Thanks ! Now i know difference between shank and stummel ! Although I can't imagine now referencing stummel in any conversation because I would refer to briar or pipe but maybe that will change.
Packing a Pipe Well
- Thread starter coys
- Start date
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I was packing too tight, not getting enough air through, having to relight, burning the crap out of my tongue.
Try packing too loose for a couple of bowls. See how that smokes and how you have to tamp it. Then slowly pack tighter until you get a good handle of where the tobacco needs to be. I found approaching it from the other way helped me get my finesse.
Try packing too loose for a couple of bowls. See how that smokes and how you have to tamp it. Then slowly pack tighter until you get a good handle of where the tobacco needs to be. I found approaching it from the other way helped me get my finesse.
Like Nancy Sinatra sings, “You been messin’ where you shouldn’t been a messin’!”
Dry and loose! Just think of the best thing you can imagine and do the opposite!
I don't think I'll reply to packing method threads anymore. New pipe smokers can pack it anyway they want. If that doesn't work, I'm pretty sure they are smart enough to try something else. If they really can't figure this out, should they really be playing with matches and lighters?
We can always work out our differences by smoking a bowl together...er...
...bowls...
(?)No...
Wait...we smoke a chamber right? I guess we should just smoke a chamber together...
...No!
Sorry... I meant smoke two chambers together. That's it. We'll smoke two chambers of tobacco...
...each.
Two chambers each...
...Together!
But not both chambers together! We'll each smoke a separate chamber simultaneously. Is that correct?
No!!!!!
Wait, you don't smoke the chamber! (Stupid stupid stupid.)
You smoke the PIPE!
But that doesn't make SENSE! It's not the pipe that smokes! You smoke the tobacco in the pipe. Right?
Crap.
You can go all the way from gravity loading, just letting the leaf fall loose, to going by thirds and packing harder each time. If you work with your hands or otherwise have strong hands, you're probably going to pack too tightly. You need some air in there to let the leaf burn and for draw. You can dry out a blend in a drying bowl or just by packing the pipe the night before you smoke it. Play around with it, loose packing, and gradations of firmer packing, and see what works. A charring light is often needed, but you shouldn't need six lights for a bowl, unless you are smoking it intermittently and let it go out (which sometimes works for me).
In regard to @Chasing Embers I’ll paraphrase a later passage from the song quoted earlier - what he knows we ain’t had time to learn! But enjoy trying to catch up!We can always work out our differences by smoking a bowl together...er...
...bowls...
No...
Wait...we smoke a chamber right? I guess we should just smoke a chamber together...
...No!
Sorry... I meant smoke two chambers together. That's it. We'll smoke two chambers of tobacco...
...each.
Two chambers each...
...Together!
But not both chambers together! We'll each smoke a separate chamber simultaneously. Is that correct?
No!!!!!
Wait, you don't smoke the chamber! (Stupid stupid stupid.)
You smoke the PIPE!
But that doesn't make SENSE! It's not the pipe that smokes! You smoke the tobacco in the pipe. Right?
Crap.
After some of the meltdowns, thread deletings, and bannings I've seen over differences of opinion here, my take is that pipe smokers can't tolerate the company of another one for very long.
Thanks, everyone. Never thought I'd get so many replies!
I'm doing better by packing the bowl a bit less. (I actually find I want about half as much as I could possibly pack in there, to begin with.)
I took some of your advice and just dropped the tobacco in the bowl without packing, and then after a charring light gave it a gentle pack. This worked for a while, but after developing some white ash the bowl needed a bit more tamping to burn well. But by the end, I was having a really nice bowl of Presbyterian with plenty of smoke.
Appreciate the help!
I'm doing better by packing the bowl a bit less. (I actually find I want about half as much as I could possibly pack in there, to begin with.)
I took some of your advice and just dropped the tobacco in the bowl without packing, and then after a charring light gave it a gentle pack. This worked for a while, but after developing some white ash the bowl needed a bit more tamping to burn well. But by the end, I was having a really nice bowl of Presbyterian with plenty of smoke.
Appreciate the help!
I use a variation of the 3-step method. I gravity fill first, then fill to 2/3, press, then fill to the top and press. Works really well.
The secret to packing a bowel is good chili with extra jalapeños.
Pro tip, this is also the secret to emptying said bowel.
Pro tip, this is also the secret to emptying said bowel.
These bowel packing threads are always helpful. It’s the bowel reaming threads that seem to get awkward.
Oof a lot of semantics in this thread.
Choice in packing? Hm, It'll depend on the cut of the baccy and the chamber shape and size.
For rubbed-out, ribbon or shag - I favour the "spiral" method in the palm -- always seems to do the trick. 3-step or "frank" method is fine too.
Flakes (or cut plugs) and medallions are usually folded and stuffed for me. But many chop them up into a cube cut and gravity fill. Also with flakes you want to go with a looser pack - it expands (horizontally) and fills the void pretty quick.
I do think this changes the way the tobacco burns (and therefore the flavour - depending on your cadence etc.) Rubbed-out or chopped flakes tend to burn more quickly.
Example: I was smoking some Doblone D'Oro the other day in a tiny pipe. Usually, I stack 3 to 5 medallions and fold them up / roll them a bit and stuff them. The chamber was so small I ended up with a bad pack that way.
In that instance, it was better to just rub out and do the 3-step or spiral fill.
Choice in packing? Hm, It'll depend on the cut of the baccy and the chamber shape and size.
For rubbed-out, ribbon or shag - I favour the "spiral" method in the palm -- always seems to do the trick. 3-step or "frank" method is fine too.
Flakes (or cut plugs) and medallions are usually folded and stuffed for me. But many chop them up into a cube cut and gravity fill. Also with flakes you want to go with a looser pack - it expands (horizontally) and fills the void pretty quick.
I do think this changes the way the tobacco burns (and therefore the flavour - depending on your cadence etc.) Rubbed-out or chopped flakes tend to burn more quickly.
Example: I was smoking some Doblone D'Oro the other day in a tiny pipe. Usually, I stack 3 to 5 medallions and fold them up / roll them a bit and stuff them. The chamber was so small I ended up with a bad pack that way.
In that instance, it was better to just rub out and do the 3-step or spiral fill.
I had a devil of a time early on with relights. I needed to dry a bit more but I think what really helped is I STOPPED trying all the "methods" - Frank method, Three step method... i just couldn't get it so now I just gravity fill and rap the pipe on a leather mat or pal of my hand to settle it, add more and repeat and then lightly and evenly press to make sure there is reasonable contact and that seems to work most but NOT ALL the time. Sometimes I have to relight a bunch and i try not to worry - bic lighters are cheap and i got much bigger problems to worry about. When get a bowl that requires only a couple relights I just it but I can't figure out why it happens when it does - lol