tömbeki içmek = to smoke (tombac)

[leverhead]

This is something I've been planning for a while, I've started out today with more ambition than patience. So the plans have been cut down to fit in an afternoon.

The first thing I wanted was a flat topped bowl (Düz Lüle). I sacrificed a replacement bowl for my Hookah to make an assembly that should do what I want. It's not terribly pretty, but I think it will work (we'll see).



In a PM from istanbulin, he described the method for assembling the Tombac to the Düz Lüle.

1- Shred the tombac (filler) in 1 cm (3/8") width (not to waste the good leaves, don't shred the good looking whole leaves, select broken ones)
2- For wrappers, select good looking leaves, without mid-ribs and cut them in a strip approximately 4-5 cm (1 1/2 - 2") width
3- Soak them in water overnight
4- Squeeze the fillers well and put them in a towel to get the excess water. Then fluff them.
5- Get the fillers, align them (vertical to the lüle) give them a suitable shape like a cigar.
6- Put them on the lüle and start to wrap them with the wrapper leaves. (you already have the video)

In another exchange,

Q "In that video, at the end, the man puts a pin down through the middle of the Tombac. Is the bundle that tight that it needs an airway? Do you let it dry out any before smoking? I'm assuming a piece of charcoal goes on top."


A "Yes, the filler tobacco is generally very tight, because of this the man is using a pin to open a airway in it. Don't let it dry, just smoke it as soon as it is prepared. Of course, you'll need charcoal on it, put the the charcoal directly on the tobacco. There's an important point, prepared (rolled) tobacco can only be smoked at this time. Don't prepare too much otherwise it will go to waste."


Not knowing exactly what to expect for nicotine leaching out in the soak, I decided to use 10g of filler. That could be equivalent to 1/2 a pack of cigarettes. My lüle is about 1 1/4" (32mm), so the roll of Tombac will be short. I decided to cut the wrapper strips 1 1/4" wide.



The Tombac has been soaking better than an hour, the day is short, I'll try to post the rest before supper.

 

[istanbulin]

Very creative solution for making a flat bowl. Congratulations ! I'm looking forward to see the final state.

 

[leverhead]

I just received this link, it's in German, he's pretty much doing the same thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pX07ptMd_I

 

[leverhead]

Part II

Well, it works!

After the intermission, I wrung out the filler. Fluffed it out, cut it to an approximate length and rolled it up into an easier to handle bundle. Then I wrapped it onto the bowl, made an airway through the middle and stoked it up.




My observations

It smells kind of like a cigar, but not. I think it has something to do with the similar construction.

This was far easier to do than I feared.

There is still plenty of nicotine left! I need to learn how not to inhale or not as much, I need to be seated right now.

The taste is very mild, almost bland.

This is not a quick smoke, it's been going over an hour and it's not half gone.

I'm sure I'll come up with more later. In all, it's been a fun afternoon.

 

[Boboro]

Thats very different.

 

[deluxestogie]

Very clever.

Back in the early 1970s, when every drug store carried a selection of inexpensive pipes and cigar "bits," a friend purchased a rubber cigar bit. He made a hookah from a large flask. In place of a bowl, he attached the rubber cigar bit to the glass intake tube. Into this rubber bit, he inserted a King Edward Imperial cigar, which caused the rubber to droop downward in a rather obscene manner. After lighting the cigar, and puffing on the output hose--which drew smoke from above the water in the flask--the vacuum would cause the cigar to rise somewhat, only to droop downward again between puffs.

Your curious hookah experiment reminded me of that cigar hookah.

Bob

 

[leverhead]

It's funny, the things we remember. I hope you smiled. It's been an interesting afternoon. I need to remember not to inhale, it's too much tobacco for one person. If I do this again, I think I'll have some friends over to help me smoke it.

 

[wrigsted]

Now, it was clever! I look forward to smoke hookah with tombac, sometime in the future. If I do not find a place that has it on the menu, and I must try to do it myself, then your setup probably the way forward.

 

[istanbulin]

....
There is still plenty of nicotine left! I need to learn how not to inhale or not as much, I need to be seated right now.
....

A nicotine load This is why I told you to soak them overnight But, really good job ! You've really prepared a good tömbeki. I'm glad you enjoy it.

 

[leverhead]

This is why I told you to soak them overnight

Lack of patience got the better of me! I haven't had a buzz like that since smoking my Grandmothers Pall Malls! That was an old, long, unfiltered, stout cigarette. I'll try an overnight soak next time, maybe with more water. Then, maybe some other varieties of tobacco, even if it is a no-no. I thank you for your guidance!

 

[istanbulin]

... I thank you for your guidance!

You're welcome man, I did nothing. You've made the tömbeki

 

[leverhead]

I had the questions, you had the answers!

 

[leverhead]

Well I have my new toys too. At the beginning of the thread I cobbled together a Düz Lüle, now I have a real one. The one I made is only 1 1/4" (32mm) diameter and the nicotine kicked my butt. This one is nearly 2" (50mm) diameter at the top! It has a male fitting at the bottom, so I'll need to make an adapter to go male to male. This may be an all day smoke.

 

[istanbulin]

This amount of tobacco may last at least 3-4 hours.

If you smoke tombac regularly - which is impossible for a working person - you may need a "band of tombac" like in the photo below .


A view from a rural coffee house.

Photos taken from Anadolu Fotoğraf Dergisi

 

[leverhead]

The bottom picture reminds me of what a designated smoking area looks like here, if you replaced Nargile with cigarettes. At the link at the bottom of your post, the 14th picture down, it looks like some kind of a no-smoking sign on the wall. I guess nobody wants a couple of pounds of Tombac smoked indoors.

 

[istanbulin]

Actually yes, it's a designated smoking area since it's already banned to smoke indoors.

 

[leverhead]

I wanted to bring some holiday cheer with me to the Thanksgiving dinner. I brought some of this years Shiraz, Sun-cured, kilned and rested for about month and a half. It was stemmed and soaked overnight, I didn't want to repeat the previous mistake of having to sit down. I had tested this Shiraz previously, straight in a cigarette, it's stout! Blood may be thick, but I had dinner with some woosies. It was too cold outside for anybody to sit outside to smoke it with me. I smoked it in the comfort of my own home for better than two hours, I can see why this could be a popular pass time. I didn't have to sit down, I just wanted to.

 

[deluxestogie]

Yup. Woosies. I always smoke my cigars on my front porch, almost regardless of the weather. By the way, that mega-wad of Shirazi looks like one of my cigars, only shorter.

Bob

 

[MarcL]

This is a new bucket list item. ... Muy bueno!

 

[leverhead]

...By the way, that mega-wad of Shirazi looks like one of my cigars, only shorter.

Bob

Thank you! I've been keeping notes watching all of you cigar rollers, maybe I'll get a wild hair and roll something more reasonable in size. Next is the big league Lüle, I think I know what to expect now.