PG is a chemical humectant, added to prevent drying of the tobacco. It works very well, but it can make a blend really too moist. I much prefer blends with no PG.
I’ve never experienced any damage to any of my bowls by smoking down to an ash. Not saying it can’t happen, just that I’ve never seen it in my pipes nor my friends’ pipes. To @gorgo2’s point, it’s not unusual at all to have a little dottle at the bottom of the bowl that doesn’t quite burn all the way, and that happens generally more often than burning down to a fine ash. On the acrylic tamp in a recent picture I posted, it has a point on the end opposite the tamping end, specifically for loosening dottle at the bottom to be subsequently tossed. The end of virtually all tamps are made similarly, with a provision for getting dottle out.
Aromatics tend to get acrid when you get down to the dottle, which I why I toss 'em. English blends are less prone to that, but if it starts tasting nasty, they get tossed too. Pipe tobacco is expensive, but not THAT expensive, if you know what I mean. The whole point of pipe smoking is to enjoy and savor the experience. Forcing yourself to smoke it just because it's there, isn't the way.
Correction...it was the 1864 that I really liked the other morning, I'd looked at the wrong bag. MM 150th is pretty straightforward, not much to me besides the tobaccos. Harsh if puffed so I really have to sip it. Does seem better halfway through. Doesn't seem to want to burn too hot, though this is in their cob. After multiple tries I figured out the only way I can get Granger to not bite and taste good is with a filter, so maybe that's what I need to do with this one.
GREAT tobacco, comes as a flake. One of the best for someone wanting to move from aromatics to pure tobacco blends. It consists of ripe Virginias with a hint of Perique. Known as GSC to many in the pipe community, it is a naturally sweet blend with a hint of citrus. A nice light, smooth, mellow blend, and not high with the nic hit, and easy to keep lit. Perique is a condiment to any blend, and plays a minor role in GSC. I highly recommend it. I have a fairly substantial stock of various blends, but GSC will always be there. If I had to pick just one pipe tobacco to have, it would be Orlik Golden Sliced.
Hudson’s Bay in a Northern Briar pipe. This pipe is one of my favorites; with the rustication and ship of the bowl, it feels really good in the hand. Although it is a larger pipe, Ian Walker uses top quality briar and is much lighter than it appears. Hudson’s Bay is a straight Virginia, using medium and dark stoved Virginia. It’s a naturally sweet smoke with a bit of tang, slightly stronger than Golden Sliced. Unfortunately it is no longer in production. I have this jarred amount, and I believe I have anoher tin buried up somewhere. Like any Virginia, it will benefit from aging. What I have is likely around 6 to 7 years old. Sadly, I didn’t begin dating my jars and tins until about a year ago. The style of tamp shown is available, but they vary in quality. This particular one was given to me by Erik Stokkebye, and has the Peter Stokkebye brand name laser etched into the other side, although it is beginning to fade because I’ve used it so much. I should have flipped it over for the pic. @gorgo2 note I have the dottle blade unfolded for the pic. This blend did burn down to a fine ash.
I like that tool as I don't care for the tiny shovel of the Czech tool. Does that one also have the rod?
Depends on what you mean. There's several ways to smoke flake. The most common is to rub it out and smoke it normally. You get more intense flavors if you leave it in the flake and roll it and stuff it. Some people also do a z-fold and stuff it. It will also burn cooler and slower, but will require more relights. By coincidence, I have some on order, along with MacBaren's HH Old Dark Fired. I figured I ought to try some of the more 'iconic' tobaccos, that are considered among the best representations of their 'type.' I paid a bit more for the dark fired than it usually goes for on this particular site (cigarbid), but I wanted to get it included in this order.
Beyond Brave is one of the first I bought (it was on sale). It's good. Re: flake...yep, was wondering how best to load it.
If you roll and stuff, or fold and stuff, leave some extra room in the top of the bowl. Some flakes expand when smoking.
I'm going to try some of those little balsa filters and possibly the little rocks with the aros. Supposedly they can knock down the steaminess without reducing flavor.
FYI, A few grains of uncooked rice in the bottom of the bowl will also absorb moisture without changing the flavor.
Sounds like a speed run for silicosis, but you do you... Edit: you can leave tobacco out to dry out, you know. No need to re-invent the wheel.
