What's America's Most Popular US Made Straight Va Flake?

[woodsroad]

This is exactly why War Horse Bar and War Horse Green crumble: They do not contain Gum Arabic.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Damn, so I have to add my own gum arabic? That stuff aint cheap.

 

[woodsroad]

Michael, they sell it on Amazon. I have a pound of it down in the basement. It's sitting next to the hydraulic press. And the 5 pounds of whole leaf Kentucky Dark Fired. Some day, I will make whole leaf plugs.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

A plug of nothing but Kentucky Dark Fired. I just drooled down my beard. Oh, and gum arabic.

 

[kanse]

woodsroad

I think the fact that they are not made of whole leaf is a major contributor as well.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Perhaps you mean to say that none of which look like the flakes made by STG, Mac Baren, etc. that have glue in them."
Dan, that is very interesting to read and something I had never considered before. But it leaves me a little puzzled as FVF bought in 50g tins are flakes of uniform size, shape and consistency. However FVF bought in bulk 250g boxes, the flakes are much more friable and loose in nature. That would suggest that gum Arabic is used only for that which is destined to be tinned which I find difficult to get my head around.
Can you explain further?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[cranseiron]

Doc, so you make your own iron gall ink-- well, I'll be damn!

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

@kanse, use of whole leaf is actually rare. McClelland s is set up to handle it, but their web page acknowledge s that they also use strip. Most countries, other than the US, control the export of tobacco and insist that it be processed domestically, which means raw leaf is never exported. Which means strip that is made to cigarette monopoly specs.

 

[fitzy]

Hey Jay have you tried McCranies Red Flake??
I've got a tin of their 1996 waiting to be opened as well as their 1983 ribbon.
As of yet I have not smoked any of the McCranies.

 

[aquadoc]

Making iron gall ink is simple enough. I spend so much time in the field that finding oak galls (any good source of concentrated tannins will work to varying degrees) is easy enough, steeping crushed galls (or whatever) and adding some gum Arabic and ferrous sulphate.. The pH is the trick... And I am still working on making a cool green iron gall. I have yet to make one safe for fountain pens but I use it with a dip pen frequently.

 

[woodsroad]

I think the fact that they are not made of whole leaf is a major contributor as well.

If the War Hearse™ plugs were made from whole leaf, or threshed leaf, they would have been just as pliable and friable. It would have broken up just the same, but in bigger pieces.

 

[samcoffeeman]

I used to love McClelland flakes but then the tongue bite ce and never went away. I don't cellar any GLP because it's made with C&D tobacco and I refuse to purchase any of their tobaccos for personal reasons. I did like Union Square very much having said that. I would recommend you try the Sutliff/Altadis 507C Virginia slices as it is highly regarded and good value as well and possibly US made?

 

[woodsroad]

Hey Sam!
Sutliff 507c Virginia Slices is great stuff. Find it on sale and it can be really, really cheap. Recently, when P&C first started their bulk sale, it dropped to $1.39/oz if you bought 5 pounds (that's $111).
It's made by STG/Orlik in Assens, DK.

 

[aquadoc]

How long do you cellar the Sutliff flakes before you think they are primed for smoking?

 

[jefff]

Defining "prime" is hard. It has been written by wiser men than me that as little as a few months creates a change. 2-5 years a large change. After that, a slow change for up to 30 years for a good Va.

 

[aquadoc]

Thanks. How do you like it "fresh"?

 

[jefff]

I love most of them fresh.

 

[lightmybriar]

I don't have anything to contribute to this thread at the present moment but I would just like to thank you all for a fascinating read so far. I don't post very often but I'm always reading along and enjoying every bit of it. Fascinating stuff from a group of fascinating people!
Excuse the interruption!

 

[jvnshr]

Gum Arabic is an adhesive/binder. It glues the layers of tobacco leaf together to form a solid block that can then be sliced thin without falling apart.

Read through the link I provided. There are some eye openers there.
Pipe Tobacco Additives for STG
Pipe Tobacco Additives for Kohlhase & Kopp
And skip to the last page here for a list of additives in Presbyterian Mixture (which evidently is made by Planta).

Benzoic acid? Really? Woods what is the reason of that one?

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Salts of benzoic acid are used as food preservatives..."
Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Regards,
Jay.