Buy Tobacco Leaf Online | Whole Leaf Tobacco

Smoking Dokha through a Medwakh

Status
Not open for further replies.

Michibacy

Northern tobacco grower
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
1,560
Points
63
Location
Michigan
I haven't seen a lot of these around, in our middle east areas I've seen a few shops that either had someone smoking one or one for sale. I'm more interested in making my own. I'll keep ya'll updated if I end up doing it.

A quick lesson:

The Medwakh (or Midwakh) (pronounced Mid-wock) is the specific style pipe the tobacco is smoked through. A small bowl, usually only 1/4" or so deep. loosely packed supplies a quick smoke.

The Dokha (prounounced Doe-kuh) is a coarsely ground Rustica tobacco mixed with herbs, sometimes flowers or bark as well to make a STRONG hit.

now, I'm not a nicotine junky, I'm more of a flavor with a kind and gentle hit kinda guy, so I'm thinking of making my own with with lavender flower (dried), xhanti yaka and a touch of mullein.

I'm interested to know if any of you have ever tried/used this product, especially folks from the eastern areas (though we only have a limited few).

800px-Midwakh.JPG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Midwakh.JPG#mediaviewer/File:Midwakh.JPG
 

Desertpipe

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2014
Messages
85
Points
0
Location
New Mexico
Yes, I have a medwakh and a small selection of dokha in my tobacco cellar. I found the nic hit to be very strong, and the research into the shape of the medwakh showed that they were intended to be a hand weapon.....something that I did not know. This is not a tobacco that I am drawn to often, but is an interesting part of my exploration into the tobaccos of the World.
 

webmost

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
1,908
Points
113
Location
Newark DE
Golly day. The useless trivia you learn in the innernets. Wow. Fi told Bearswatter I was smoking dokha thru a medwakh I'd be sleeping cross the hall.
 

webmost

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2013
Messages
1,908
Points
113
Location
Newark DE
Next time you get dokha in your medwakh, try Gold Bond, or wear cotton.
 

Michibacy

Northern tobacco grower
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
1,560
Points
63
Location
Michigan
Usually I don't like rabbit trails in conversations but that thar's funny!
 

Michibacy

Northern tobacco grower
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
1,560
Points
63
Location
Michigan
Yes, I have a medwakh and a small selection of dokha in my tobacco cellar. I found the nic hit to be very strong, and the research into the shape of the medwakh showed that they were intended to be a hand weapon.....something that I did not know. This is not a tobacco that I am drawn to often, but is an interesting part of my exploration into the tobaccos of the World.


Any tips on materials to make the pipe from? The commercial ones I've seen are made out of wood (obviously, though I'm unsure what species) and the bowl liner appears to be a brass bushing available at most local hardware stores.

I won't be drawn to this tobacco often either, but some friends I hang out with don't like to smoke a lot, not even a cigarette's worth, so perhaps a small bowl of flavorful tobacco would fit the bill.
 

Desertpipe

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2014
Messages
85
Points
0
Location
New Mexico
Given the small bowl size, I would think that any non-aromatic wood would do, preferably a hardwood.

The bowl is only lined around the rim and halfway down the bowl interior. Mine is a SS liner.
 

Michibacy

Northern tobacco grower
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
1,560
Points
63
Location
Michigan
My coworker has some dimensional 2x4 rough cut aged oak he said I could have, think that'll be a good block to shape from?
 

DirkReids

Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2014
Messages
17
Points
0
I haven't seen a lot of these around, in our middle east areas I've seen a few shops that either had someone smoking one or one for sale. I'm more interested in making my own. I'll keep ya'll updated if I end up doing it.

A quick lesson:

The Medwakh (or Midwakh) (pronounced Mid-wock) is the specific style pipe the tobacco is smoked through. A small bowl, usually only 1/4" or so deep. loosely packed supplies a quick smoke.

The Dokha (prounounced Doe-kuh) is a coarsely ground Rustica tobacco mixed with herbs, sometimes flowers or bark as well to make a STRONG hit.

now, I'm not a nicotine junky, I'm more of a flavor with a kind and gentle hit kinda guy, so I'm thinking of making my own with with lavender flower (dried), xhanti yaka and a touch of mullein.

I'm interested to know if any of you have ever tried/used this product, especially folks from the eastern areas (though we only have a limited few).

View attachment 11075

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Midwakh.JPG#mediaviewer/File:Midwakh.JPG
Never heard about Midwakh.. It sounds so exciting.. I will gather some more details and get these pipes ASAP..
 

