3 common samples

[glpease]

I have always loved the smell of a pipe, my father and grandfather used to smoke a pipe, and I just loved it....brings back wonderful memory's.

My only hold back is anything 'vanilla' not a vanilla anything fan, candles, coffee (coffee should be hot strong bold and rich, not ruined by hazelnutvanillacinimochajokablueberry flavoring....(sorry am a bit stodgy on that point) :afraid:

Could anyone tell me the difference between 'cake' and 'flake',

also am looking at plum cake, and Scottish cake or flake, and a whiskey flavor??? and the navy flake i have been reading about, how is that?

Newbie mania strikes again....
LdyDoc

Considering how you like your coffee, and that you're not a fan of vanilla, you might be a perfect candidate for a richer, full-flavoured Latakia blend.

Many fledgeling pipe smokers have been driven away from the nest by the good intentions of tobacconist's recommending a "mild" blend. It takes time to learn to smoke a pipe. A "mild" blend can be so lacking in flavour that the new smoker will puff furiously in order to get ANYTHING out of it that a harsh experience is all but guaranteed. This is especially true with aromatics, which rarely, if ever, taste like they smell.

A fuller-flavoured blend will provide something for the palate to hang on to whilst the techniques of smoking are mastered. It's not rocket surgery, but it is a skill, and it doesn't happen overnight.

I can easily recall my first experiences with the pipe. If not for a pretty strong desire to find enjoyment in it, I'd have been driven away screaming in searing agony as a result of my first cheap pipe and "mild" tobacco. When I walked into Drucquer & Sons one day, and was taken under the wing of someone who truly understood what it was to smoke a pipe, the world changed. I got my first taste of a full English mixture in a good pipe, and, for the first time, understood just why people did this.

Latakia blends may not be to everyone's liking, but a good medium one is easy to smoke, delivers plenty of flavour, and will have less tendency to "bite" than most other styles. Virginias can be amazing, but unless smoked carefully, many of them will sting your tongue like a mouth full of wasps. Burleys have more nicotine than a beginner is likely to tolerate.

Cake and flake:

Cake generally is the word used to describe the thin layer of carbon that builds up in the bowl of the pipe as it's smoked. There are varying opinions about how best to do it, how thick it should be, whether or not it serves any purpose, and on. Pipe smokers are not short of opinions. (I once stated that if you founded up 100 pipe smokers, you'd be offered no fewer than 101 "right" ways to smoke the things.)

Cake can also refer to a block of tobacco that is pressed, and then sliced. "Flake" generally refers to those slices, which are also sometimes called "slices." However, flake can also refer to a coarse, short cut of leaf, usually about 4-5mm square. Think of the old Ivory Snow soap flakes.

Finally, welcome to the wonderful world of the pipe!

-glp