Quote Originally Posted by Emperor Zurg View Post
These coins were folded into quarters and stuffed per this thread --> http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post17200
I can't argue with the @commonsenseman folding-and-stuff advice with flakes. I do it about half the time, however it took me almost a year of badly "smoking" Escudo to figure out how to smoke it enjoyably and, incidentally, finding nothing but ash at bowl's bottom - granted, I am very very slow.

Folding/stuffing flakes can be a real problem until you learn how to first prepare, fill, tamp and smoke the tobacco (of that flake) itself. All flakes are prone to expand (some a lot) when heated (sometimes very little). There is a lot of difference between the smoking characteristics of different brands of flakes, too. I suggest going back to MMoo Flake-Takes, square #1. Take a coin or two of LBF that is dry enough to fracture about 50% to 70% at the fold when you bend it in half; that indicates a fair moisture level for smoking LBF flake. Then shred the snot out of it - I mean tear it up until it is at least very stringy. Then take a wad worth about 1/2 to 2/3 of a bowl and gently stuff it in the pipe. Give it just enough compression to barely offer resistance to airflow, light it hard all over the top and, assuming it goes out pretty quickly, tamp very gently and refire.The difference between a good smoke and a terrible one with many flakes can be the difference of a gram or two of pressure with your tamper. Remember, until you really know the blend, a lighter tamp is always better than a firmer one. For those of us with years of experience it all seems like second nature but, the fact is, prepping and smoking flakes is a little like sliding down a razorblade.

Or, as @freestroke noted above, LBF might simply be poisonous to you. Jeepers, I hope not; LBF is a real pleasure to smoke once you know how to get it on.

Let me know how it goes, Zurgs.