"New and Pretty"

or those of you who have grown weary of me saying that for the most part rollers are rollers are rollers, with few exceptions, I maintain that it is a true statement. The 110 mm Rizla, and Zig-Zag ( www.zigzag.com ) hand rollers are really functional and are in our opinion, the best made, but similarities in design and functionality far outweigh any differences. Perhaps our admiration for these products stems from the fact that all 100mm+ rollers give one the ability to create high quality rolls using

  In the meantime, in addition to the 100 mm+ rollers mentioned above, the only real new product in this category that we have seen so far is the Element line of new roller which ratchets up the length to 120 mm+. These new HBI products are a distinct improvement in rolling efficiency. The blankets really grab the paper and the roller structure is quite robust. There are three sizes (110, 79, and 70mm) and the decorative blanket is both functional and beautiful.

   We expect to perhaps see a whole new host of designs at the RTDA show but there is little room for innovation in this category at least that we can foresee. Before we get to these rather innovative new designs for now a sample of the roll possible with the new Element 110mm. We have a great video showing how this was rolled and will have it ready for you when we return August 2nd.

   Let us know what you think about new rolling machines and especially your experience with them. We are, for the most part, injector-heads here at the magazine and would greatly appreciate any tips and experience you have had with any of the various products of this type that are available. Also feel free to Share with us any really unusual or older ones we have not discovered by attaching a JPEG of it (please keep file sizes less than 30k), along with a brief history as to how it came into your possession.  We will likely use it in our next issue. If you have some real "treasures" share them with us and our readers. Contact us by clicking here or go to our Contact page for more information on how to get sample products to the magazine.

   We get a lot of mail about handrolling techniques and we feel it is pretty obvious how to accomplish this feat with simply tobacco, paper and two hands (in some cases one). So, we will continue to repeat the techniques, tricks and tips for true hand-rolling. As a preface, however, suffice it to say that hand rolling is mostly a matter of practice - not secrets.

   In addition to the pictorial demo that remains below, we asked Lisa (from Gizeh's corporate office in Germany), who is an expert handroller (as are many European smokers) to give us a quick demonstration. The following is a Window Movie Video, so Mac users will not be able to access it. Give it a try, especially if you have a broadband connection. We compressed it as much as possible, and without sound, so even those with phone connections, with a little patience should be able to view it. A little over one Mb file. It is seen best in Windows Media Player. If it doesn't load properly, check your media player to make sure in the file types setting your player is not sharing Windows Video with other players. If enough Mac users request it, we will provide an MPEG video as well in the future. Click here to access the video or look at the steps below if you need help with your hand rolling technique. For those of you who can see the video, you will notice that the pre-roll stage is the most important and time consuming part of hand rolling a well formed stick. Notice how Lisa spreads the tobacco evenly and gently "rocks" it back and forth in the paper until consistency is achieved throughout the length of the unrolled paper. Only then does she lick the paper and roll the final product. She savors the experience, as should all smokers, of using tobacco and takes her time with her rolling. Smoking tobacco should not be associated with an obsession for speed (time) or with any other obsessive behavior for that matter. It is a true luxury to be savored.

Our thanks to Paul at TobaccoLovers.com ( http://www.tobaccolovers.com ) for the following graphics and text

	Step one Your thumbs and index finger on both hands, with the glue facing up and at the top. The rolling paper should have a crease about half way down, so you make another crease splitting the difference in the bottom half. Resulting in a little V shape.
Step two Pinch a heaping teaspoon out of the pouch with your fingers and plop it in the middle of the crease Step three Begin to level the tobacco off and start to roll it up
	Step four Using your thumbs and index fingers, work the tobacco until it takes cylindrical form (which isn't more than a couple of rolls, back and forth) then roll it up lick and seal. If you roll it too much it gets to tightly packed and will not smoke well. Next, pinch the shaggy scraps hanging out the sides and toss them back in your pouch to be recycled. then pick an end that looks the best and using your thumb nail or finger nail bend in the very tip of the paper inside the cigarette cylinder. This makes a rim and provides you with a more stable cigarette and prevents little scraps from getting attached to your lips.
YUPP!