Cigar Rolling Kit

[Sir Lancerolot]

The bigger the better. Go to your local Ross and buy the biggest they have. :-)

My scrap blends rolled up to probably 3x30 or so. Remember, all my cigars are rustic, so size is variable. And the scrap versions are even more variable.

[SoCal gunner]

Seriously, How did you learn to do this?

[Sir Lancerolot]

Seriously, How did you learn to do this?

Googled "cigar rolling" and found a few videos on YouTube, and also a few articles describing the process. After that it was a matter of practice. It's not quite rocket surgery - you kind of know how cigars go together and what they look like when done, so it doesn't take too much additional info to get started. It takes a fair bit of practice to reliably master the skill of booking the filler and rolling the binder and wrapper so everything draws and burns properly. Most of mine turn out OK from a draw/burn standpoint, and I've come up with a few blends that I really like.

[Bruck]

Awesome present, @rodwha !

If Dominican Seco is your only filler, you'll get pretty mild cigars but they will have excellent flavor. You might want to add in some viso and ligero to spice things up a bit

Re the rolling pin - I use a miniature baker's rolling pin to smooth out the subveins in the wrapper. Not always necessary, but the wrapper I use is CT Broadleaf which has pretty thick veins. Speaking of which, I always cut out and discard the main veins in all my leaves - filler, binder, and wrapper.

@Sir Lancerolot has good advice on moisturizing. What I do is give the leaves a slight spritz with distilled water and store them overnight in plastic grocery bags prior to rolling. For the wrappers, I give them a pretty good dampening so they're pliable and slightly stretchable when wrapping.

Regarding the use of scraps - I don't normally roll them into cigars - doesn't usually turn out well. I like to make pipe tobacco flakes and ropes with them.

[rodwha]

Thanks!

Hmmm... Maybe I need to pick up pipe smoking. I assume to shred or dice it for that application?

[Emperor Zurg]

Hmmm... Maybe I need to pick up pipe smoking.

Of course you need to take up pipe smoking.
It's got nothing to do with weather you make your own pipe tobacco or buy it in tins tho.

[rodwha]

Of course you need to take up pipe smoking.
It's got nothing to do with weather you make your own pipe tobacco or buy it in tins tho.

Always loved the smell of a pipe. And a pipe makes one rather dashing I hear.

[Emperor Zurg]

...a pipe makes one rather dashing I hear.

That's exactly right . Contemplative and intelligent too!

And in all fairness, there is the possibility of it making you a hipster, but if you still look at all like your avatar, there's no danger of that.

[rodwha]

That's exactly right . Contemplative and intelligent too!

And in all fairness, there is the possibility of it making you a hipster, but if you still look at all like your avatar, there's no danger of that.

No worries there then. I'm just grown greys and gotten uglier.

[Bruck]

Thanks!

Hmmm... Maybe I need to pick up pipe smoking. I assume to shred or dice it for that application?

That's actually what got me into pipe smoking (again - I had tried it in the early 90s but gave it up as I didn't know what I was doing and quit in frustration).

You could shred tobacco leaves and smoke them straight in a pipe, which some people do, and it's not bad but a little one-dimensional in my opinion.

Another thing people do is steam the leaves to make a plausible pseudo-Cavendish. I've done this with some success. Straight, unflavored Cavendish is pretty bland, but takes flavoring well and is a good component in other blends.

What I usually do is add tobacco scraps to a Virginia-based flake. Happy to share my recipes if you're interested. Here are some threads on flake and rope technique:

http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/the-do...lake-4658.html

http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/the-do...wist-1566.html

http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/the-do...lake-1392.html

http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/the-do...-19-a-908.html

I realize that the flake setup is somewhat elaborate, but it works Others on this board have produced some pretty respectable krumble kakes with less elaborate press arrangements (weights, clamps, etc.).

Making a rope is more within reach regarding equipment, but the technique is more challenging.

& of course, you don't need to make flakes or ropes; you could just cut leaves into ribbons and blend them with other tobaccos.