The Frank Method: A Novice's Perspective

[oldsalt]

Being new to pipe smoking (only a couple of months now), I think I have experienced all of the unpleasurable aspects of the hobby that are common to novices. And while I did have some enjoyable smokes along the way, they seemed few and far between. That has all changed since I started packing my pipe according to the Frank Method. My smokes have been far more consistent, cooler and far more enjoyable.
Although I tried the The Three Step Method, my results were inconsistent. As someone that is trying to teach himself pipe smoking with only the internet and this forum as teacher and guide, I found this method to be somewhat lacking for a novice like myself. I believe the problem, if you want to even call it that, is that describing how much pressure one should use to pack the pipe is far too subjective. Even the description of The Three Step Method on The Pipes Magazine website uses terms like "a little pressure" and "a little more pressure". Well what exactly is that? Unless an experienced pipe smoker packs your pipe and lets you actually feel the amount of pressure they're applying, how the tobacco feels in the bowl and how the draw feels it's all guesswork and experimentation until you get it right. I believe The Frank Method eliminates a lot of the guesswork, especially for someone trying to teach themselves something as fundamental as packing their pipe.
I realize that for many packing their pipe is simply second nature and The Frank Method may seem to over complicate something that for them, is done without thinking. But for a novice like me, it has been a breakthrough for my pipe smoking. I know it's not for everybody but if you're a beginner that's finding themselves frustrated, give The Frank Method a shot and I hope it works as well for you as it has for me. Happy New Year everyone.

 

[mso489]

Welcome to Forums old salt. I've been annoyed by the pipe packing methods being too complicated,

but when I really slow down and think about it, my method is complicated, it's just been subsumed as

habit over the years so it seems like automatic pilot. So if you have a good routine in Frank's Method,

you will probably perfect it and forget about it so you can do it in a minute or less, and it will serve

you well over many years. Congratulations for taking the time to get it right.

 

[mephistopheles]

Although I tried the The Three Step Method, my results were inconsistent.

...describing how much pressure one should use to pack the pipe is far too subjective.

I agree. It was when I ended up playing with the Air Pocket Method - which is very similar to the Frank method but without the initial fill - that I started to get consistently good packs.
In the end it all comes down to experience and experimentation.

 

[michiganlover]

FYI: I've always seen the three step method described as fill, compress to halfway point of bowl, fill compress to three fourths, fill compress to one fourth. The end result should be the tobbaco is sitting just below the rim of the bowl, which helps reduce rim charring.

 

[dvorak]

Beginner here, I've actually gotten most of my pleasurable smokes from the 'Three Step' method. More importantly, I also test the draw of the pipe. It has to be juuust right; it's easy to mess up. I don't want near-zero drag and certainly not 80%+ drag.
(But how do you quantify drag?)

 

[allan]

Welcome to the forum , oldsalt
Now that you mention it, sometimes I wonder how many folks have given up pipe smoking after a few bowls just because of frustration, especially compared to, say, a cigar?
Congrats to you for being diligent in searching out different techniques and finding the right one for you. I'm assuming there is not a tobacconist in your area, because that would be the first place I would have tried to find some 'older' masters for some instruction.
I would also mention that when smoking different cuts if tobacco, you may find that you have to adjust your packing technique slightly to get the best out of your bowl, bi that will come with time
Best of luck and feel free to ask any questions that will certainly arise.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

When I was starting out, the two most important things I learned were how to pack the pipe according to the feel of the draw (learning that the definition of "too hard" is when the draw is nearly cut off), and using the air pocket method, which I derived off of that Frank method.

 

[kaboom]

(learning that the definition of "too hard" is when the draw is nearly cut off

I thought this was supposed to be exactly the opposite? That your pack should be only tight enough that you start to notice a slight hint of resistance in the draw?

 

[dvorak]

@kaboom

I don't think anyone knows an answer to this one.. I think it's different for everyone. I try to keep mine a bit less than the draw from a cigar (and even that can be variably subjective to each individual.)

 

[drsquat]

Thanks heavens for Frank. I've been seriously smoking pipes for over 12 months now and got tired of hearing all the "cool guys" telling me to relax and don't let the relights bother you. Dam it the relights did bother me! How relaxing can it be to have to relight the pipe every 2 mins.? Tried all the the other various methods of packing; packed light then hard, dried the tobacco then didn't dry it, smoked slow then tried faster. Finally tried the Frank Method (after heaps of reading and a few YouTube vids) and have to say that it is the best. Also sped up my cadence to 3 puffs every 20 seconds or so and I have to say that I have never enjoyed the pipe so much! As a relative newbie and residing in a country that boasts very few pipe smokers (read - I smoke alone with no one to learn from) this has been an epiphany. I love these forums but sometimes the advice tends to be about relaxing and not thinking too much about it. Unfortunately the act of pipe smoking relies upon chemical reactions and physics - to work properly you have to get the formula right. This means starting with A and progressing to B and so on and so forth. Much like driving a car when you first start. My advice to the newbie would be to research the skills and techniques, watch the videos, identify why things aren't working and try another formula. I tried the relaxing and it will come approach and, well, it didn't come. I'm sure some of the other members will call me out as anal and too uptight but there's nothing more crushing to the pipe smoking heart than relights. Viva la Frank.

 

[joeval]

I found it to be an excellent method back when I started. Easy, less guesswork and a consistently good smoke.

Haven't used it in a long while, but only because I now (unintentionally) only really smoke flakes.

 

[stanlaurel]

Yesterday was day 32 of my pipe smoking journey. I smoked my 21st bowl. I read this thread yesterday and then watched and read a bunch about the frank and air-pocket methods. I had only used the 3-step up to this point. I dried the tobacco (Hearth&Home Blackhouse) for 3 hours and then packed by the frank method. It is not really more complicated or time consuming than the 3-step. I was able to get an even burn and ash on the top for the first time. The draw was very very (too?) easy. I did not burn my tongue and the bowl took 60 minutes. I tried the 3 puffs every 20 seconds mentioned above which seemed to work well. I still needed 10-12 matches (Is that bad?). I had a fine ash at the bottom for the first time and I did not have that dirty taste at the end which I have been having a lot of the time. When I dug out the ash I still found some un-burned tobacco but I needed to escape my 36 degree garage purgatory so I will forgive myself. I still think the draw was too easy. There was almost zero resistance. Do I need to shove in an even tighter wad when I pack? Any feedback? Thanks.

 

[newbroom]

I've been reading about the so called wide open bore being desirable in pipes because of their airflow capabilities / carbeuratave effect.

You're getting there. Perhaps a little firmer pack will result in more resistive draw, but that's not the measure of a 'good smoke'.

Did you remember to tamp? That might reduce relights.

 

[stanlaurel]

Yes I've been trying to tamp but I may not have the hang of it yet. Sometimes I seem to put it out by tamping. Also, in this packing method, I'm trying not to push my plug down into the air pocket.

 

[smeigs]

Glad you found a good method. I also use the Frank... Although, I have modified it over the years to my own personal frank method. But all the basics are still there. Ever since I switched to doing this I have never had any issues with keeping a pipe lit.

 

[waxmojo]

If the Frank method works for you then good for you. You are right about pressure needed with 3 step loading. It does take experience and the amount of pressure will change depending on the cut of the tobacco.

 

[drsquat]

Glad the method is working for you Stanlaurel. As far as draw goes I have found it to be lighter/looser than other methods despite how much of the tobacco you "wedge" down on top of the bowl. It does get a bit tighter as the tobacco swells when first lit. I also like this method because it doesn't seem to need as much tamping. I usually don't tamp until at least half way thru the bowl and only very gently; feeling for the give of the burnt tobacco. I'm guessing that the main wad of tobacco you pack on top takes and holds the cherry longer and only requires tamping once this burns down to the loosely packed tobacco in the bottom of the bowl. Anyway enough of the whys and wherefores - it works and I enjoy the hobby more for it.

 

[oldsalt]

stanlaurel I'm glad you tried the Frank Method and by the sounds of it, you had a better smoke using it than what you've experienced. Congratulations. It may be a small step but it's a step in the right direction. Thanks drsquat for backing me up. I'm not quite sure why some have dismissed this packing method simply for "newbies". The "Three Step Method" of pipe packing is thrown out to new pipe smokers as gospel but tough to learn when you're doing it on your own.
My personal experience with the "Three Step Method" yielded unsatisfactory results. To quote myself from a previous post: "I believe the problem, if you want to even call it that, is that describing how much pressure one should use to pack the pipe is far too subjective. Even the description of The Three Step Method on The Pipes Magazine website uses terms like "a little pressure" and "a little more pressure". Well what exactly is that? Unless an experienced pipe smoker packs your pipe and lets you actually feel the amount of pressure they're applying, how the tobacco feels in the bowl and how the draw feels it's all guesswork and experimentation until you get it right."
I'm not sure why some have dismissed the Frank Method as a "beginner" method. I'm not sure why some members have discarded it because now they smoke flakes. I smoke flakes just fine using the Frank Method, although I rub them out. Am I to be forgiven...?
"Frankly", I'm confident that a true pipe smoker is confident enough in their own nose and tongue to recognize what tastes and feels good to them and to disregard what others have to say...
To stanlaurel, are you an accountant? For fucks sake! You seem obsessed with numbers of this and numbers of that...
Why bother smoking a pipe if you're worried about the maker, year of your pipe or brand of your tobacco. Why bother smoking a pipe if you're worried about the numbers of bowls smoked, the temperature at which they were smoked, the humidity level, moonphase and whatever astronomical bullshit and vegan, homo, lesbo, and whatever level they're supposed to be...
stanlaurel It's a journey. Why rush it? Enjoy the ride...
But... Dunhill Nightcap isn't a bad place to start if you're interested in English...

 

[stanlaurel]

Thanks oldsalt for all the great advice and for starting this thread in the first place. Thanks to the other posters as well.
I'm not an accountant. It's worse. I'm in a much more technical and regulated profession than that. I'm OCD. It would be useless to deny it. It's a job requirement. That's why I need to learn to smoke a pipe so that I can relax and focus on some important things. Cap'n Ahab was a bit high strung wasn't he?
Nightcap is on my short list, but I'm just getting started. The man-cave will be in the single digits tonight and the moon is new.

 

[samanden]

I also moved to the Frank Method after having trouble with the three-pack method. But I must say, I have since moved on from the Frank Method to the Swirl Method, which has worked incredibly well.