Just to clarify, I don't really think that there are small ones. Please correct me if you've seen them.

My regular American Buttercream was a bit thin. I thickened it too much, and the flowers were dry and flaky, awful. It needs to be just a bit thicker than normal,

Make white buttercream, Fill one piping bag and practice before coloring, so you can tweak consistency in the bowl. DO NOT have a table covered with a dozen piping bags and a bunch of custard cups with colored science experiments in them, like an explosion in an icing factory.

HAHAHAHahahahaha. Nope. Nope, Nope. 

I'm sitting here waiting  on some cakes to come out of the oven as I prepare to start working on one of the least attractive cakes I've been asked to do, and I started thinking about this thread. I know opinions are divided on the Russian tips, and obviously that's fine. I happen to be a fan of them, but I've realized over the last 40 years of caking that what I like or don't like doesn't really make much difference. When I sit down with a customer to talk about their cake, I approach it as a challenge. The customer is trusting me to create the cake they have pictured in their head. We talk, we look at pictures, we draw, and we discuss options until we come up with a final plan. Making flowers with Russian tips is just one of many techniques that I then might choose to create what they want. I don't always like what they want, but I figure it doesn't really matter if I like it or not. They are paying me to create an edible work of art for whatever they are commemorating. For example, the cake I'm about to start on is a replica of a wedding cake done in the seventies. It's for the couple's 40th wedding anniversary, and even they look back at it and laugh. However, it was important to them to have a close approximation of that cake as they celebrate 40 years of marriage. I guess my point is that I try to learn as many skills and techniques as possible so that when someone asks for something they have in mind, I have a wide variety of "tools" in my toolbox to make that happen. Just a thought...

Well said, jselle!  Well said!  I can remember times that I was asked to do cakes for friends that was not my favorite design.  But it was what they wanted and they were please with the results.  I guess that's what really counts. I usually take pictures of the cakes that I've done that I'm proud of.  Needless to say, those cakes didn't make the cut.  Hahaha.  I just hope they don't ask me why they don't see a picture of their cake in my portfolio. 

I see your point about not including your least favorite cakes in your portfolio. I thought about that, but then I decided to go ahead and post those bad boys right along with the ones I'm really proud of. For me, it all boils down to demonstrating that I'm capable of creating a wide variety of looks. And who am I to say that the cake that I look at and think, "Meh..." might not be the cake that catches someone's attention? I'm a high school teacher for my full-time job, and I've spent most of my 30+ year career in high poverty, low-income schools. We really have to focus on learning a variety of strategies and techniques as we have little in the way of resources to work with. I think of caking the same way -- I'm always up for learning something new, and the Russian tips are inexpensive and easy to learn, and with them I might just make the perfect cake for someone, whether it's perfect for me or not. 

What consistency should the icing be?

I have the best success with the same consistency I use to pipe roses or even slightly softer. 

@cake_delight  Although I haven't even used my brand-new Russian tips yet, in my extensive reading, most comment said "stiff"

Your icing should be stiffer than normal. If you are using an Italian or French buttercream, you can add some powdered sugar to stiffen the icing. I normally use Italian. If I don't stiffen the icing, the flowers begin to get runny fast. 

Watch Chef Alan Tetrault's video on using Russian Tips here

https://www.globalsugarart.com/using-russian-tips.html

They are awesome!!! I love them and they make the cutest flowers. 

I lucked out and got a 40 piece set off of Amazon on a lightening deal right before Christmas that came with 33 stainless Russian Piping tips, 1 three bag coupler, 5 icing bags, 1 regular coupler and a storage case. The ones that I got are very well made and I can't wait to have some time to try them out and play around. Even my teenage daughter is excited to work with them. I am also glad to be reading this conversation as it has given me lots of great information too and ideas. Hoping to get to use them soon for my mom's 76th birthday and will post pics if I do. They are still offering this set for 29.99 with Prime if you have it. 

thanks for posting the video. :)

I used my for the first time on Sunday.  They will take some experimenting with but the results weren't bad.[postimage id="6226" thumb="900"]

Thanks for letting me know that @someguy ‍ I think those look pretty. Did you use the wax paper method for the 2 colors?

No, I just placed the pinks on the outer side of the bag and the yellow in the center.  The russian tips work pretty well if you ask me.

Did you use a really stiff buttercream or what would you recommend @someguy ‍ ? Thanks for any tips. Hoping to use these for my mom's 76th bday cake on the 22nd. 

Still would work best. 

Stiff will work best.

Thank you ☺️

I REALLY want to try these on cookies using royal icing. Can someone tell me what is the smallest Russian tips out there?