What is a true navy flake?

[BryGuySC]

What makes a navy flake tobacco, “navy”?

Is it the addition of rum?
Is the the pressing of the tobacco?
Is it the blend?
I couldn’t figure it out, so I started researching.

Most are flavored with rum.
Most are aged under pressure.
Most are mainly virginia.
Some have cavendish, some have latakia, some have burley, some have perique. :confused:

I have not been able to determine if “true” navy flake should be a certain blend.

I’m trying to get together a decent sampling of navy flake tobaccos, so I can do a back to back to back (etc) comparison. I have a handful, and my next order will be as many other “navies” as I can find/afford.

Obviously, I’ll share my experience with the group!

Here's where I need your help:
Before I start this, do any of you more experienced smokers have more definitive info on navy blends?
What best exemplifies navy flake to you?
What is your favorite navy flake?
What are your “must try” navy flakes?

Thanks for your input!

[Tobias Lutz]

You should always wear an eyepatch when smoking Navy Flake- or at the very least have a parrot on your shoulder :)

One of my favorites is Escudo Navy Deluxe

[Emperor Zurg]

The label on the tin makes it a Navy flake. If it says 'Navy' on there and it's a flake, then it's a Navy Flake. Really.
You need to try the following...

As Tobias suggested: Escudo
Samuel Gawith Navy Flake
Newminster 400 Superior Navy Flake (pretty similar to FVF but cheaper)

On my list is PS LNF but I haven't tried it. I've enjoyed every navy flake I've tried tho.

FTR, I think Tobias Lutz is confusing Navy Flake with Pirate Kake.
AAArrrggghhh!! Me send 'im to Davey Jones!!

[Tobias Lutz]

FTR, I think Tobias Lutz is confusing Navy Flake with Pirate Kake.
AAArrrggghhh!! Me send 'im to Davey Jones!!

Would you rather dress up like this when you smoke it?

http://www.qnews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hello-Sailor.jpg

I'll take the parrot :p

[Emperor Zurg]

Would you rather dress up like this when you smoke it?


Those girlyboys don't even have eye patches...
Oh, and those are obviously Ennerdale smokers :p

[JustTroItIn]

PS Luxury Navy Flake is very good and nicely priced.

[BryGuySC]

PS Luxury Navy Flake is very good and nicely priced.

I agree. It is a good one.

I guess I should have included what I already have!
I currently have:
PS LNF
Escudo
Mac Baren Navy Flake

[Bruck]

What Zurg said re Navy Flake - kind of like "habano" cigar wrappers - it's what they call it, not necessarily what it is.
But generally you're right, VA predominant, pressed and sliced, rum casing.

To your list I would add Newminster Superior Navy Flake. Good stuff!

[PMR]

Those girlyboys don't even have eye patches...
Oh, and those are obviously Ennerdale smokers :p

I'm not sure if you all it Ennerdale...

Ps- once seen, you cannot un-see that. Thanks!

Thanks.

[NeverBend]

I feel that I'm gong to be too serious.

This is the story of how Navy Flakes evolved as I heard it told.

Tobacco, long ago, was sold sold wrapped in paper and tied with string.

At sea there was the problem of keeping it moist and protecting it from the salty air so thy would soak the paper in rum or other high sugar spirits.
Whiskey has been used too. I don't know that there's a specific model for Navy Flake, more like meatloaf, every mom makes it their own way but it's still meat loaf.

[Haebar]

From Wikipedia:

Navy Flake, Navy cut, Navy tobacco is a Burley leaf pipe tobacco. In colonial times sailors twisted tobacco into a roll and "tied it tightly, often moistening the leaves with rum, molasses, or spice solutions." Stored in this way the flavors melded. To smoke it a slice was cut, known as a "twist" or "curly". Eventually all twisted tobacco, and then pressed tobacco, became known as "Navy" "because of the convenience for sailors and outdoorsmen who favored its compact size "and long-lasting, slow-burning qualities."[1] Navy Flake tobacco is pressed into bricks and sliced into broad flakes.

[Rocket Scientologist]

Ah, Wikipedia. The definitive reference source for all things unreferenced.

[NeverBend]

From Wikipedia:
Navy Flake, Navy cut, Navy tobacco is a Burley leaf pipe tobacco. In colonial times sailors twisted tobacco into a roll and "tied it tightly, often moistening the leaves with rum, molasses, or spice solutions." Stored in this way the flavors melded. To smoke it a slice was cut, known as a "twist" or "curly". Eventually all twisted tobacco, and then pressed tobacco, became known as "Navy" "because of the convenience for sailors and outdoorsmen who favored its compact size "and long-lasting, slow-burning qualities."[1] Navy Flake tobacco is pressed into bricks and sliced into broad flakes.


Ah, Wikipedia. The definitive reference source for all things unreferenced.

Hi Haebar & RocketScientologist,

True, Wikipedia's great but sometimes the articles need to be questioned.

Thanks for the post, Haebar. I mean no offense by my following comments but it's a poor article that confuses rather than clarifies.

The author seems to have thrown together isolated items without understanding his subject, based it would seem, on two articles that are now dead links.

Ken McConnell is my source about how Navy Flake got it's name. Whether tobacco was previously flavored or not, the salt air would have damaged it without the wrapper having been soaked and the tobacco was slowly infused with the flavor. Navy men reputedly treated their tobacco this way and stored it in the ships hold, thus the term Navy. Navy came to mean a tobacco that was flavored with spirits (usually rum or whiskey). Ubiquitous use of flavorings is a rather modern trend but even as recently as 30 years ago in England it wasn't so common and Navy is associated with English tobacco.

Navy Flakes are spirit infused flakes. Navy Cut refers to a cut of tobacco that was convenient for seamen to pack. As a kid, I remember seeing Navy Cut on tobaccos that were shag, like Gawith Hoggarth Dark Birdseye. Navy tobacco is generally used for spirits infused tobacco and it doesn't have to be pressed. Obviously not all flakes or pressed tobacco was processed with spirits and that's why the term is only used on tobaccos that were processed this way.

A twist is a method of process and not a cut. Curly is a cut (slice of rolled tobacco), not a process.

Pete