smoke. I always have to relight a lot when I do the Z-fold thing. I think I’ll pick up a few more of these Generals.

 

[dcon]

My treatment of flakes is similar to my choice of tobacco on any given day. I do what I feel like in the moment. Sometimes I cube cut. Sometimes I fold and stuff. Sometimes I rub the tobacco out. Pipe selection for flakes is the same. It may be large, small, deep, shallow, narrow, or wide. All work fine if your methods are correct.

I will admit that Rhodesians, Princes, and Pots seem to be my preference for a single folded flake.

 

[tavol]

With dense SG flakes that need drying I cube cut an entire tin and dry the whole thing at once and then jar. When I want to smoke I simply open the jar and gravity feed my pipe. With less dense flakes like Rattrays etc, I tend to fold and stuff.

I tend to smoke narrower 20mm or less pipes, often 18mm, simply because a large pipe with flake is often longer than I want to smoke

 

[cigrmaster]

For my tastes I like some moisture in my flakes. I like them pliable as when too dry they burn hot and loose flavor . Some pipes take a whole flake like a Fribourg & Treyer Cut Virginia Plug and it fits like a glove. Others may be too tight and you have to take some from the side to fit it. Nothing is perfect some times I will jam it too tight and the loosen it with pipe cleaners pushed into the bowl through the stem.

Sometimes I just have to say fuck it and start over. Don't be afraid to start over. I had to do that on Feb 22 2014, it was embarrassing.

Sorry forgot the other part of question. I smoke Billiards, Apples, Dublins,Lovats, Rhodesians, Bulldogs,one Volcano and the type of bowl rarely matters it is the inside dimensions I prefer a .82 inside width over a 75. I know it doesn't sound like much but it really is like the grand canyon in pipe terms. .

 

[mso489]

I haven't had the patience or taken the time to get the fold and stuff method down, so I rub out flake (coin, plug, sliced rope). With these cuts, as mentioned from time to time, you can get a average smoke from smaller pipes, and a really long smoke from medium (or large!) pipes, talking pipe chambers here. Trying to work in a smoke in a window of time pushes me toward loose tobacco, so if have something else, I try to prepare it in advance.

 

[BROBS]

I personally have never liked folding/stuffing flakes. I fully rub them out so it dries evenly. For VA I like taller, narrow pipes usually, however I’ll smoke all tobaccos in anything besides aros which I try to keep out of my VA only pipes.

 

[krizzose]

I tend to get the best results with both fold/stuff and cube cuts in a taller and narrower bowl. I also put salt on watermelon, which has made others question my opinions on best practices

 

[briarbuda48]

I cube cut 90+ percent of the time for flakes, even coins, with a few exceptions, Solani 660 being one of them (rubout). The size of the pipe doesn’t seem to make a difference to me. If it smokes well in that pipe, then I smoke it.

 

[saltedplug]

Flake pipes and chamber size as related to smoking different cuts are a myth.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Flake pipes and chamber size as related to smoking different cuts are a myth.

I think I get what you’re saying, and if so then I don’t necessarily disagree, but chamber size does matter purely in terms of how the flake will fit. Can it be accommodated whole and folded? Does it need to be cube cut? And then the preparation may affect burn rate, so in those respects, I think the chamber size deserves some at least some consideration. I don’t believe it’s going to do much of anything to change the taste of the tobacco, which I think was your point.

 

[saltedplug]

You got it. But those who feel that the pipe chamber is irrelevant to tobacco cut are in the minority, as are those that feel the maker is irrelevant.

 

[saltedplug]

It would be fabulous if all the hype about artisan or Danish pipes, or Dunhills through the patents, etc., were true, but it just isn't, in my experience. I wish I had known from that from the start.

 

[Parsimonious Piper]

I also put salt on watermelon, which has made others question my opinions on best practices

Watermelon should never be consumed unsalted, particularly when soaked in tequila.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Watermelon should never be consumed unsalted, particularly when soaked in tequila.

It’s good with Tajin, too.