POKER

Forks, pokers and packing tools

Two small tools make bowl prep easier. A fork fluffs and spreads the tobacco so it sits loosely and heats evenly. A poker pierces holes in foil. Some tools do both.

Which tool do you need?

• Simple forks (for example the Shishagear Stainless Steel Fork or Fork Steel 7 Silver): plain steel tools for fluffing and loading. The Shishagear fork is 15cm long.
• Design forks (such as the Hoob Fork, Alpha Hookah F*k Fork or Aeon Tobacco Fork - Carbon): the Hoob Fork is 14cm with a keychain hole and comes in colours like Bronze and Black, while the Aeon fork is real carbon.
• Handmade pieces (for example Werkbund or Maklaud): Werkbund forks and foil pokers are forged by hand in Russia, and Maklaud pokers such as the Merlin are brass set with a stone.
• Fork with poker (such as the Fumari Hookah Fork with Poker): a 3-prong fork that spreads the leaf without pressing it down, sized for most phunnel bowls, with a twist-off poker stored inside.
• Foil pokers (for example the Shishagear Hookah Foil Poker): made for piercing foil and nothing else.
• Phunnel stoppers (like the Aeon Phunnel Stopper with Poker): sit in the centre hole of a phunnel while you pack, so no tobacco drops through, with a poker at the lower end.

Handy extras turn up too, such as stainless steel scissors for opening tobacco packs or trimming foil, and the Darkside Work Board, which keeps its fork-poker on a built-in magnet.

Building a cleaner bowl

Prep on a packing board so loose strands are easy to gather. If you use foil, pierce plenty of small holes spread evenly over the bowl.

Questions

Do I need a poker if I use a heat management device?

No. A poker is for piercing foil. With a heat management device you need a fork to fluff and pack the tobacco.

Will the Fumari fork work in a phunnel bowl?

Yes, it is sized to work comfortably in most phunnel bowls.

Is a brass or hand-forged poker any different to use?

It does the same job of piercing foil or adjusting tobacco. The difference is mostly in the material, look and feel in your hand.