The Frank Method
- Thread starter marmal4de
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I tried using the frank method once and it struck me as being the single biggest waste of time without any tangible benefit within the pipe smoking world.
The only thing that matters when smoking your pipe is personal pleasure. Your ritual is your ritual, mine is mine, ad nauseum. So with that logic, any technique that makes an individuals pipe smoking experience better has weight in the pipe smoking world.
Marmal4de said it best: "The only thing that matters when smoking your pipe is personal pleasure. Your ritual is your ritual, mine is mine..."
To me, pipe smoking is one of life's simple pleasures.
I intend to keep it that way.
I fill my pipe. I smoke it. I enjoy it. I really don't think about it.
There is no methodology in play when I fill my pipe. I guess it's just something that I've learned to do through trial and error over the years. I am not conscious of any technique and had never really thought about it until I read this thread. It's an uncomplicated act, not unlike pouring a cup of coffee.
Life has plenty of complications, but smoking a pipe isn't one of them.
To me, pipe smoking is one of life's simple pleasures.
I intend to keep it that way.
I fill my pipe. I smoke it. I enjoy it. I really don't think about it.
There is no methodology in play when I fill my pipe. I guess it's just something that I've learned to do through trial and error over the years. I am not conscious of any technique and had never really thought about it until I read this thread. It's an uncomplicated act, not unlike pouring a cup of coffee.
Life has plenty of complications, but smoking a pipe isn't one of them.
Man thats all too flippin complicated, I guess I am an old fogy when it comes to my pipes, I stuff pipe in baccy and cram with index finger into bowl, works great and takes about 10-15 seconds....after doing it for so many years I always have the right pack in the bowl I very rarely have a gurgle and seldom need to relight, unless I was Jawjacking too long..questions?????? :puffpipe:
On the rare occasion I get the chance, I love watching other pipers load their instruments. Its such a unique and individual art!
True, but over time you'll find you'll learn to load your pipe without all the complications and it will smoke just as well with 10 seconds of load prep as do the minutes of the Frank method, which always struck me as a solution looking for a problem. Every new pipe smoker goes through a learning curve but if it works for you use it.
Well being new to pipes a year ago, I watched a lot of videos and read explanations on packing your pipe. I have tried the 3 step method, Frank's method and the air pocket method. I had the most luck with the air pocket method, then Frank's and lastly the 3 step. I realized that even though I got a better smoke with the air pocket method, that I was never building any cake up in the bottom of the bowl at all, which I read was bad. 
So now I kinda just do a grab and stuff and make sure I get tobacco to the bottom of the bowl. I always wanted an experienced pipe smoker to load my pipe for me one time so I could see it being done AND smoke a properly loaded pipe.
No matter how I pack any pipe I own, with any tobacco, it is gurgle city.
So now I kinda just do a grab and stuff and make sure I get tobacco to the bottom of the bowl. I always wanted an experienced pipe smoker to load my pipe for me one time so I could see it being done AND smoke a properly loaded pipe.No matter how I pack any pipe I own, with any tobacco, it is gurgle city.
I hate to admit it, since Mr. Myst is a tattoo/ vegan hater
but he's right, I really don't use the frank method anymore, i load and smoke my pipe much faster and without thinking.I use the Frank Method with my English tobacco. I find it wakes up the flavor, since most English tends to taste the same after a while.
It seems to me that the flake tobacco has it's own way of packing and for everything else I fill the bowl loosely to the top and then depending on the size of the bowl I take a pinch like I'm putting a dip of Copenhagen in my lip into a small bowl and for larger I pinch a big hunk like Redman and stuff it and puff it.
Never having heard of the Frank method I went on youtube to watch it. It has to be a joke. But I wasn't laughing & couldn't watch more than a minute of it. What a load of bull. HOW TO LOAD A PIPE: 1)grab a pinch of tobacco 2)pull out stems and slightly round the bottom with your finger so it doesn't clog the air hole. 3) insert in the bowl with light pressure.4) repeat until full, packing each layer slightly tighter. 2,3,4 or 5 layers are ok. END OF INSTRUCTIONS
@cornguy and @foggymountain: You cats have it right.
Also, on a personal level, I guess I use a geezer grab hybridized two-to-four-stage packing method. It's all feel. Absolutely depends on the blend and pipe. So yeah. No method. Feeeel.
Also, on a personal level, I guess I use a geezer grab hybridized two-to-four-stage packing method. It's all feel. Absolutely depends on the blend and pipe. So yeah. No method. Feeeel.
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