Need Advice on ‘Old Dark Fired’ tobacco

[shave/brush]

I’m new to pipe smoking and I have a question about smoking ‘Old Dark Fired’ tobacco. I just smoked a bowl and I burnt more stick matches than tobacco. I had a hard time keeping it lit.

I think maybe I packed it too tight. Also I break the sheets of tobacco up by pulling it apart with my fingers. I don’t know if there is a better way. Can anyone give me some advice on how to keep this tobacco lit? I spent more time lighting the bowl than smoking.

 

[OkieStubble]

I’m new to pipe smoking and I have a question about smoking ‘Old Dark Fired’ tobacco. I just smoked a bowl and I burnt more stick matches than tobacco. I had a hard time keeping it lit.

I think maybe I packed it too tight. Also I break the sheets of tobacco up by pulling it apart with my fingers. I don’t know if there is a better way. Can anyone give me some advice on how to keep this tobacco lit? I spent more time lighting the bowl than smoking.

I do tend to pack flakes much lighter then say a ribbon cut tobacco. I like to break up ODK and just let it do a gravity free fall into the bowl. It tends to expand during the initial light quite a bit. I find, gently packing it further down when I tamp while in the process of actually smoking the bowl, works better then prepacking it before the first light.

 

[Bakker1964]

Howdy . . . I'm new to pipes, but had my first bowl od ODF the other day, as well. I did exactly what you did in terms of pulling it apart by hand. I experienced a similar thing as you, too. Apparently, even though we "pulled it apart", it still expands when it warms up and burns during smoking. So, it's likely that, as it warmed/dried during smoking, that it also got more of a "tighter" pack to the bowl, requiring more relights.

As Okie points out, my next bowl will be a MUCH looser pack than the first.

 

[shave/brush]

So I guess you don't really pack it. Just gently push it in place. ???

 

[Bakker1964]

I would make small pieces, load it, and just tap the bowl to get it to sink down. Bit of a tamp when it gets to the top, but that's it.

 

[shave/brush]

I would make small pieces, load it, and just tap the bowl to get it to sink down. Bit of a tamp when it gets to the top, but that's it.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[shave/brush]

I do tend to pack flakes much lighter then say a ribbon cut tobacco. I like to break up ODK and just let it do a gravity free fall into the bowl. It tends to expand during the initial light quite a bit. I find, gently packing it further down when I tamp while in the process of actually smoking the bowl, works better then prepacking it before the first light.

I will give that a try. Thanks !

 

[Cracker]

First, the flakes are mostly too moist out of the tin. An hour drying time on a piece of paper is good advice IMHO.

I woundn't rip it apart, it's not pulled meat. I imagine that it messes with the air pockets between the tobacco.

MacBaren recommends the fold and stuff method

I personally tend to rubb them out in my palm until I have an aequivalent to a ready rubbed.

You also have to remember, that the cake from which the flakes were cut was under huge pressure for days, therefore it will expand massively when lit up.

And, like most MacBaren, the tobacco has to be carefully sipped very slowly and cool, not smoked like Carter Hall.

 

[shave/brush]

First, the flakes are mostly too moist out of the tin. An hour drying time on a piece of paper is good advice IMHO.

I wouldn't rip it apart, it's not pulled meat. I imagine that it messes with the air pockets between the tobacco.

MacBaren recommends the fold and stuff method

I personally tend to rub them out in my palm until I have an equivalent to a ready rubbed.

You also have to remember, that the cake from which the flakes were cut was under huge pressure for days, therefore it will expand massively when lit up.

And, like most MacBaren, the tobacco has to be carefully sipped very slowly and cool, not smoked like Carter Hall.

Thanks, this seems like a great idea. I can't wait to try it.

 

[Shawn1]

I like the Z method when folding flakes in order to get smaller piece to rub out. Fold the bottom 1/3 up then flip the flake over and fold the top 3rd down. Rub out to desired thickness. Or just fold and stuff like Per.

