Packing Mats & Boards

A tidy place to prepare your bowl

Packing a bowl is messy work. Molasses drips, loose tobacco falls and wet parts need somewhere to dry. A board or mat gives you one spot for all of it and keeps your table clean.

Boards for packing

A packing board is a flat work surface for mixing and filling. Look at the material and any extras, for example:

• Kong Tobacco Packing Board: solid pine, hand painted and varnished so liquids do not soak into the wood or damage the paint. Designs such as Godzilla add some character.
• Wookah Walnut Board: natural walnut with a magnetic bowl holder you can fit or remove, so the bowl stays put while you pack it.
• Darkside Work Board With Fork Poker: a work board with a built-in magnet that holds the fork-poker, so your tool is always to hand.

Mats for drying

• Drip mats: the Aeon Drip Mat has an anti-slip underside and notches that collect dripping water, and it can go in the dishwasher.
• Studded silicone mats: the Darkside Anti-Slip Drying Mat, for instance, has round studs that let air flow under your bowls and parts and catch the excess water.

If you wash your bowl and stem after every session, a drying mat is the one to start with. If you mix flavours or pack by hand, a board makes more difference. Pair either with cleaning brushes so your parts are clean before they go down to dry.

Questions

Can I use a board for a phunnel bowl and a multi-hole bowl?

Yes. A board is a flat work surface, so any bowl can sit on it. A magnetic holder, like the one on the Wookah board, simply helps keep the bowl steady.

How do I clean a wooden packing board?

Wipe it with a damp cloth and dry it straight away. Varnished boards like the Kong resist liquids, but they should not be soaked.