Sorry for the newb questions, (I've read the threads here and performed a few searches already) but...

1. What does it mean to "rub out the flakes"?
2. I bought two tobaccos the other day. One consists of numerous strands of tobacco (like confetti) while the other comes in thin sheets. Are there different methods for packing the bowls depending on the type of tobacco?
3. I bought a cheap corn cob to practice with. However, the most prominent flavor seems to be burnt wood (and that is not the flavor described on the tin :-)). I this because the bowl is burning until enough ash accumulates around the bowl?

Thanks in advance for your help. :-)

Kevin
[Reply]

The "strands" are a ribbon cut and are typically ready to smoke if they are the proper moisture.

The "thin sheets" are flakes. "Rubbing out" refers to the process of breaking up the "sheets" you want to smoke by rubbing them vigorously between your fingers or palms of your hand until they have a consistency similar to the ribbon. Some people smoke whole flakes without rubbing them out. Others like them partially rubbed out. I rub flakes out fully.

You will get a feel for what you prefer over time.
[Reply]

I will take a stab at a couple of answers :-).

I personally like to rub out flakes to a similar consistency to ribbon cut (because I have not gotten the hang of folding it in the bowl yet :-), one thing at a time). For me this has been the best way to get a consistent smoke.
As to the flavour of burnt wood in the cob, I noticed something similar (though kind of sweet) to the first couple of bowls in a new cob. The thing to remember is that you do not need a cake build up in a cob, though I think it needs to char a little to not interfere with the tobacco as much.
Hopefully this helps a little.
[Reply]

1)"rubbing out" means to rub the flakes so that they fall apart into smaller strands of tobacco. This is usually done by placing the flake in the palm of your hand and then rubbing the other palm of your hand in a circular motioin until the tobacco falls apart.

2)After you rub out the flake, it should be similar to the other. Pack them both the same. Not too tight.

3)What are you using to light your pipe? If you are using a "torch" lighter like the ones used for cigars then the burnt wood that you are tasting is actually the corn cob buring. Torch lighters are too hot and will burn the **** out of your pipe. Use wooden kitchen matches or a soft flame lighter like a Zippo.
[Reply]

There are many textures of flake tobacco; some rub out easily into ribbon-ish pieces (MacBarens Navy Flake, a flat, thin-cut fragile flake, for example) and some are more self-adhesive and hold together better (Escudo, a round flake, for example). The two names mentioned above are virginia tobaks.

Stonehaven, a burley-content flake comes in very long, flat pieces. It is almost leathery in appearance. Like the others mentioned, Stonehaven can be folded and stuffed or rubbed out more-or-less for a good smoke.

Another flake cut tobacco is generically referred to as crumble-cake (like the trademarked "Krumble Kake". It is similar in texture and flavor to the very popular Penzance.) These products will break into crumb-like pieces with the slightest effort. KK and Pes are both intense latakia based smokes. I think you love it or you hate it.

Every smoker has his own preference on how to smoke a flake. With time and experience you may decide that some flakes taste better rubbed out and other taste better folded, screwed and stuffed into a bowl. Like most tobacco you fill a pipe with, flakes expand as they are heated. Be careful not to to fill a pipe tightly, especially with a flake. If you do, it'll swell up and plug the bowl in a few minutes. Similarly, avoid tamping a flake down to the point you feel much draw resistance or a plugged pipe will not be far behind.

As a novice I found flake tobacco a little discouraging but, over time, grew to enjoy it.

MacBarens has a good page on flake "how-to" that you benefit from reading. http://www.mac-baren.com/TopMenu/Exp...ll-a-pipe.aspx

And last but not least, which flake did you buy?
[Reply]

Gents,
Thanks for the very helpful information (and thanks for that link, Dan).

To answer your questions, I had read the posts here so was warned about using a torch flame in a pipe. So I used matches and an Old Boy. And you can ban me now, because the flake I carefully chose was a MacBaren Virginia flake. I went into the local B&M with a list of tobaccos that I wanted to try, based on the posts I've read here. Well, they didn't stock any of the ones on my list. When I saw the name MacBaren, I was happy to find a name that I recognized! I didn't realize 'till later Why I recognized the name. Maybe it was just my inexperienced packing style, but I now know what tongue bite is. :-) Note to self: Carbonated beverages (e.g. beer) does NOT relieve tongue bite! Yow!

Well, on to try the very cherry mix from the B&M. :-)

Kevin
[Reply]

I've been smoking flake for some time, and over time my packing method has changed.

I started by rubbing out flake. Then I tore off chunks about 1/4" X 3/8" and gravity dropped them into the bowl. But I kept reading that others simply folded a flake into 3 parts, assuming a 3" to 4" long flake, and stuffed that folded flake into the bowl, with tinder on top. When I tried this I found that it was hard to light and hard to keep lit, but it did burn very slowly, which was what I sought.

I asked for advice and was told that I needed to "worry" the flake before inserting it into the bowl; that is to rub out the folded flake, but just to the point of loosening the strands. This is easy with fragile flakes like GH Dark Flake but quite a bit more time-consuming with dense flakes such as Irish Flake. The key, at least for my hands, is to worry about an 8th" piece of Irish Flake at a time.

This last method retains the slow burn while normalizing relights.

You stuff the worried flake into the bowl vertically so that ends of the flake strands stand up in the bowl. Having done so, often tinder isn't needed, and relights are facilitated.
[Reply]

maybe I am warped but I enjoy the sting of the tongue bite!
[Reply]

:-)
[Reply]

he's talking about kissing his girlfriend, not smoking a pipe. Thought I ought to clarify.
[Reply]

Talking about flakes I realize i have never tried a flake before... Whats a good flake to start with?
[Reply]

MacBarens Navy (or Mixture) Flake; available, not too pricey, tasty as heck, easy to handle. Rub it out a bit to start then, as it dries (in the tin) it becomes a rookie-ready fold & stuff. (If Mixture Flake, crack the lid and let breath for a week or two before smoking.)
[Reply]

Thanks! Im a big fan of the MacBarens plum cake i hope the navy flake will be really good too :-)
[Reply]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ux7ewE4d9o
sometimes it's better to actually see it done than read about how to do it.
whatever tobacco they used is fairly brittle to start with. the flakes i "rub" end up being bent up, pliable pieces of tobacco, not rod straight bits and shards like in this video.

and here is one by dubinthedam, it's neary 10 minutes long, probably better (and different ways) than the first vid i linked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=733OzTBYYwA
[Reply]