How to Hand Roll a Cigarette with a Filter

If you like to smoke tobacco or something else, you might already have a little bit of knowledge when it comes to rolling cigarettes. I have written this article for those that do not know how to properly hand roll a cigarette and those who are trying to improve their skills in this field.

Now, there are a few things you will need before beginning the process.

Tobacco

There are so many different types of rolling tobacco, but I suggest a premium brand like Drum or Bali Shag. You should buy a pouch of your brand of choice, here in the United States a pouch of Drum tobacco can range from $4.00-$10.00. Essentially, the tobacco you choose if all about your preference and what you like to smoke, so try a few out and find out for yourself what you like.

Filters

Filters, tips, crutches, and roaches are just a few of the many names given to the small piece of papers that is used at the end of your hand rolled cigarette. This is nothing more than a piece of paper, but you will soon find out that the thickness of the paper actually matters quite a bit if you wish to roll consistent cigarettes. There are actually brands that specialize in making tips, such as Zen. This is basically a small booklet of paper with perforation for convenience. My favorite way to make a filter tip is to take an index card, and cut out a small rectangle, no more than an inch long, and roll it up 20 or so times in my fingers, back and forth, so it stays. Index cards are really cheap and they are, in my opinion, PERFECT for rolling cigarettes with. You want to have your filter really thin, and I would recommend folding the end of the filter over once, and then rolling it up, to prevent any tobacco from getting through the hole and into your mouth.

Papers

Next you need some papers. I will recommend my favorite brand, which is king size Smoking Masters in the silver package. These papers burn the slowest and most even out of the three-hundred or so different papers I have tried. Also, they are really not harsh on your throat whatsoever.

These materials should cost you about $8-10 all together, and you will be able to roll about 50 cigarettes.

The Technique

Start by getting a pre-rolled filter, pouch of tobacco, and one rolling paper. Make sure the shiny part of the paper is facing you and right side up. Insert the filter into the right side of the paper if you are right handed. Put your filter in so it is hanging off the edge of the paper a little bit, this will save us time later. Now it is time to put the tobacco in the paper so we can roll it up. You can use your pack of papers as a scooping device, as it is the perfect length to put tobacco in the paper with. Once you have some tobacco in there, we can start rolling. I want to emphasize that thumbs are really important. Both thumbs and the pointer finger of the hand opposite the filter will play an important role here. Begin by molding the tobacco into a tube-like shape with your fingers, and get it nice and tight. Keep doing this until you like what you see and wish to begin rolling. Tuck the paper over and behind the filter with your thumb, and with your opposite hand do the same thing (it helps if you have a bunch of tobacco at the end for more stability). If you are having trouble with tucking the paper in, you can drag your pointer finger (from the hand opposite the filter) across the paper and guide the paper into a cigarette shape. Don't be worried if you lose a little tobacco here, we can put it back in later. Make sure your cigarette is EVEN, you do not want it to cone out at the end because it is really harsh on your throat to smoke coned cigarettes. If you have trouble getting it even, try to pack the tobacco tighter and rolling it again. Take your time and evenly roll up both sides of the papers. I like to roll 'pinners', which just means really thin, because they burn longer than a cigarette if you pack them tight enough and they aren't too harsh. Once we have reached the adhesive, wet it with your tongue, and seal the deal. Next, pack the cigarette by tapping the cigarette on a table or any hard surface, filter-side down. Do this a few times, a cigarette that is too loose can burn very unevenly, and a cigarette that is too tight can be very hard to pull.

This is it folks, twist the top if you have a little extra paper, or just burn it off and the flame will go out once it reaches your tobacco. I like to pack my cigarette completely to the top so it is like a legitimate cigarette. Enjoy your cigarette, you should feel very satisfied. If you have some trouble don't worry, it will take a little practice. One pack of king size Smoking Master silver papers consists of thirty-three extra long leaves, so you have a lot to practice with.