The Best Rope Prep Method I've Found (after 50 years)

[georged]

PS ---

Those of you who know I have both a Yankee slicer and a performance-tuned "chopper," and are wondering why I use a hand-held knife for rope, it's because those machines don't work nearly as well when a THIN CUT is desired.






Though both razor sharp, not having a supporting surface past the blade on the Yankee, and not enough "slicing motion edge draw" on the chopper results in too much squishing, tearing, and unwrapping of the rope.

Both machines work increasingly well as slice thickness increases, but if you like a shag(ish) cut, by hand is the only way I've ever been able to do it.

Regarding knives, the angled-only-on-one-side "sushi style" edge also make a significant difference in accuracy and ease of use. Instead of the material being cut being pushed apart with equal force in both directions---a material you want to stay stable and motionless---a one-sided grind only pushes in one direction... away from what you're trying to hold steady. As a bonus, alignment visibility is also a lot better.

The only thing to remember is to put the grind on the opposite side if you're left handed.

This is the knife I use (though they cost only $24 a few years ago):

Amazon.com

 

[btp79]

Kinda makes me want to send you a few pounds, some cash, and a return shipping label! Really well done George!

 

[georged]

Kinda makes me want to send you a few pounds, some cash, and a return shipping label! Really well done George!

Nothing of the sort. Provided you don't have something going on that makes knife handling a no-go like poor eyesight, hand/joint problems, etc., it's completely straightforward.

Lop off a length of rope, slice the coins, toss a pinch of them into the grinder, blip blip, pour onto a paper plate, add more coins, blip blip, pour out, etc. ... until they're all fluffed.

Zap the finished mound'o'baccy in a microhead onion [blame my 3-year-old for that one], spread on a towel to cool.

Fill jar.

Smoke until nearly gone, rinse, repeat.

Knowing what lies ahead---that and the aroma of the chopping and handling---is what powers a prep session. Truly fun and satisfying in its own special way.

 

[proteus]

Rope tobacco is MUCH too tough, stringy, and fiberous. Without some sort of rope-diameter, nearly-touching-the-blade sliding tube designed for the task, the rope couldn't be held perpendicular to the blade---it would bend on contact with the cutting edge and immediately shred and come unwrapped.

Either you used some sort of soft rope (?!) from a company other than G&H, or you're a home chef who's running through the exercise in your mind but never actually tried it.

Do it all the time with GH Black and Brown Irish. Use a mesh glove so I dont remove my finger prints.

 

[georged]

Do it all the time with GH Black and Brown Irish. Use a mesh glove so I dont remove my finger prints.

Do you get clean slices, or a pile of irregular brown shredded wheat?

 

[proteus]

Do you get clean slices, or a pile of irregular brown shredded wheat?

Ill post a new thread

Posted...

 

[georged]

Ill post a new thread

Cool.

I never had any luck at all with a mandoline. (It was the first thing I tried for rope years ago).

Eager to see what I missed.

 

[proteus]

If you want to use a Japanese knife use a deba single ground. Ive use these knives to process large plugs from my molds into smaller plugs. Like this knife in the pic. (I have a large collection of Japanese knives). It has a very thick spine and used to break fish. It will have enough heft to cut through tough tobacco bricks. The blade stays true and less flex. I can choke up on it and really put the pressure where it counts. You just have to know how to sharpen a single bevel on one side knife with a concave back.

 

[didimauw]

Yep.

NO