I got scurvy from rubbing it out too much. Needed to stop -- doctor's orders.
Rubbing Out Flakes.
- Thread starter TheWhale13
- Start date
If the flake is cut in the appropriate size to easily fold and fit into my pipe, think PS Luxury Navy Flake, then I'll fold it. Otherwise it's easier for me to rub it out and pack the pipe.
I used to always rub my flakes out fully but once I 'got' the folding method I have never gone back to rubbing them out. The secret to the fold and stuff is to not take the 'stuff' part literally.
What I do is I take 1, 1 1/2, or 2 flakes depending on their size and the size of my pipes chamber and simply fold them in half. Then I use my thumb and first two fingers to gently roll the flakes to encourage them to break up a little into what looks like a little bundle of firewood sticks I'm going insert into the stove (my pipe).
The key is to size your little bundle of firewood, with the 'sticks' all roughly oriented parallel, so it just fits perfectly into your stove without having to compress it, or with very, very gentle compression. You want the pipe to be full, but with basically zero resistance on the draw.
If you've ever made a campfire, or used a woodstove then it's actually incredibly intuitive what your doing.
If the flake stick bundle is too long and sticking out of the top of the pipe, just pinch the excess and tear it off, if the bundle ended up a little short I just grab a little pinch of the bits and top it off til I'm happy.
Like I said the pipe should be full but with no resistance to the draw. Because flake tobacco is compressed and is denser than ribbon you must give it a bit of room to expand or about halfway to bottom the bowl it will be too tight and you won't get a good burn.
If you load your bowl right and tamp gently the bowl will usually burn right to the end with almost no relights.
Since switching to this method I don't even have to worry about moisture levels and drying anymore, even the wettest gawith flake straight from the tin will burn just fine (once you get it going).
Mac Baren flakes are probably the easiest to learn on since they are so consistent in size, but once you get the hang of it, it's easy with any flakes no matter how rough they are.
It's way harder to type this out than to load a bowl l. it's really a super easy way to load a pipe, I think by far the easiest and quickest, even easier than loading ribbon.
What I do is I take 1, 1 1/2, or 2 flakes depending on their size and the size of my pipes chamber and simply fold them in half. Then I use my thumb and first two fingers to gently roll the flakes to encourage them to break up a little into what looks like a little bundle of firewood sticks I'm going insert into the stove (my pipe).
The key is to size your little bundle of firewood, with the 'sticks' all roughly oriented parallel, so it just fits perfectly into your stove without having to compress it, or with very, very gentle compression. You want the pipe to be full, but with basically zero resistance on the draw.
If you've ever made a campfire, or used a woodstove then it's actually incredibly intuitive what your doing.
If the flake stick bundle is too long and sticking out of the top of the pipe, just pinch the excess and tear it off, if the bundle ended up a little short I just grab a little pinch of the bits and top it off til I'm happy.
Like I said the pipe should be full but with no resistance to the draw. Because flake tobacco is compressed and is denser than ribbon you must give it a bit of room to expand or about halfway to bottom the bowl it will be too tight and you won't get a good burn.
If you load your bowl right and tamp gently the bowl will usually burn right to the end with almost no relights.
Since switching to this method I don't even have to worry about moisture levels and drying anymore, even the wettest gawith flake straight from the tin will burn just fine (once you get it going).
Mac Baren flakes are probably the easiest to learn on since they are so consistent in size, but once you get the hang of it, it's easy with any flakes no matter how rough they are.
It's way harder to type this out than to load a bowl l. it's really a super easy way to load a pipe, I think by far the easiest and quickest, even easier than loading ribbon.
Preparation depends on mood and the tobacco. Sometimes I fold and stuff. Sometimes I break it into strips. I never rub it out.
I know they have been made, probably for as long as Gawith has been in business.
What I was asking, is why they started to create it back then? I thought the original intentions of Flake was for helping to preserve it longer, which I also thought the term Navy Flake came from, as the choice among sailors, as it was a style that lasted longer.
@peteguy what did I say funny before, I’m confused? LOL
Noted pipe-smoker Edward G. Robinson prepares to rub-out flakes:
PS Luxury Navy Flake, four flakes, about a third of an ounce.
Fill Big Boy Marxman.
Slowly twist down the flakes
Use the long pick on a pipe tool to maintain draw.
What you have is a two inch Va Per cigar inside three quarters of a century old Algerian briar.
It will not get hot, it won’t bite, it tastes delicious, and is good for two hours of ruminations.
The charge expands as it burns.
Keep your pipe tool handy.