AceFour's Notebook

Amateur pipe tobacco blending and pressing

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Wrapping Old Boy in Leather

Monday, Nov 25, 2024

If you are going to buy and IM Corona Old Boy, don’t buy a painted one. I got a nice blue Old Boy and then one day tossed it in my pocket with the keys. The paint chips and it started to look ragged.

My buddy Jamie at Stem & Briar recommended me to Sick Saddles . I finally jumped on this recommendation and wow, does Sick Saddles do nice work! He gave a wide selection of choices for the leather. Highly recommend

@ AceFour

1 minute read

Red Queen V

Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024

Scandinavian Tobacco Group purchased Sutliff Tobacco and they will be moving the operations overseas. When STG did this with Lane’s Tobacco they cut the tobacco line. Red Queen V was the first blend (well fifth iteration) I made with commercial components. Given it will be unknown if the components will be available after operation cease here in the USA, I am publishing the recipe. This is not to be confused with Red Queen Plug which is made from raw leaf tobacco that can be obtained from WholeLeafTobacco.com .

@ AceFour

1 minute read

Why do I not sell these blends?

Monday, Oct 28, 2024

For one, I am not a licensed tobacco manufacturer. To do so would require a one million dollar bond on raw tobacco storage and one million dollar bond on the blending room and keep meticulous records of poundage going in and out of each room. Uncle Sam wants his tax revenue!

But let’s say I can get someone to write the bond 15K a year. I take a lb of tobacco for $19/lb and make 7 two ounce flakes packages factoring in waste and stems and sell at $20/each. That is $140 - $19 - $1 (packaging?) or $120 profit. I would have to sell 125 lbs of raw leaf to product to break even or put it another way, 875 two ounce packages. This does not include building rental, or paying for a real press and slicer that is industrial. Believe me I am not going to be doing 125 lbs on a frame press from Northern Tool. After that then I can pay me? Thanks, I already have a day job. Now if some big blender wants to use my recipes, have at it. Just give credit where credit is due.

@ AceFour

2 minute read

2024 Halloween Plug Massacre

Friday, Oct 25, 2024

Decided to pull all the plugs I still have and flake them out. Plugs that I stoved in the oven were still moist and easy to slice. Plugs that stoved in a hot truck for 5 days was like trying to flake a 2 x 4. Ended up with a case of 16oz wide mouth Mason jars full of flakes. All the images below are straight Virginia’s except the last 2 images. Those are either Angel of Izmir or Basma Bastard.

@ AceFour

1 minute read

Basma Bastard

Friday, Sep 27, 2024

Happy little accidents! I tried to make 2 more Angel of Izmir plugs and when I pulled them they seemed small. Thinking back I actually forgot to add Izmir to the blend.

Head slap from Head slap

The end result is a pretty smooth smoke without the citrus of Izmir.

Blend for 140g plug

24.5% Latakia (43g)
20% Basma (35g)
35.5% Red Virginia (cased with Tonka) (62g)

@ AceFour

1 minute read

Red Ribbon Experiment

Sunday, Sep 22, 2024

At the CORPS pipe show we open a jar of Red Queen plug flake that has been sealed for 6-8 months. Boom ketchup! What happened here? My theory for a couple of months has been tobacco vinegar is what makes this famous smell. This jar of Red Queen plug is leading more in that direction.

What I think happened is the wet whole leaf perique kick started a secondary fermentation of the red Virginia. I’m no chemist so I may be talking out of my ass. But let’s try an experiment.

@ AceFour

2 minute read

2024 CORPS Pipe Show

Monday, Sep 16, 2024

Attended the show and my hats off to a great event by Conclave of Richmond Pipe Smokers club. They did a great event at the Keystone Museum

I got there Saturday morning and the folks were swarming every table in which I hope was a good sign for the vendors. I was able to pickup 2 Walt Hettinger pipes and some old McClelland and P.S. Navy Flake as well as the limited edition CORPS tin.

@ AceFour

1 minute read

Angel of Izmir (Balken)

Thursday, Jul 25, 2024

Blend for 175g plug

24.5% Latakia (43g)
20% Basma (35g)
20% Izmir (35.g)
35.5% Red Virginia (cased with Tonka) (62g)

Stoved while under pressure in the truck cab (about 130F) for a few days.

Update: 8/8/24

Sliced off a flake and smoking in the 1974 hallmark Pete. It the mark. The orientals are very forward. The citrus of the Izmir works well with the soft, floral Basma. Latakia is in the background.

@ AceFour

1 minute read

Monkel's Best (Virginia)

Wednesday, Jun 26, 2024

Monkel’s Best is basically a bright Virginia with two different casings. I strip 2 lbs of bright and half I case with blackberry casing and the other half with tonka bean casing. I have found it to age well after stoving under pressure for 4 hours at 200F

I have done a version with half lemon Virginia and half bright Virginia. It turned out very good as well. I like doing 2 lbs and after stripping I usually end up with four 175g plugs and I can do that all at once in the steel 2’ tube in the A-frame press.

@ AceFour

2 minute read

God of War - Red Virginia

Saturday, Apr 20, 2024

The Virginia experiment continues and several months later the Bright Virginia plug that is cased half with Tonka Bean and half Blackberry just keeps getting better and better. I wonder what Tonka would do for red Virginia leaf. Well here we are.

De-stemmed a pound of red Virginia and cased the whole thing with 2 ounces of Tonka bean casing. I let it rest for 24 hours and then pressing. After the de-stemming I ended up with two plugs about 175g each. Pressed for several days and finally stoved for 200F for 4 hours while still in the press.

@ AceFour

1 minute read

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About this site

AceFour’s Notebook is an independent publication launched in June 2023 by AceFour. “I don’t advertise, I don’t do affiliate sales, I don’t sell anything. This is for you, the pipe tobacco community.”