Packing Flake

[alfredo_buscatti]

I love flake tobacco. If all the tobaccos I smoked were flake I would be very happy.
Flake packing, as I describe it here, yields a 1 or 1.5 hour smoke in a group 4—just right, for me, anyway.

Mark Chambers from the Knox staff is directly responsible for how I pack flake. He said, "I fold up a flake and put it between the palms of my hands and fluff it up." He didn't give me more information, but his words stuck in my mind. It took me about 5 years to implement what he said.

So, say with a flake the size of University Flake,

I fold it in three and tear at the divisions.
I stack those three pieces of intact flake
I then tear them down the middle, top to bottom, following the grain of the flake
I then take each of the three divided halves of the flake between my palms, and rub
them back and forth
but stop just as the strands of the grain are loosened
After rubbing these stacked strands, all with the grain going in one direction, I place the
two rubbed out bundles of strands together and fit them into the bowl.

With this preparation I maximize both the density of the flake and the property of combustibility of tobacco strands that have been loosened.

 

[williamcharles]

I do it differently but end up with the same result and it works great as long as I fit the plug into the bowl loosely. Too tight and I've done screwed the pooch royally.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Call me a flake-stuffing neophyte, but I have taken flakes, rolled 'em into a small single, shaggy ball in the palms of my hand and loaded 'em up in to my flake pipes...provided it was loose enough (which is easy enough to control), I've gotten a great, solid smoke out of 'em this way. 8) Haven't found a need for any ritual beyond this--and I've tried a few. While they all seem to work similarly, for the sake of brevity, I like the two-palms-ball method. :lol:

 

[Richard Burley]

I do it differently but end up with the same result and it works great as long as I fit the plug into the bowl loosely. Too tight and I've done screwed the pooch royally.

Me, too. Fold just the right amount and stuff. Tease the top just a bit and light. It seems to expand and friggin' burns forever. Gotta get some more; I'm runnin' low.

 

[MisterE]

I scrunch them up much like Alfredo's method when I'm in the car or at work. It's just easier and works well. Only I call it the "accordion method", lol. Same thing: fold, scrunch like an accordion, pack it. Having some loose pieces for kindling is helpful, but really hard to do in the car!

Lately my favorite method has been cubing flakes when I have the time. I cut them crosswise the grain 1/8 to 1/4 inch strips which will break up into little cubes. I just gravity fill and go. No pressure necessary. It really seems loose at first, but when you light it, it expands nicely and fills out the bowl.

Edit: I especially like cubing the GH flakes. They're generally a little thicker and harder to fold easily to the dimensions of most of my pipes.

 

[idbowman]

Lately my favorite method has been cubing flakes when I have the time. I cut them crosswise the grain 1/8 to 1/4 inch strips which will break up into little cubes. I just gravity fill and go. No pressure necessary.

I do this whenever possible...for me it creates the best results and is no more time consuming than any of the other methods.

 

[jlong]

I was never aware of the cubing method. Definately worth a try. I think there is fold and rub method on the GL Pease site.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I was never aware of the cubing method. Definately worth a try.

Easy enough with a pair of scissors. I'm gonna try this one, too.

 

[idbowman]

I think you'll find its a great way to go. If its a blend that requires some drying time, it speeds that up too (more surface area, and other science-y reasons).

Just make sure you either grav. fill or use a very light hand when packing. If you pack the cubes just the slightest bit too tightly you'll probably go into a fit of rage.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Every time I fold and stuff I end up disappointed. I just rub them out as best I can.

 

[Wet Dottle]

I'm a fan of just folding the flake and to shove it into the pipe without rubbing, pretty much like it is suggested in the Mac Baren site. If the flake comes apart during this process, it's because it is too dry. Anyway, that's how I do it...

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Every time I fold and stuff I end up disappointed. I just rub them out as best I can.

Why?

Won't light?
Won't stay lit?
Draw problems?
etc?

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Every time I fold and stuff I end up disappointed. I just rub them out as best I can.

Why?

Won't light?
Won't stay lit?
Draw problems?
etc?

In short: yes.

Its not the same thing every time, its just every time I end up wishing I had just taken the time to rub it out. I think mostly the problem I have is getting it lit, and then once the top 1/3 or so burns down, I have trouble keeping the burn even which then gives me trouble keeping it tamped to a proper level to keep it lit.

 

[SPUD 15]

Every time I fold and stuff I end up disappointed. I just rub them out as best I can.

