Preparing Flake Style Tobacco

There are many ways to prepare flake style pipe tobacco (pressed and sliced) for smoking, here are a few.

First you'll need a good flake pipe. A good flake pipe has a narrow, deep bowl. Preferably 5/8" - 3/4" diameter and 1" deep. The most basis way prepare the slices is to put them in the palm of one hand and cover with the palm of your other hand and rub your hands together until the flakes break apart. This is called "rubbing out". Generally, the more you rub out a flake the more mellow it will be and less you rub out the flake the more intense the flavors will be.

This is the whole flake method.

First note in which direction the "grain" of the tobacco is going in the flake. Cut a piece or pieces of flake against (at 90 degrees) the grain and equal to the depth of your flake pipe. Take the entire flake of tobacco and roll it up into a fairly tight tube or roll.

If done correctly the ends you have cut will be the long ends of the tube. The diameter of the roll of flake tobacco should be slightly less the diameter of the tobacco chamber of the pipe you will be smoking.

If not, roll another piece of flake over the first. Place the roll into your pipe and press it down with a tamper with just enough force to flatten the top. Light as you normally would and enjoy!

This is the "sandwich" method.

Prepare the flakes in the same manner as you learned in the whole flake method except this time take two different types of flake and roll them together. The possibilities are endless. Try a Virginia flake and an English flake or a Virginia with an aromatic flake. You might want to tone down a strong flake that is overwhelming on it's own with a milder flake.

Have Fun!

How to Smoke a Tobacco Pipe

The art of pipe smoking is a fully underestimated task of complete enjoyment for all. Here is how to smoke your pipe to enjoy it the most.

1. Find a pipe that fits you. There are many tobacconists around the world who would be more than happy to help you find the perfect pipe, and I will show more about how to select tobacco pipe for you in this blog. Prices range from six dollars to several thousand.

2. Find the right tobacco for you. There are many varieties: aromatics, American blends, English blends, Virginias, Burleys, and many more. A tobacconist will be able to help there, as well. People completely new to smoking may enjoy an aromatic or lighter strength tobacco, while someone coming from cigarettes or cigars might prefer a heavier type of blend. I like Golden Blend's Vanilla best, buy small amounts representing several different genres.

3. Fill your bowl, it is very important for smoke pipe. Fill loosely with tobacco and compress it lightly (using a "child's touch"). Compressed halfway from the bottom of the bowl to the top. Fill again to the top and compress with a little more force (a "woman's touch"). This time halfway from the top of the previous packing to the top. Now top it off and compress a bit harder (a "man's touch"). Again half way from the last point to the top. Should leave roughly a 1/8th of an inch gap from the tobacco to the top of the bowl. You need to make sure it is not so tight that you cannot draw through it; you should be able to draw air though with little or no resistance. The tobacco should be springy to the touch. It's best to have your tobacconist or an experienced pipe smoker show you. Correct packing takes a little practice, and has a lot of impact on how enjoyable your experience will be.

4. Light the pipe with a wooden match or a pipe lighter. Let the match burn off the sulfur a few seconds. Move the flame around the surface of the tobacco while drawing gently until evenly lit, then tamp gently with a tamper. Let it go out, then relight the same way.

5. Puff slowly and rhythmically. Patience is rewarded. Puffing too fast will result in tongue bite - a burning sensation on the tongue.

6. Tamp the tobacco gently periodically throughout the smoke to ensure the bowl remains correctly packed while smoking. Don't worry if the pipe goes out from time to time - it will. Simply relight.

7. Make sure you smoke your pipe to the end to create a nice "cake" at the bottom and side of your pipe bowl.

8. Relax and enjoy. Pipe smoking is the quintessential art of smoking.