 

[Hirsute]

Tear the flake in half so you’re tearing across the strands of tobacco. Now tear each of those in half across so you have four pieces. Now rub those out fully. Spread on a plate or paper towel to dry for 30 minutes or so, fluffing it up and spreading it out every so often so it dries more consistently. When you pack, pack lighter than you think you should—the flake will expand as you smoke it, even when rubbed out. Take the smallest pieces and put them on the top of the bowl as kindling.

Another option, is to mix in a dry burley like carter hall, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of the total bowl. That’ll improved the burn.


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[shave/brush]

Tear the flake in half so you’re tearing across the strands of tobacco. Now tear each of those in half across so you have four pieces. Now rub those out fully. Spread on a plate or paper towel to dry for 30 minutes or so, fluffing it up and spreading it out every so often so it dries more consistently. When you pack, pack lighter than you think you should—the flake will expand as you smoke it, even when rubbed out. Take the smallest pieces and put them on the top of the bowl as kindling.

Another option, is to mix in a dry burley like carter hall, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of the total bowl. That’ll improved the burn.

Thanks for the tip. I will try that as well. I had no luck with the folding.

 

[RookieGuy]

Mixing it with other tobaccos is my favorite way of smoking ODF.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Fold and stuff never works well for me. Rubbing out, or at least partially rubbing out flakes gives me better results. After drying (duration varies according to how wet it starts out) and packing the first 2/3 to 3/4 of the bowl, I tend to rub what's left out a little further. This gives me a kind of broken flake load, with the top section as a fully rubbed out "kindling" of the same blend to help the bowl get started.

 

[shave/brush]

Fold and stuff never works well for me. Rubbing out, or at least partially rubbing out flakes gives me better results. After drying (duration varies according to how wet it starts out) and packing the first 2/3 to 3/4 of the bowl, I tend to rub what's left out a little further. This gives me a kind of broken flake load, with the top section as a fully rubbed out "kindling" of the same blend to help the bowl get started.

How do you rub this? Between your two hands as if you were rolling something?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

How do you rub this? Between your two hands as if you were rolling something?

I lay the flake/part flake flat on my palm, lay my other palm on top, and rub in a circular motion. I tend to do this vertically over a paper plate, and let the small pieces escape and fall onto the plate. Larger pieces left in my palm will be loaded first, what fell on the plate will be given a second rub if necessary, then used to top off the bowl.

 

[eaglesgift]

First, the flakes are mostly too moist out of the tin. An hour drying time on a piece of paper is good advice IMHO.

I woundn't rip it apart, it's not pulled meat. I imagine that it messes with the air pockets between the tobacco.

MacBaren recommends the fold and stuff method

I personally tend to rubb them out in my palm until I have an aequivalent to a ready rubbed.

You also have to remember, that the cake from which the flakes were cut was under huge pressure for days, therefore it will expand massively when lit up.

And, like most MacBaren, the tobacco has to be carefully sipped very slowly and cool, not smoked like Carter Hall.

I smoke HH Bold Kentucky and ODF like any other tobacco I've tried. Why do you say it needs to be carefully sipped very slowly?

 

[shave/brush]

I lay the flake/part flake flat on my palm, lay my other palm on top, and rub in a circular motion. I tend to do this vertically over a paper plate, and let the small pieces escape and fall onto the plate. Larger pieces left in my palm will be loaded first, what fell on the plate will be given a second rub if necessary, then used to top off the bowl.

Thanks again. Will try that.

 

[shave/brush]

I smoke HH Bold Kentucky and ODF like any other tobacco I've tried. Why do you say it needs to be carefully sipped very slowly?

It doesn't stay lit. I burn more matches than tobacco. You have to treat it differently.

 

[eaglesgift]

It doesn't stay lit. I burn more matches than tobacco. You have to treat it differently.

That's odd then - that's not been my experience.