What Is A Good Flake Pipe Shape/s?

[BigCasino]

Something with thick walls, of any shape, with a chamber that's around 13/16" wide by
1 1/2" deep should do nicely.
Something like this, maybe:

This pipe is completely awesome I love it, care to give some info on how it smokes?

 

[PipeDragon]

https://www.brothersofbriar.com/t21276-packing-and-lighting-flake-tobacco

:face:

Thanks!

And I just found two videos on youtube on both the rub out and fold method:

1)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Ux7ewE4d9o" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen></iframe>

2)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Ux7ewE4d9o" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Harlock999]

This pipe is completely awesome I love it, care to give some info on how it smokes?

It actually smokes quite nicely.
It's frustrating when a pretty looking pipe is all show and no go,
but this Ardor has been a dry, no nonsense smoker from the moment I obtained it.
It was an estate pipe, so someone already did the breaking in for me, though... 8)

 

[KevinM]

An alternative to rubbing out flake is to take a knife and cut it into a DIY "cube cut." This promotes EZ packing and a steady burn. Also, I'd say it lessens the tobak's preference for one shape of bowl over another. (I'd say it doesn't make any difference what shape the pipe is, other than smoker's preference, just the bowl.) I'd say a continuing appeal of flake over ready rubbed is flake is amenable to application of each smoker's experience, preferences and grasp of applicable lore. Two guys preparing a pipeload of flake might be doing much different things. They're probably both imagining themselves at sea, in a Man o' War, having broken a bit off the ship's supply and preparing to go up on deck and enjoy smokes. 'Course they'd be smoking clays.

 

[serif365]

I like the cheap, LITTLE, MM Mizzou pipe for my flakes. My favorite filler is Peter Stokkebye's Luxury Bullseye Flake. Two of these little critters, pulled apart, cut into little pieces, rubbed out and layered with chunks of the Cavendish "eye" fill this little bowl and burn to my satisfaction. It still takes about an hour to sip but I get a complete burn with little dottle and not much "left behind" tobacco.

BTW, how do you pronounce "Stokkebye"? Looks kinda like "rockabye" to me but I'm just curious as to the proper enunciation.

 

[MisterE]

Stoh-ka-bee

 

[serif365]

Well, that was the other pronunciation choice, THANKS! (Kinda like how do YOU say Latakia? )

 

[serif365]

You folks have the nicest pipes...I'm green with envy.

 

[MisterE]

Lat (as in Latvia)-uh-keeya is how I say it. Some say Luh-tack-eeya.


I think it depends mostly on how many tobacco reviews one writes. :lol!:

 

[monbla256]

Lat (as in Latvia)-uh-keeya is how I say it. Some say Luh-tack-eeya.


I think it depends mostly on how many tobacco reviews one writes. :lol!:

YES ! THIS !! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[gravel]

Lat (as in Latvia)-uh-keeya is how I say it. Some say Luh-tack-eeya.


I think it depends mostly on how many tobacco reviews one writes. :lol!:

YES ! THIS !! :twisted: :twisted:

From multiple online dictionaries. This one is from dictionary.com
Latakia[ lat-uh-kee-uh or especially for 1, lah-tah-kee-ah ]
noun
1. a seaport in NW Syria, on the Mediterranean.
2. a coastal district in Syria, in the W part.
3. a variety of Turkish tobacco.

From Merriam-Webster online:
Main Entry: lat·a·kia
Pronunciation: \ˌla-tə-ˈkē-ə\
Function: noun
Etymology: Latakia, seaport in Syria
Date: 1833
: a highly aromatic Turkish smoking tobacco
Main Entry: Lat·a·kia
Pronunciation: \ˌla-tə-ˈkē-ə\
Function: geographical name
1 region NW Syria bordering on the Mediterranean 2 or ancient La·od·i·cea \(ˌ)lā-ˌä-də-ˈsē-ə, ˌlā-ə-\ city & port on the Mediterranean; chief town of the region pop 284,000


In otherwords: blah blah blah.

 

[serif365]

Yep, that's how my snooty tabacconist corrected me to say lat-a-KI-a. (That's when I discovered Pipes and Cigars and I haven't been back since. )

 

[PipeDragon]

LOL,

for now I think Im going to focus on learning how to prep and smoke the stuff and worry about screwing up pronouncing it later :roll: :roll:

 

[MisterE]

I'm unuh smoke me sum luh-take-yeh 'n scribble me wunna dem review thangs..

 

[cigrmaster]

I have been smoking flakes for a while now and I have tried all of the methods for smoking them. I enjoy the cube cut method the best, followed by breaking into big chunks with my fingers, followed by fold and stuff. When people talk about rubbing them out, I picture putting the flakes in your palm and then rubbing them into a ribbon cut. I tried this and honestly did not care for it. It defeated the purpose of smoking a flake for me, in that it burned much too quickly and the flavors were no where near as good as the other methods. I also do not smoke ribbon cuts because of how quickly they burn. To me the cube cut provides great flavor with a great burning quality, in my preferred shaped pipes.

