Pressed Tobaccos and Flake Pipes

(Pipedia) Like a lot of pipe smokers out there, when I first started smoking a pipe, I opted for flavored tobaccos (Borkum Riff, for example) and later, thanks to master blender Hans Schurch, I was introduced to natural mixtures with Latakia. After a few years of total dedication to the Latakia baccy, I got a little bored and decided it was time to wade my way into different waters. So, naturally, I started to experiment with natural pressed Virginias in all their possible forms. Once I found my own technique and got over tongue bite and frustration with combustion, I never looked back. Continued

Image: Duke University Collection