DonH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
1,609
Points
0
Location
Massachusetts
I got ahold of some Dokha recently. I hadn't heard of it (or forgot about reading this thread) but one of my son's friends (who really like mine and WLT tobacco) told me about it. So I looked it up and became intrigued. I think it may become a bit of a craze, if the young people are into it. I saw several people smoking it when I was in England last month. Some of the vape shops here sell it. I got the starter kit from an online retailer of it which came with a dokha pipe and tried it out. It's really nice.

Basically, from what I can tell, it's desert-grown Rustica that is sun cured. Since it's in the desert the sun curing is probably instantaneous, it doesn't lose much nicotine and dries green. It has a nice flavor though. I of course got the unflavored kind, they offer all kinds with flavoring. It comes in three strengths, hot, warm, and cold. I got warm. One or two puffs on the small pipe is like smoking a whole cigarette, basically. It's definitely the strongest tobacco I've smoked.

I think it may come in handy this winter when it's ten below and I have to go outside to smoke. Doesn't take long.

I didn't grow any Rustica this year, but I think next year I may try to reproduce this by growing some Rustica in buckets with lots of nitrogen. I always had trouble color curing Rustica anyway, so knowing it tastes good green makes it easier.
 

Smokin Harley

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
2,573
Points
48
Location
Grant ,Alabama
Im guessing given the shape and shallow bowl of the ones pictured, the material could be of some kind of antler. Indian One-hitter?
 

SmokesAhoy

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
2,686
Points
0
Location
VT
I don't know who says tobacco is good green, but either they don't know better or they haven't tried it. There is a reason so much time and effort is spent on processing, without it it is downright foul.
 

DonH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
1,609
Points
0
Location
Massachusetts
I don't know who says tobacco is good green, but either they don't know better or they haven't tried it. There is a reason so much time and effort is spent on processing, without it it is downright foul.
I say Rustica is good green. It's a whole different animal. Don't judge until you've tried Dokha! I wouldn't smoke green Tabacum to be sure. I think they cure it that way to preserve maximum nicotine.
 

DonH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
1,609
Points
0
Location
Massachusetts
Im guessing given the shape and shallow bowl of the ones pictured, the material could be of some kind of antler. Indian One-hitter?
The cheaper ones are made of wood with brass bowls. The more expensive ones, around $90 and up, are made with finer woods or camel bone.
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,931
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
My experience with N. rustica is limited to growing Sacred Cornplanter. This variety has a fairly well documented provenance that traces back to Chief Cornplanter's [died in 1836, in northwestern Pennsylvania] ceremonial tobacco.

It color-cured to a grayish green. The taste and aroma were tolerable (if I were forced to smoke a small amount of it for a ceremonial obligation), but not something I would willingly smoke. I kilned some of it--same taste. After two years in the shed, its color had taken on more of a gray-brown. It tasted pretty much the same, though less raw.

I put all of it into a Perique press, and pressure-cured it for 3 months. It came out a nicer brown color, but still had that distinct "cat urine" aroma hiding in the background when smoked. I then placed the 2-year color-cured, 3-month pressure-cured Sacred Cornplanter into my kiln, where it remained for a month.

Now...only now, would I consider it marginally acceptable as a pipe tobacco.

When the early Virginia colonists first began to export tobacco to England, nobody in England would buy the stuff. The Virginians were growing N. rustica. But, as soon as Orinoco tobacco (N. tabacum) was introduced into Virginia, tobacco export became a source of wealth.

I suppose what that history tells us is that N. rustica, in tiny amounts, is appropriate for occasional ceremonial use (i.e. not too awful), but does not offer the smoking pleasure that most of us have come to expect.

In eastern Europe, and in Russia, it is common to blend N. rustica into cigarette blends, in order to boost the nicotine content. But, if you've ever smoked one of those cigarettes, you can understand why those brands never displaced western European and American cigarettes.

Bob
 

DonH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
1,609
Points
0
Location
Massachusetts
Well, don't knock it till you tried it. But I wouldn't recommend it to pipe or cigar smokers or anyone who smokes less than a pack a day of cigarettes. The nicotine in one puff would knock you out.I've always liked the taste of Rustica I've grown. If it weren't so unproductive I'd grow more.
 

DonH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
1,609
Points
0
Location
Massachusetts
You might check out POGreen's grow log from 2014 (http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/3995-POGreen-s-Grow-Log-2014). His N. rustica was prolific. I don't recall the variety. He uses if for making snus. Due to personal reasons, he is not actively posting for now.

Bob
Yeah, I've seen people do it on here so it's possible. That's why I'm thinking of growing some on containers next year so I can give them more attention. They flower like crazy so I think the secret is keeping up with picking the flower buds off.

I remember POGreen came down with an illness. PO, if you're reading this, I hope you're doing well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top