Many people find that they enjoy their cigars more if they actually roll themby hand. Making your own cigar is not easy, but the reward of smoking a hand-crafted cigarcan pay off.

How to Roll a Cigar

(Pixabay / fetcaldu)

In order to roll your own cigar, you will need the following:

  • Wooden cutting board
  • Sharp pizza cutter
  • Sharp scissors
  • Cigar cutter
  • Spray bottle with water
  • Cigar glue
  • Plastic bags
  • Cigar mold and a vise to close it

Preparation

Separate and put into individual bags the three different groupings of tobacco – filler, binder, and wrapper. Using the spray bottle, apply some moisture to the bagged tobacco to dampen the leaves so they become supple. Once they are pliable, remove the center ribs for the filler and binder. The wrapper will be used toward the end of the process.

Gathering the bunch

Lay the binder on the cutting board, vein side up. Gather some filler tobacco, roughly enough to equal the size of a cigar. Once you gather enough of the filler, lay it to one end of the binder and start rolling. Upon reaching the end of the binder, apply some cigar glue to hold the roll in place.

Using the mold

Once you have the roll, cut it at one end. Then place the roll in the mold. Use the press or vise to apply pressure. Open the mold after 30 minutes or an hour and rotate the cigars a quarter turn. Re-clamp the mold for another 30 minutes or up to an hour.

Wrapping

The cigars will dry out in the mold and will now be ready for the wrapper. Remove the wrappers from the bag and make sure that they are pliable. Stretch the wrapper as much as you can. Place some cigar glue on the farthest end of the wrapper, then place the cigar diagonally over the wrapper. Start the wrapping process. As you reach the end of the cigar, the wrapper tube will get smaller. At this stage, you can pick up the cigar and spin the left over wrapper. Cut off the excess.

DIY projects are all the rage these days and often pay off with a high-quality result. Take the DIY craze to your tobacco. It may result in your finest cigar yet.