Why do tobaccos come in different forms, such as flake, plug, etc?
Most the “forms” are actually pressed tobaccos. Sailors started pressing their tobaccos so that it lasted longer during their long voyages. It was mainly for practical purposes. Also, pressed tobaccos were necessary for those to chew tobaccos. Plug would therefore seem to be the mother of pressed tobaccos. Also, miner used to take their twists when they were underground, since smoking was not allowed; they would then chew the tobaccos, keep the chew bits in their “hatband”, and then smoke it in their pipes when they resurfaced. The flexibility of pressed tobaccos such as plugs and twists (ropes) offered the possibility of partaking tobacco use in different ways, based on the circumstances (by chewing it or by smoking it in a pipe). Flakes have always been less demanding in their preparation than plugs and twist; they grew in popularity. However, they were still too cumbersome (at least for some) and hence the manufacturers started “rubbing out” or “breaking” the flakes before packaging
