Smoking Flakes In Small Pipes

[seanv]

For those of us who prefer small pipes, do you smoke flakes in them or do you save the flakes for larger pipes?

When I smoke a flake in one of my small pipes I usually cut it in half and stuff half in while rubbing out the other half to use as kindling. Sometimes I only end up using about half a flake total because the chamber just won't fit a whole flake.

 

[mordy18]

I prefer smoking flakes in smaller pipes.

 

[stokesdale]

For those of us who prefer small pipes, do you smoke flakes in them or do you save the flakes for larger pipes?

When I smoke a flake in one of my small pipes I usually cut it in half and stuff half in while rubbing out the other half to use as kindling. Sometimes I only end up using about half a flake total because the chamber just won't fit a whole flake.

Never thought about it...I just stuff it in and put a flame to it...

 

[BrokenRecord]

I smoke flakes in my small pipes (small group 1-2 billiards), which smoke quite well. I also smoke them in larger pipes. I like flake tobacco. ?

 

[tschiraldi]

I like a 1 1/2" tall bowl.with a chamber diameter of 0.75" for flakes. I fold it one time in each direction and stuff it in, then tear of anything sticking up above the bowl. Works perfectly for me!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It really depends on what you mean by smaller pipes...

I have a few Savinelli Pumas that have chambers that are like .5" wide and .75" deep. But, they smoke for the exact legnth of time as my .8" wide pipes and 1.2" deep, because the AxB ratio dimensions are the same.

But, do you mean pipes that may have average chamber dimensions, but just weigh less or small over all?

I do prefer smoking Virginias, whether flakes or ribbon, in more narrow chambered pipes, but not all flakes. Some flakes I prefer in wider pipes, like latakia or Balkan flakes, or flavored flakes. And, Burley flakes I prefer in my largest chambered pipes.

 

[shanez]

It depends on the flake. A high nic content flake I prefer in a small pipe. Others in pretty much any pipe.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Define small pipes. Most of my pipes are around 1 1/2" deep with a .75" ID. I find this ideal for Virginia flake which I smoke 60% or more of the time. I told and stuff.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Define small pipes. Most of my pipes are around 1 1/2" deep with a .75" ID. I find this ideal for Virginia flake which I smoke 60% or more of the time. I told and stuff.

...I would call those Mediums, with .85" or above being larges, and .5" wide being small. But, I am not sure what the OP means.

 

[saltedplug]

Being one who never put stock in pipe geometry, I let the choice of the size of the pipe determine how much tobacco I loaded into it, and if I wanted to smoke a small pipe, which was not a flake pipe, because that designation is rubbish, whether or not this is held by Jim Inks; in this case my pipe usually a Cavicchi 1/4 bent Prince.

 

[mso489]

Like the old parrot on a perch that I am, I will say again, flake/coin/plug/rope cuts are excellent in small pipes because they burn somewhat slower and will give you a regular length smoke in a small chamber. I learned this trying to cop a short smoke during the intermission at a Bluegrass concert, to discover that even my most diminutive Old Dominion cob pipe was going to give me a fairly long smoke with a flake cut. In a large pipe, these cuts will give you a really long smoke, so plan accordingly.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Like the old parrot on a perch that I am, I will say again, flake/coin/plug/rope cuts are excellent in small pipes because they burn somewhat slower and will give you a regular length smoke in a small chamber. I learned this trying to cop a short smoke during the intermission at a Bluegrass concert, to discover that even my most diminutive Old Dominion cob pipe was going to give me a fairly long smoke with a flake cut. In a large pipe, these cuts will give you a really long smoke, so plan accordingly.

It goes back to that Width x depth ratio that I was talking about. I had a thread in the past where we discussed this. Georged added some writings by Greg Pease on this also. The smallest bowls do not necessarily mean a shorter smoke at all. It all has to do with the ratios. A .9" wide bowl can be a shorter smoking pipe if the depth is less in the ratio.

 

[briarbuck]

I have a Ashton Brindle x that's a perfect 30 min. I prefer small pipes for all Virginias. 3/4 diameter of any depth and I'm good to go.

 

[seanv]

...I would call those Mediums, with .85" or above being larges, and .5" wide being small. But, I am not sure what the OP means.

I've never measured my pipes before. I guess there is a whole other level of analytics that I've not gotten into.

 

[Grangerous]

I’ve found it true that an hour long Smoke is the norm for my 1.5” depth, .75 to .80 inner diameter pipes.

I can’t see loading more tobacco in a bigger chamber as doing anything more than wastefully expending tobacco.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've never measured my pipes before. I guess there is a whole other level of analytics that I've not gotten into.

We used to have a member and pipemaker, Ryan Alden (or was it Walt Cannoy?) who used to demonstrate how chamber size and how much tobacco packed are affected by the chamber dimensions. He would pack the chamber with clay or maybe it was wax, and then pull it out to show the dimensions. It is eye-opening how the chamber and stummel can be misleading on the amount of tobacco can be consumed in it.

And, a .5" x 1" chamber smokes for exactly the same ratio of time as a .8" x 1.6" pipe, because the ratios are exact. I like to nerd out on stuff like this. Plus, it helped me understand why my Pumas smoked for the same length of time as some of my giant pipes.

 

[olkofri]

I've never measured my pipes before. I guess there is a whole other level of analytics that I've not gotten into.

Just take a regular vernier... ? You can even calculate volume**!

I always rub out my flakes, so no issues with chamber size: just like ribbon.

_____________________
**To a point, since chambers aren't perfect cylinders, more like truncated cones.

 

[cigrmaster]

I can normally fit a group 4-5 sized pipe with one flake. I get a good 1.5-2.0 hour smoke from that. I might have to jam it a little tight but a pipe cleaner usually loosens it just fine.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Fully rub it out, dry for 2-3 hours, three pinch method, smoke. That's my process for any sized pipe. Works 60% of the time, every time.

 

[ray47]

Because generally flakes burn slower, I tend to use smaller bowl pipes to smoke them in. If I smoke them in medium to large bowl pipes I get bored about half way thru the bowl because they begin to taste ashy.