Why?

Won't light?
Won't stay lit?
Draw problems?
etc?

In short: yes.

Its not the same thing every time, its just every time I end up wishing I had just taken the time to rub it out. I think mostly the problem I have is getting it lit, and then once the top 1/3 or so burns down, I have trouble keeping the burn even which then gives me trouble keeping it tamped to a proper level to keep it lit.

Im With MIKE wish everyting I smoked was flake. The problems Dave might be having #1 let your flake dry out for about 5-10 minutes prior to folding. #2 Fold your flake so it can be put into your bowl easily as it will expand when lit. #3 Do your charing light tamp and relight. #4 Sip and tamp after 5 or six sips dont tamp hard. Try this and you should have a more enjoyable time with flake. MIKE PS use the small end of the tamper ( the one I sent) to tamp and go once around the rim of the bowl about 3 tamps.

 

[ericpaulson]

I tried the cube and let it dry for 10 minutes method. Works a lot better. Thanks.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Flakes are just so damn universal. You can carry them with ease in a pouch, cut them, rub them, stuff them, fold them, ball them up... good stuff. :cheers: I've even *gasp* prepared flakes in such a way that they can be used in something other than a *gasp* flake pipe! Oh, the horror! :lol:

8)

 

[idbowman]

I've even *gasp* prepared flakes in such a way that they can be used in something other than a *gasp* flake pipe! Oh, the horror!

8)

Please show yourself to the door, sir. You're no longer welcome here. :evil:

 

[monbla256]

Not really been a fan of Flake style of tobacco. I know, I'm limiting myself blend wise I just don't really like to have to "fiddle" with my bac before I can load it and light it up ! Ribbon-cut bac for me

 

[Stackle2]

I like the two-palms-ball method.

Don't we all Kyle!

Seriously though, finally got a dedicated flake pipe. Its a tiny Grabow Duke, in great condition. Had about 6mm of cake in it, but I just so happened to have a small case pocket knife with a worn out blade that perfectly matched the interior dimensions of the bowl, so I reamed it nicely (& on that note, I decided it was time to bite the bullet, have a nice 7 piece reamer in the mail right now), & tried the fold & stuff method with some christmas cheer. I put a couple loose pieces of tobacco on top, but obviously not enough. It was a real pain in the butt to get lit, but once it did take hold (on about the 8th light) it smoldered evenly & gently, & produced an excellent smoke.

I am going to try Luxury Bullseye Flake tonight, after dinner. I am going to try fluffing it up between my palms first, to see if that is a little more user friendly than just trying to light solid flakes.

I really like smoking the flakes & cakes & such. It makes me feel like I am getting in touch with the past, smoking something that one of my great grandfathers might have smoked a hundred years ago. Plus the ritual of it is quite satisfying to me, @ least so far it has been.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I like the two-palms-ball method.

Don't we all Kyle!

Seriously though, finally got a dedicated flake pipe. Its a tiny Grabow Duke, in great condition. Had about 6mm of cake in it, but I just so happened to have a small case pocket knife with a worn out blade that perfectly matched the interior dimensions of the bowl, so I reamed it nicely (& on that note, I decided it was time to bite the bullet, have a nice 7 piece reamer in the mail right now), & tried the fold & stuff method with some christmas cheer. I put a couple loose pieces of tobacco on top, but obviously not enough. It was a real pain in the butt to get lit, but once it did take hold (on about the 8th light) it smoldered evenly & gently, & produced an excellent smoke.

I am going to try Luxury Bullseye Flake tonight, after dinner. I am going to try fluffing it up between my palms first, to see if that is a little more user friendly than just trying to light solid flakes.

I really like smoking the flakes & cakes & such. It makes me feel like I am getting in touch with the past, smoking something that one of my great grandfathers might have smoked a hundred years ago. Plus the ritual of it is quite satisfying to me, @ least so far it has been.

It took someone that length of time to get sophomoric and respond? I'm ashamed to know all of you. Thanks for making the grade, Stackle. :lol:

*snerk* ...heh... you said "fluffing it up..." :albino:

Each flake is so unique, some get shaggier and really wispy when fully broken apart, others stay somewhat chunky. It's just a matter of finding whatever works. The only real time I specifically use really chunky flake is when it is outside and windy--it stays in the bowl better and fights the incinerating process a little better. The idea is once it is lit, it stays lit--that's the idea anyway. :lol:

8)