I've got a question. I've never smoked a flake before, what do you guys prefer, rubbing it out or rolling it up?
Virginia flake is more intense and burns hotter folded and stuffed. I feel that rubbing it out and packing loosely, then slowly sipping the pipe is key for best flavor. After you get a feel for how VA burns, then try folding and stuffing. One advantage of folding is that it produces less possible fly ash, and therefore is less of a fire hazard (a big deal on wooden ships).
I've always had ribbon cut tobacco so a flake is a new creature to me. I was going to rub it out so it looked and packed more like what I was comfortable with. I smoke on concrete pads on the front or back porch. I'm not too worried about fly ash. I'll try folding and stuffing at least once just to try it. After Thanksgiving I'll have a reason to dig through boxes so maybe I'll find my little pipe. Its a no name from a bargin bin that came with a hinged windscreen on top. The windscreen fell off on the first bowl I smoked out of it but its still a very nice small comfortable pipe that feels good hanging from my teeth.
I've been reviewing what I've forgotten. My ex-wife hated my pipes so they stayed boxed up and what tobacco I had was dry and crumbly so I tossed it and bought the only pouch blend I remembered that I liked. My fiance doesn't care about the pipe as long as I don't try to kiss her with pipe breath. I'm enjoying getting back to it. I rarely smoke more then 3 or 4 pipes a week so its taking me awhile to relearn all my old habits. I'm looking forward to being able to try new things and I'm eyeballing some of the samplers online to tell people about for the upcoming holidays.
You were talking about drug store tobacco earlier. Two brands I am sure you can get are Half&Half and Granger, both are actually very nice American style ribbon mixtures.
Insomnia pipe... Kaywoodie with Stokkebye Navy Flake (stuffed and folded because I am lazy tonight) Cold night outside, but enjoying this one in my garage. It's insulated, and I can keep it heated to about 62F easily...and Mrs. Samurai doesn't mind smoking in here. A couple of years back, I bought an office chair and table with a red lamp for my workbench area. Throw in AM radio, iPad on wireless, and it makes for great solitude sometimes.
I I just saw an online deal somewhere that offered Half & Half for $1. In my area the only place that sells pipe tobacco is the one grocery store and they only have a few brands. Captain Black Regular, Captain Black Gold, Prince Albert, Bugler, Carter Hall, Paladin Black Cherry and Sir Walter Raleigh regular. I remember that I didn't like the Prince Albert, Bugler or the Paladin but I didn't remember about any of the others Except that I liked the Captain Black Gold. If I drive out to the next town North I can get a better variety and if I drove to the next town south I'm almost in civilization. I'll keep a lookout for those brands to try out when I drive down south for the kid's dentist appointment of the 4th of next month.
The pipes I have smoked don't number very high. I tried a churchwarden but it felt too long. I had my friends for awhile after he married his first wife because he was worried about his little brother ruining it while he was away on his honeymoon. I have my 2 straight pipes that you have seen pictures of but I don't really prefer them. I feel like it takes more effort to hold them in my mouth. I had a bent pipe shaped a bit like this one except in briar. I still felt like it stuck out too far so I gifted it away and found a very small pipe shaped a lot like this one with the smooth finish. The one I have has a bowl about half the size of my Doc Grabow, its unfiltered made of briar with a stem that looks and feels like plastic. the stem is rough with mold marks but its comfortable and easy to smoke. It came with a 2 toned hinged windcap on it but the hot glue that held it on failed the first bowl I ever smoked out of it. I'll probably pick up a $2 corncob tasting pipe while I'm in Asheville next week and some day I would like to try out a clay pipe and also a meerschaum pipe. That can wait for later. I'm happy with the 3 I have right now. I'm even happier with the prices I paid for them. $2 each for my straight pipes $5 for my favorite pipe and $4 for the one I gifted away. Flea markets got me all but my favorite and I got that one out of a bargain basket at the closest pipe store to my house.
I have this pipe on my current wishlish. I also have an inexpensive German clay pipe and a meerscham sampling pipe on my wish list. I'll start spreading it out to family this week. I'm also going to stick the newest premium blends from Captain Black on my list. Two of them look like they could be good. The choices for tobacco are almost unending. As soon as the kids wake up and get gone I'm going to smoke my Kaywoodie with large amounts of coffee. Should be in about an hour.
Yesterday evening pipe. The Chacom Virgin Lovat is a great smoker, even though it's missing the CC logo insert on the stem.
