I enjoy smoking flakes but depending on what I feel like or where I'm going to be smoking as well as the blend determines how I prepare it. Whether I just roll and stuff it, break it up into little lengths or completely break it down. The former for a longer smoke outdoors and the later for shorter smoother smoking indoors. If you smoke flakes like any of the Samual Gawith blends you will need to dry them as they are so wet fresh out of the tin. Leave them overnight out on some paper toweling. You can also place them on a plate and on top of a lit lamp on the lamp shade or if in a hurry, 10 - 15 secs in the microwave. These methods work for me
I've only recently discovered the joy of flakes. Fortunately I have a pipe smoking friend who helped get started. He saved me some real problems. I mostly prefer English/Balkan blends but I try one or two new flakes every month. I had problems with SG flakes at first just because they are very damp fresh out of the tin. After a bit of drying and rubbing out I had no real problems with them. This month I bought a tin of Erinmore and I suspect I have found a new friend in this one. St. James Flake is a bit too peppery for me. 1792 is lovely and I'm very fond of SGs' Best Brown flake but Erinmore hits all my good buttons at once. I think I will stick with it whilst learning the other methods for smoking flakes. This is a great thread. I've learned several new things from it.
Today I did my first fold and stuff with flake. Took seconds to load the pipe, a Legend, and smoked great. No more relights than usual for me. I feel like one of the big kids now.
Thanks to recommendations from PSF members, I recently bought my first tin of Peterson's Irish Flake. Love at first light. Rubbed out or stuffed, briar or cob, it is fine stuff that will be part of my regular rotation.
I haven't tried any flakes other than Christmas Cheer which I really like. However I'm trying to decide which flake that I can learn to fold and stuff to buy first. The Peterson's Irish Flake sounds interesting. I like light aros and some English blends like McClelland 925.
I would go with Moo's suggestion. Irish Flake is lovely stuff BUT it is Strong. I would not think of it as English but as strong burley/Virginia flake. A big nicotine hit. Erinmore is also a great flake but the flakes are half the length of most flakes. Stubby flakes they are. I can fold and stuff them only into my smallest pipe. I love the IF and I'm new to the pipe but I have a nic habit and a fondness for strong traditional tobacco flavours. A lot of new pipers would gag at the stuff I like. If you try the IF and hate it, I know someone who will burn it for you, just to make sure no one else is hurt by the evil stuff.
The McB Navy Flake it will be. The local shop has it on the shelf so that'll make it easy. I need to get the technique down as well so maybe the McB will help in this respect as well. I haven't had too much of a problem with the Christmas Cheer - I rub it out a little. It seems like it requires much more of an initial char to get it going - however once it's going it makes for a good long and cool smoke in the old GBD.
The Irish Flake whupped my candy azz, and I curled up and cried like a baby after I tried it. Just too damn strong for me. However, I really like the Pete University Flake. MacB Navy Flake is really good, but I think that the MacB Mixture Flake is even better.
Send that mean old Irish hardman flake my way. I'll teach it a thing a two about picking on my candy ass friends.
Sent it off to another PSF member many moons ago, but I 'preciate you havin' my back! I'll keep you in mind if I ever get up the stones to try 10 Russians, and that winds up kicking my candy azz. I heard it's the Lat-bomb from hell. (I'm such a weener. )
Don't believe the hype, man. Tear a hunk off, cram it in your pipe and smoke slowly. It'll lay down and curl up at your feet like an old dog.
I haven't ordered a tin of "good stuff" in a while. Maybe I'll order some, but if it zombifies me I'm coming for you...
After you open the tin the flavor will enhance a bit as the days go by. Let it be dry enough that, by bending a flake in half, it might splinter just a bit. At that moisture it'll be an easy fold, cram-jam or screw-in and moosh. I agree that MacB Mixture Flake is also a nice smoke; it looks and handles like the Navy Flake but benefits more from some breathing time after cracking the seal.
Cracked my new tin of MacB Vanilla Cream flake today, love it so far. Probably will be even better if I let it dry out for a bit.
Man this whole time I've been finger grinding it up to shreds. I thought the jerky looked funny just stuffin' it in. I love a "Bob's Chocolate Flake" from Davidus Cigar shop here in Frederick. Ya learned me somethin' new.
I smoked McClelland Navy Flake tonight when wife in the room; she almost puked! Back to aromatics when she is around, sigh..