As far as shapes go, my favorites are group 4-5 Dublins, Apples, Lovats, Billiards. I have a few smaller group 6's for when I want a good 2 hour smoke. I have more Dublins than any other shape in my collection because of the way they smoke flakes. The conical bowl and thick walls are ideal for smoking flakes in my opinion.

As an example here is a group 5 Rad Davis Dublin that is a flake smoking machine.

 

[sisyphus]

If I smoked FVF in that pipe that big I'd have to start after dinner so I could finish by bedtime.

I think if you're talking German flakes, which are practically compressed ribbon (barring No. 44 and WCBDF) you can get away with group 4s and maybe 5s if you're a fast smoker. True flakes are denser and burn slow. I can smoke a group 3 lovat for 2 hours, which is about perfect for me because I enjoyed the whole smoke and didn't drift into the "jeez when is this bowl gonna end?" zone. Perhaps this depends on good technique, but then so is enjoyment of a Va flake I would argue.

 

[cigrmaster]

You know now that I think about it, I start smoking most days at 11:30 am and stop around 11pm at night. Most days I get in 4 bowls sometimes 5 in that time and I only take a smoking break to eat dinner. So I am smoking for 11 hours a day and only getting 4 -5 bowls in so it is taking me a lot longer per bowl than I thought. I lite up a group 4 bowl of Wessex Brown Virginia flake at 5:10pm, I know because I was thinking it is cocktail time. I am still smoking this bowl and it is 7 and I still have a ways to go. I had always thought a group 5 was an hour and a half smoke but realize it is much longer. Cripes, I am going to have to really pay attention when I smoke a 6, that is probably a 3 hour plus deal. I do cube cut my flakes which I prefer, fold and stuff in this size pipe is a very long smoke.

When you say German flakes which ones are you referring to?

 

[sisyphus]

F&T, Planta, and throw Orlik in there too. All their flakes look the same and have the same consistency barring color from red Va content.

I always smoked group 6s, and my tastes swung wildly away from Lat blends and Burleys to Va flakes. It didn't take long before I noticed that pipes I had ignored for being too small were now the only ones I was smoking. I started to really pay attention to chamber size and bore geometry, and have developed some pretty strong preferences for different tobaccos.

Gawith flakes are so much denser, I really like a group 3 Lovat, an Author, a small Zulu or Cutty.

Denser German flakes like No. 44, I can go a little bigger, group 4 Dublins and billiards, largers lovats.

Spongy German flakes (Dunhill flake and the F&Ts, Aylesburys) and ready rubbeds I can do large group 4s and group 5s.

I save the group 6s for Lat blends and the ODAs for Burley. I am just as likely to smoke a billiard of Burley after breakfast, but if I feel like smoking it in the evening I reach for my biggest pipes so I can get a 90 minute session.

I always shoot for a 90 to 150 minute smoke, depending on how much time I have, the mood I'm in, what I feel like smoking that evening. Work days I have less time, days off I'm likely to enjoy a second bowl of something stout in a Prince later in the evening. My rules and one size doesn't fit all. I just saw that big Rad Dublin and thought there was no way I could smoke FVF or BBF in that. Dunhill Flake or Cut Blended Plug, fully rubbed out, yeah now you're talking.

 

[cigrmaster]

Interesting take, thanks for sharing it. That Rad Dublin actually is a very small 5 too large 4 chamber, it looks bigger because the walls are thick, and the conical bowl narrows quickly. I cannot put an entire flake of FT Cut Virginia Plug in it, only 3/4's.

I get what you are saying in regards to German flakes, I like them because they are consistent, burn great and have little to no red virginia in them. I find SG Best Brown and St James burn easier for me than FVF, that seems like it is definitely a thicker less pliant flake. I agree that all the SG flakes are thicker than the German ones. Have you tried the Mac Baren Old Dark Fired, that is a thicker flake that is a very slow burner, wonderful stuff. I get a nice slow burn when I cube cut, plus the flavors are great, if you have not tried it give it a shot, you may enjoy it.

I buy my pipes based on how I think they will smoke flakes. I just picked up this Ruthenberg group 4 and this Rad Davis group 4, both designated for flakes.

 

[stewartinsaudi]

I really prefer a tall, relatively narrow bowl for flakes. I have a Kriswill Stack that is beautifully elegant and the perfect dimensions for folded flakes. I dont know why Kriswill doesnt get more attention. I find their pipes to be excellent smokers and unique enough in design to have a special niche in my stable.