How do you pack your pipe poll

[haiku44]

I wonder what method y'all use to load your pipe. I know there is more methods for loading than I have energy to dig up so if you way isn't listed click other and also the method that is closest to the one you use. Since there aren't a huge number of people in the leaf, I think it would be coof if you tell us which method you use in a post too.

I'm sorry if you hate polls, but I've only seen a few in the brown leaf since I been here and thought I'd give it a try.

1) The Stuff and Puff Method
•Stick the pipe into a pouch or jar of tobacco and fill it by scooping the tobacco into the bowl with your fingers.
•Use your fingers to get the pressure right and light up.

2) The Three Step Method
•The first pinch of tobacco should be very small and placed in the heel of the bowl and applied with very little or no pressure at all.
•The second step is a slightly larger pinch of tobacco. The pinch is put into the bowl and a little pressure is applied pushing the tobacco to the half way point in the bowl.
•The third step is placing another pinch of tobacco in the bowl and using a little more pressure, pushing the tobacco down leaving a space of about 1/4 of an inch from the rim.

3) The Frank Method
•Gravity fill the bowl to the top.
•Work in a large portion of tobacco on top of it. Kind of like a plug.

4) The Air Pocket Method
•Grab a large chunk of tobacco and squeeze it into a clump using your thumb and first three fingers.
•Shove the clump of tobacco into the upper half of the bowl leaving the bottom half of the bowl empty.
•Force the tobacco into the bowl tightly but do not use excessive muscle to do so.
•While you are shoving the tobacco into the bowl, start twisting the chunk of tobacco into the bowl so that you are screwing it into the bowl.
•Screw the clump down deep enough into the bowl so that you will not damage the rim when you light the tobacco.
•Make sure that you do not push on the center of the tobacco.
•Remember that there should be no tobacco in the bottom of the bowl.
•Test the draw. If it is too tight, empty the bowl and start over.
•Light only the center of the tobacco making sure that you get it good and lit. The tobacco will burn outwards towards the walls of the bowl once it is lit.

5) The Two Step Method
•I gravity fill the bowl and lightly push it to the half way point of the bowl.
•I finish filling the bowl and lightly push it down to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch from the rim.

[haiku44]

I use the stuff and puff method.

[BigAlum]

I'm mostly a stuff and puff guy. Flakes, I fold and crumble in the bowl.

[Uncle Jackie]

Stuff and puff.

[Stevew443]

I smoke pretty much flake or broken flake, so I rub out the flakes and pretty much stuff and puff from there. It is kind of a modified 3 step stuff and puff method though.

[rickcharles606]

More of a 3 step than anything, but sometimes with flakes I'll fold and stuff with moderate success. Normally I'll rub it out and then do a 3 step type load, and have waaaaay better luck when doing that.

[cb91710]

I call it the "3 step method" but it's really more of a hybrid of Frank's and 3-step.

I'll gravity-fill the pipe, shake it down to settle it (more effective on some baccy than other), then pack it down and check the draw.
From there, I'll top off the bowl one, two, or three more times... whatever it takes to get the bowl as full as I am aiming for with the proper draw.

Also depends on the day of the week. Thursday and Friday commutes are horrible so I'll pack the bowl higher than earlier in the week.
Two Friends English Chocolate, I got a full 90 minutes out of the MM Country Gentleman a couple of days ago

[DC_MPA]

3 step everytime!

[oc_in_fw]

Stuff and puff

[73mountaineer]

My 2 step is actually a 3 step, but not as listed.

Fill bowl, pack to 1/2 way
Fill again, pack to 1/2 way between middle and rim
Fill again, pack to about 1/2 way of remaining 1/4 of bowl (just below rim).

I have yet to succeed at folding and stuffing flakes.

[Argonaut]

Two step, unless I fold and stuff a flake.

[haiku44]

Kinda regretting not adding a fold and stuff choice..

[nrdoty]

I use almost all of these depending on the cut of tobacco. I think my favorite is the Frank method. To me this works great with ribbons but if I am smoking anything short of a full bowl I have to go with the 3-step.

Also, has anybody ever used the reverse gravity method? I haven't used it a ton, but I have got some really good results with some tobaccos this way. For those that are unfamiliar with this:

1. Grab a large bit of tobacco (enough tobacco to fill the entire bowl & maybe a bit more) & set it in a somewhat loose mound in your palm.
2. Invert the pipe & bring it down right on top of the pile of baccy.
3. As you gently press the bowl onto the tobacco, swirl the bowl slightly in a single direction.
4. Flip pipe back over & lightly tamp of thumb the tobacco down for the first light.

In case you need a visual here is the original vid of this method:

[haiku44]

Sounds interesting. Bet it would work great for my smaller kirsten bowls. Big bowl is so big I'd have my hand almost completely full to fill it up.

I use almost all of these depending on the cut of tobacco. I think my favorite is the Frank method. To me this works great with ribbons but if I am smoking anything short of a full bowl I have to go with the 3-step.

Also, has anybody ever used the reverse gravity method? I haven't used it a ton, but I have got some really good results with some tobaccos this way. For those that are unfamiliar with this:

1. Grab a large bit of tobacco (enough tobacco to fill the entire bowl & maybe a bit more) & set it in a somewhat loose mound in your palm.
2. Invert the pipe & bring it down right on top of the pile of baccy.
3. As you gently press the bowl onto the tobacco, swirl the bowl slightly in a single direction.
4. Flip pipe back over & lightly tamp of thumb the tobacco down for the first light.

[nrdoty]

Sounds interesting. Bet it would work great for my smaller kirsten bowls. Big bowl is so big I'd have my hand almost completely full to fill it up.

When I'm on the go or at work I usually am using something like a smaller straight billiard so the reverse gravity spiral can work great. But a bigger bowled bent freehand with a rougher rim is the most difficult to use this method with. If your gonna try it with a big pipe, do so over a piece of paper/cloth so you can easily collect the fallout.

[chrissss]

stuff & puff

[MrDentini]

73mountaineer

's method, that is 3 step.

[haiku44]

Anyone ever even try the air pocket method?

[PugslyCat]

I hadn't thought much about it. I guess I do a three stage fill. A little goes in, but not so tightly packed as to cause problems drawing. I then fill up the pipe with loose tobacco, which compacts to about half a pipe. Then I top it off.

[COHunter]

My check for "other" was the fold and stuff for the flake. My Kirsten is a stuff and puff and most other pipes I use the 3 step method. Curious on the air gap and Frank method. I have big fat fingers so the Frank method may be the easier one for me to pull off!