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Turkish Video of Harvesting

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deluxestogie

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This link was posted on HTGT by Istanbulin. It may be of interest to members growing Turkish varieties.


It clearly shows leaf maturity and plant height at harvest, as well as the (apparently broadcast-seeded) close plant spacing. [Note the height of the plants in relation to the ~3 y/o boy who wanders among the plants.] The technique of rapidly stringing the small leaf (I believe it's Izmir) using a long needle is demonstrated. The video concludes with sun-curing arrangements. The whole family, kids and all, participate in the harvest.

The string sounds in the accompanying music sound to me like several Turkish saz, a wooden guitar-like instrument with a small pear shaped body and a long, often fretless neck, that allows the playing of quarter tones (notes that lie between those commonly heard in the Western music scale). The low tension on the strings of a saz lend it an almost bluegrass banjo quality.

Bob
 

leverhead

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Thank you for re-posting this! I thought my needle was too long and awkward, I was using it wrong. It looks like they put two needles worth between tie offs on the pole. They didn't show putting the string though, but that's not too hard to figure out. Simple people, lots of work. The internet can make the world a smaller place. I'll probably never get to go there, but this is close enough.

There's another shorter video after this one, row 2 column 3, they're putting the leaves on the needle in the field. It look allot like a modified oil dip stick. Tryout's for next year.
 

istanbulin

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I couldn't hold myself and I'm here now. Bob, you have an ear for music and you know saz (baglama). I was surprised. I'm playing it too.

leverhead, if you want to come here someday, Turkey welcomes you.
 

johnlee1933

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I couldn't hold myself and I'm here now. Bob, you have an ear for music and you know saz (baglama). I was surprised. I'm playing it too.

leverhead, if you want to come here someday, Turkey welcomes you.
And We Welcome You ! Nice to have another country check in. Do you or do you plan on growing your own tobacco? Can you add a general location to your profile? Like a nearby city or some such?

John
 

istanbulin

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Thanks John. I've Bucak tobacco which is derived from Virginia Bixi Bright tobaccos and cultivated in Turkey in 30s. This strain is no longer commercially growing here. Also I've TN 90 Burley (just three plants). Next year I'm gonna uncover my old seeds.
 

Irishhorsemaster

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A wonderful video of Turkish tobacco leaves harvesting and curing for sure. The whole family was involved in the job and they seem to enjoy it. Thank you very much for the video.
 

johnlee1933

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Thanks John. I've Bucak tobacco which is derived from Virginia Bixi Bright tobaccos and cultivated in Turkey in 30s. This strain is no longer commercially growing here. Also I've TN 90 Burley (just three plants). Next year I'm gonna uncover my old seeds.
It seems your growing season is the same as mine but a bit milder. How many plants to you have space for? We have folks from all over the world now so I have to check Google earth to find out the general climate. Our NZ guys are just getting ready to plant. Nobody from Australia yet but I'm hopeful.

Good Luck and if you need help just ask.

John
 

leverhead

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I couldn't hold myself and I'm here now. Bob, you have an ear for music and you know saz (baglama). I was surprised. I'm playing it too.

leverhead, if you want to come here someday, Turkey welcomes you.

I like to travel! I have a soon to be ex-wife that going to leave me broke, it's going to be a few good years to get going again.
 

oldsouth

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The strangest, most interesting (and among the best) cigars I've ever had was a dry cured cigar made by Acid, called the Millhous. It had a picture of Richard Nixon on the band and I was told it was made from Turkish tobaccos. I know Acid does lots of strange flavorings, but does anyone know what tobaccos it could have been made from? The only clues I can give is that it was medium bodied, medium brown and remarkably floral - almost like patchouli or some kind of incense.
 

Jitterbugdude

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Those leaves are so tiny and lightweight you could probably use anything for a sqewer- even real wooden sticks. Here's a secret for all of you. I have a Puerto Rican friend in his 60's
( that's not the secret though). He told me of helping out in the tobacco fields when he was a kid. The women would use long needles to string the tobacco. For the needles they took apart umbrellas, flattened the tip and..... whalla!
 

leverhead

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While not quite as long the springy "teeth" of a commercial street sweeper are the perfect size and the steel is phenomenal.

Two problems: They are short ~ 12" and drilling and smoothing the hole is a bitch. I haven't tried annealing it in my forge or working it hot but may give it a try.

John


I was re-watching that video several times last night, the needle may not have a hole in it, it might be a notch like a crochet hook. That could be ground in with a motor tool and a cut off wheel. If you watch that video again, at about 8:20, see what you think.
 

johnlee1933

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I was re-watching that video several times last night, the needle may not have a hole in it, it might be a notch like a crochet hook. That could be ground in with a motor tool and a cut off wheel. If you watch that video again, at about 8:20, see what you think.
I watched it several times and don't see what you describe but a notch makes good sense to me. Quicker and easier to insert the string (and make).

John
 

leverhead

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At that point in the video, it was right after a title screen, it looked to me like he was passing a loop over the point end of the needle before he pushed the leaves down to expose the butt end of the needle. Then he put the leaves and needle on his lap or the floor (below frame) and pulled the needle and string through. It's picking nits, I think that one family had more plants growing than the entire amateur crop in any given year.

There were other videos that I watched last night that were interesting also. One of them showed a tray that held the leaves while a manual machine pushed a long needle though the whole tray at one time and then withdrew it with the string attached to the point. I'll chase down the separate links and post them soon. cool stuff for tinkerers.

Steve
 

istanbulin

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I was re-watching that video several times last night, the needle may not have a hole in it, it might be a notch like a crochet hook. That could be ground in with a motor tool and a cut off wheel. If you watch that video again, at about 8:20, see what you think.

I draw the shape of the " şiş " (shish). It's a big needle with a notch at the end.

 

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leverhead

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That's it! I was thinking the point is at the same end as the notch, I was wrong. Now I need to find something to make them from.
 

johnlee1933

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That's it! I was thinking the point is at the same end as the notch, I was wrong. Now I need to find something to make them from.
It certainly could be. It's just a difference in procedure i.e. push on and thread continuously or push on a bunch and then retract. The former would allow you to keep stringing as many leaves as you wish. The latter would allow a base of some sort to support to push against.

In an earlier post the rib from an umbrella was suggested and I think it would work well tho I haven't tried it yet.

John
 

Michibacy

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I wonder if a hunk of threaded or non-threaded rod would work just as well. put it up in the vice and use a hack saw to slowly make that notch. Take the other end to a grinding wheel to sharpen it. It might be a little bit less flexible which I imagine would be beneficial when stabbing some thicker stems
 

istanbulin

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There is one more tobacco aline video from Samsun. First harvesting, then aligning with hand finally aligning with a simple machine.

[video=dailymotion;xms2jj]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xms2jj_2008-tutun-kyrma-ve-dizme-goruntuleri_news[/video]
 
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