In search of Bright Virginia Shag. Hello from the coast Maine.

[Matty]

As much as I would appreciate the offer to try such a coveted tobacco I have to decline as I would get into some pretty big trouble if I were to cause manufactured tobacco to come to me, I'd have to declare it and pay duties/taxes upon it. A kind offer but around here we all help each other, that's mainly what this site is about. Where I live drum is the only fine cut shag, or any form of shag at all to be had, nothing else even comes close to it's cut size.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Re: English shags & fine cut hand rolling Baccy's....

If you want a shag cut and lots of it get a Power Matic shredder. It'll give you a .8mm shred.
The Polish shredder made by Lucas (as discussed on this site) will also give you a .8mm shred but it is a manual machine ( that can be powered via a drill motor if you so desire).
The Polish shredder will give you nice long strands whereas the Powermatic cuts the strands as it shreds.

 

[Knucklehead]

Make your own blends:
http://wholeleaftobacco.com/American-and-Turkish-Tobaccos_c15.htm

Or select from these prepackaged blend kits:
http://wholeleaftobacco.com/Whole-Leaf-Tobacco-Blends_c17.htm

Or the sampler that DGBAMA posted.

My cigarette blend is 40% Virginia Bright leaf, 20% Burley, 20% Maryland, 10% Dark Air, and 10% Izmir or Prilep Oriental.
Layers of flavor, with nice nicotine throat hit, and doesn't bite the tongue.
You don't need a shag cut for a cigarette, the 0.8 shred of the Powermatic or some of the manual shredders is perfect for a cigarette.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Pipe tobacco isnt meant to be inhaled is it?

Not really but if it is all Virginia that it would be just like smoking a cigarette. Keep in mind that the "Pipe tobacco" that was being sold in bulk for roll your own was really cigarette tobacco. A few years back the government raised the taxes to insane rates for roll your own cigarette tobacco. To get around the big price increase the manufacturers re- labeled their cig tobacco as "Pipe tobacco". By doing this they didn't have to pay the insane taxes, making "Pipe tobacco" much more cheaper to sell than cigarette tobacco.

 

[deluxestogie]

Re: Ultra Fine shag...? Is it possible

I believe that the industrial method for producing fine shag starts with a firmly pressed block of de-stemmed leaf. The shag is produced by shaving the cross-section of the block with a razor-honed guillotine straight-edged blade positioned against the pressing (and automatically advancing) mechanism. FmGrowit (as I recall) posted a video link to the operation of a Japanese shag shredder in a factory several years ago. I'm unable to track down the post.

Bob

 

[Wilbur Coast of Maine]

When I became concerned about inhaling pipe tobacco's was after I noticed my lungs hurting from RYO pipe tobacco's & then I learned about casing's & topping's. Glycerin, Polyethylene Glycol, Acetaldehyde, etc... In the intrest of harm reduction, I would like to find the best %100 additive free ultra fine shags. If i have to blend create, shag & tin it myself.... "I'm on a mission from god"

 

[FmGrowit]

Here's the video DeluxeStogie is referring to, but this cut is much finer than a shag cut.

 

[Matty]

Well, I've never seen that video or manufacturing technique before. Dunno if it's finer than shag, the video is low quality. Finest cut I've ever seen is Drum, looks almost like human hair (doesn't taste or smell like it though).

 

[burge]

That is right up my alley. Dons lemon I talk to Doug at ryo magazine but it takes patience but tells you how they made it of course. I jut wet is almost soak it let it dry remoisten and let it dry then remoisten it again. I was out fishing on my way to Banff on a hot day and the sweating of the tobacco brought out the sugars. I remoistened it nd have even commented on the three castles taste.

 

[Wilbur Coast of Maine]

Hey burge, Thanks for the info. I will try this as well. Also if you would like to try a the best shag I've found as of lately! Robert MCconnell's Fine London 50gram Tin. Try to keep on the down low i posted on another site and the tins went "out of stock" for 6 months.... Wilbur

 

[burge]

Looks good the only other that would compare is Three Sails daughters&ryan tobacco. And to be quite truthful thanks for the info but I would rather shred my own. I was smoking Peter Stockebye and getting D&R tobacco but the shipping from one company stopped and could only get the Danish. My Uncle from New York vouged the gift but that ended Have you gotten any leaf yet? Lemon is good American flue cured is good but for some reason they don't blend well together. The lemon mixed 10=20% red leaf is good.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Well, I've never seen that video or manufacturing technique before. Dunno if it's finer than shag, the video is low quality. Finest cut I've ever seen is Drum, looks almost like human hair (doesn't taste or smell like it though).

The kizami is more fine than shag, actually.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Could you adapt a Teck shredder by adding three more blades, thereby halving the shred width?

 

[burge]

So did you get some leaf yet? I had some that was aged a year left in the bag and it was almost exact to Three Castles. Three Castles is aged by soaking it with water letting it dry then soaking repeating to process 5 or 6 times. The tobacco is allowed to retain its moisture While wet it is squished together so it ferments when it dries. I have even emailed Doug at ryo magazine telling him how to make some. Again I also like cdn players the real stuff and have found a blend for that as well. Players is a complex blend that requires the use of the competition.

 

[Wilbur Coast of Maine]

Hey Burge what kind of leaf? Was that... How did you cut, shred or shag the baccy? Ya i have purchased some leaf & also given leaf and samples from some of the awesome members here . Time is my enemy...! Winters here in Maine are long & cold so I'm trying to make hay while the sun is shinning... I'll probably will start in the fall with my baccy projects...

 

[burge]

You can grow baccy in Maine I know the weather. I am using Dons lemon leaf. The competition has a leaf as well but not as close. Three castles is made by soaking the tobacco letting it dry and having that process repeat it self. Ryo magazine is the source. I only did it once. but opened the bag filled it with water and waited 5 mins drained the water and let the baccy dry did it again and let it get to the proper moisture shredded it. Then put it in the can with the moistening strip. I had gone fishing on a super hot day and was staying in Banff so the heat sweated the tobacco and it was utterly amazing. Now on the new case I just left it in the airtight bag for a year shred it and it has the three castle taste as well

 

[burge]

I use the Powermatic shredder its not the long strands though. The best machine for that is Don's hand shredder the 109 dollar one.

 

[Wilbur Coast of Maine]

No don't grow Baccy here on the Coast of Maine. I Barely have time for a small garden & few flower beds... Summertime is when I make 90% of my income. I'd rather have some farm in Virginia or the Carolina's produce my leaf. Then ill cure, shred tin my own. Someday I hope

 

[burge]

Buy some from Don or Big boner. its cheap and you can have some good stuff and wondered why you ever spent money on prepackaged tobacco

 

[RyanM22]

Buy some from Don or Big boner. its cheap and you can have some good stuff and wondered why you ever spent money on prepackaged tobacco

I think Larry's ID is a bit more family-friendly. Searching the interwebs for the name you gave might net some non-tobacco results