Thread: roll your own cigarettes

I started to roll'em at about 10 years old. Never thought the skill would come in handy, but it did. Now, at 56 I have been buying smokes for a long time. If there were tobacco that suited me Id probably go back to rolling. I pay $22 a carton for off brand.

I haven't smoked cigs in a long time, and can't stand the smell, but I do smoke a pipe on occasion. This past Halloween I dressed up like like Hunter S. Thompson, and needed some smokes. I bought some Gambler tubes, and stuffed some of my favorite pipe tobacco. On Halloween I was hanging out with my shaved head, puffing on these wonderfully smelling cigs. Now I roll a pack for camping/ fishing trips.

I used to smoke roll-ups at university but have kicked the habit now.

I have been rolling my own smokes for a few years now. I hand roll personally, and I buy my tobacco from Custom Blends It's all natural, additive free farm fresh tobacco. The product is FAR superior than pouch or tin tobacco, their prices are great (includes free papers or tubes of your choice) and the service is outstanding!

I recommended them on forum that I am a moderator on, and someone who ordered put a link to the thread in the comments section of their order. Well, that person was contacted, and given a coupon code to freely distribute to the other forum members.

No, I don't have any connection with Custom Blends if that's what you are thinking, well... Other than that I truly enjoy their superior product and service.

They have sample sizes of their product as well, so give it a try. Also, if you smoke a specific brand of smokes right now, look in the product description, because they will often put what that specific blend tastes most like...

Hi All,
I've been rolling my own since 1973, and kinda fell into it by accident. I'd been traveling in Europe for a number of months, having quit smoking anything at all about a year previous to my trip. Yeah, even though I DID enjoy Amsterdam quite a bit, I wasn't smoking ANYTHING at that time. Hehe, timing's everything.
Anyway, I decided to restart my habit in mid travels, but the country I was in at the time only had some nasty local brands available. Actually, I meant to say the town I was staying in.....not the whole country. This was a tiny place on the southern coast of Crete, and no 'Lucky Strikes' were available for purchase. No, these brands had very dry (Turkish I'd imagine) tobacco that tasted.........tasted differently than what I wanted.
Luckily, I ran into some German tourists who all rolled their own. They introduced me to the pleasure of fine Dutch shag cigarette tobacco. The rest is history, and I'm still using variations of the same kind of blend. No, I can't even begin to smoke what I used to as a kid......the stuff was black and unmixed with any bright tobacco at all. This was from a well known shop in Chicago called 'Up Down Tobacco Shop'. The blend was called 'Lupe's Smoke Out', and was offered by a woman who owns the store. Hehe, she's still there, matter of fact. Whew.......that stuff tasted amazing! Instead, I'm smoking lighter shags, and they suit my tastes now. Bali Shag 'Light', and Peter Stokkebye 'Amsterdam Shag' have been my favorites for a while now, and I'd recommend giving em a shot.
The other thing that I find interesting is the rolling papers people use. I'd guess that more than a few of the readers are used to having their smokes go out after a minute or two without puffing. They may need to be relit 2-3 times, and there's reasons for that type of action. Thinking back, how many of you can remember a smoke burning all the way down by itself after being forgotten in an ashtray. Not very often for most of you I'd think.
So, it's the lack of chemicals added to these rolling products that causes this to happen....nothing to help the tobacco burn easier. Hehe, some of you nodding your head? Well, let me offer this up, and keep in mind this is only my own observations. Believe as much or as little as suits you....heh.
Some papers taste differently than others. Well, maybe taste isn't quite right, although that's part of it. Papers can add to the harshness of a smoke, and they can also 'flavor' or alter the taste of the cigarette through that harshness, if that makes sense. They can also make it possible to have almost zero flavor added, since these papers are 'invisible' when used. By that, I mean they don't get in the way of the tobacco flavor.
Now, getting back to the butt going out issue, and my observations. For those of you with that problem.........try another paper. The thin papers I've tried have suffered from the same problem...the smoke goes out too often. Try a thicker paper and watch the magical results. That stuff about the chemicals? Try another paper and then see how you feel about that.
My favorites are the GREEN 'Mascotte' brand. Made in France with three different thicknesses. That translates into different burn rates, and the green ones are great! Can't taste those at all.... VERY mild papers that burn excellently. Unfortunately, these guys are pricey, and and can be tough to find. However, I have an option to at least see what I'm talking about. Stop in someplace and buy a package of Tops papers. Yeah, the yellow packs of 100. Twist one up........I mean, try rolling a cigarette and lighting it. I know, I know, it may seem a little heavier than you're used to, and may seem a little harsh, but watch how your cigarette burns. I use those when I run out of the Mascotte, which is often.....heh. Not a bad fall back paper and easy to find. Keep in mind those Mascottes have no harshness and burn as well or better than the Tops. Plus, with either of those papers, you end up with something that actually looks like a cigarette.
Jeeeez, I think I've said enough here. I hope some part of this epic post may help a few members in some way. Remember, that like shaving, this subject can be tweaked as far as you wanna go......heh.
Martin

When I smoke, I roll my own too. I prefer pipe tobacco to cigarette tobacco myself. It can be a little tough to roll comparatively, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy.