I am having trouble with my last couple ounces of grousemoor. The plug broke in half from top to bottom. I am using a pocket knife to cut flakes and then rub. My knife was sharpened but I can’t get thin flakes. Rubbed out this tobacco is producing a dozen or more relights and a very hot pipe. Any tips?
Many relights and a hot pipe sounds like its too moist or maybe packed too densely. Maybe let the rubbed out tobacco dry for a bit and then pack it loosely? I’m just a beginner though. Not sure what to do about cutting thinner flakes. Good luck!
Try using a sturdier knife like a kitchen/steak knife or a sharper flip out that’s a little bigger than a pocket knife.
I user a ‘Ulu’ knife. It is crescent shaped and has a very thin blade with the bevel only ground on one side. They’re made in the Pacific Northwest and are the best thing for slicing since sliced bread. It can cut near-paper-thin slices. Picture the letter D with a handle on the straight section…
@mouse interesting cutting tool. I’m tempted to buy two, one for the kitchen and one for other items. Plugs I suppose. Have you ever needed to sharpen one of those? One of those bowl ulu sets would be nice to have.
I just use a magazine for a cutting board and have only had to sharpen the knife twice in the last 10+ years. The metal is rather thin, maybe 1/16" and the bevel on mine is nearly 1/4" wide. A couple of swipes on a diamond hone puts a good edge on it. The beauty of the design is that a good deal of pressure can be exerted in a downward rocking motion without much effort and with lots of control.