back-words... how to roll your own...

Thursday, September 14, 2006
how to roll your own...
i found this online and while part of it was informative, i thought part of it was so damn funny i had to share. "now it will really start to look like something smokeable" (lmao)

How to Roll Your Own Cigarettes

There are two methods to rolling the perfect smoke…. The traditional hand rolled method—which may take a little practice, but is time tested and easy to do, or by using the more automated home cigarette rolling machine. Both can create the "just right" smoke you are used to—smooth, satisfying, with the benefit of costing a whole lot less.

Roll Your Own Cigarettes or Make Your Own Cigarettes BY HAND!

This process is a time-honored tradition, harkening back to the days when smoking was in its glory days—roaring 20s, Hollywood—in fact, it almost marked a rite of passage into adulthood. Everyone smoked, and many rolled their own. Rolling your own is easy. Whether you roll by hand or by machine, it takes just a few steps to make a cigarette that costs around 7 cents a smoke and is a whole lot fresher and more satisfying.

Begin on a flat surface. Cigarette papers are made with folds and when opened create a dish to put the tobacco into. Open your paper. You will notice a glued edge (to seal the cigarette) after it's open. Position the glued edge furthest away from you, facing in.

Pinch out a small amount of tobacco. To start, this may be a little hard to judge, but as a guide, start with a little less than a tablespoon. You can always add more or less, depending on how you like the smoke. Lots of tobacco, very packed is hard to draw, too little tobacco or very loose and you will be sucking air. Experiment…experiment.

Place the tobacco in the paper. Spread it out evenly, end to end, and let it extend out about half an inch on either side. Then, begin rolling. Try to roll evenly. This may take a few cigs to get just right, but if you tend to always squish it in the middle, just compensate by adding more in the middle. Or, if you tend to squish it at the ends, just add more there. Soon, you will have mastered rolling an even cigarette.

Roll your cigarette. Carefully pick up your fledgling cigarette in both hands—two fingers on the far side and thumbs on the side closest to you. Position your hands in a 45 degree angle, without touching fingertips. Begin lightly packing your tobacco into shape by rolling the front fold of your paper up and down with your thumbs. Do this just a couple of times as you don't want to over pack it. You just want to form it into a cylinder shape.

Roll the paper over the cigarette. This can be the trickiest part, but begin by rolling your thumbs downward until the edge of the paper is close to your cylinder of tobacco. Then, use your thumbs to roll it over the top of your cylinder and start to roll it up. Now it will really start to look like something smokeable. Continue rolling, fairly tightly until the top half inch, where the glue is, is exposed.

Seal it. Lightly moisten the glued edge—not too much, or too little. You want it to stick. Let it set for a moment, and you've got a great little cigarette. Pinch off the excess tobacco sticking out of the ends and throw it back into your pouch. Then, if you want to get fancy, choose the best end to smoke, and with your fingernail, bend in the very tip of the cigarette paper. This creates a little rim to keep the tobacco in, and makes the cigarette a little more stable.

Keep in mind that the first attempt might not look like much, but within a few tries you will master the skill, and you are on your way to rolling your own smokes that rival any of the commercial brands out there. In fact, your own rolled cigarettes will probably be fresher, better tasting, with a whole lot less chemicals. Savor!



Roll Your Own Cigarettes—Using a Cigarette rolling machine

Cigarette rolling machines or kits can make the task of rolling your own cigarettes much faster and easier. The basic concept is the same, regardless of manufacturer. You begin, usually by using cigarette tubes (with filters or without) and you simply fill the machine's chamber with tobacco and push it into the cigarette tube. They can be as simple as manual units, with little plungers to push the tobacco into the tube, or they can be made of wood or steel and will have little mechanisms to inject the tobacco into the tube. Either way, they will all work. Kits are great as they have everything you need to make several packs of great tasting smokes. Keep in mind that it takes a little practice, but the rewards are a much cheaper smoke, more tailored to your tastes, and often much fresher.

Rolling your own cigarettes has been largely a thing of the past. But, with the costs of commercially made products that are subject to taxation, going thru the roof, and customers having to pay upwards of $70.00 a carton, the art of rolling your own is really making a comeback. Try it! You'll save money, have fresher, better smokes, with very few additives.