Blunt (cigar)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A blunt is a cigar which is wider than a cigarillo and not quite as wide as a traditional cigar. The word blunt may also refer to a blunt which has had its tobacco filling removed by the consumer in order to replace it with Cannabis (Drug). These cigars typically consist of two main parts; the inner leaf, which is similar to a cigarette rolling paper, except it is made of tobacco, and a thicker outer leaf which is rolled around the inner leaf in a spiral. In most commercially available blunts, the "leaves" are not actual tobacco leaves but rather paper made from tobacco pulp. the term blunt generally does not refer to more expensive, hand-rolled cigars.
Blunts get their name from their 'broad or rounded end', and were named as such in the 1800s to differentiate them from other cigars with a tapered, pointed tip. Later, as machines gradually replaced humans in the rolling process, blunts began to be characterized by a tapered, yet still open, smoking end, pre-clipped during manufacturing.
Blunts are bought in packs of 5, comparable to how cigarettes are bought in packs of 20.
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[edit] Rolling a blunt
There are three popular methods for rolling a blunt, depending on personal preference, experience, and type of cigar being used.
[edit] Leafing
(Twisting) The leaf of the cigar is moistened and removed whole to for the next step. The inner paper is then unrolled and emptied of tobacco, filled with smoking material, rolled up again and re-wrapped in the outer leaf, which must remain moist. Leafing creates a tightly-rolled and durable blunt, providing an even burn and a fine, burly smoke.
[edit] Cracking
"Cracking" a cigar is performed by making one small rip at the open end of the cigar and continuing this "crack" all the way down the cigar, while controlling it carefully with your thumbs so it is not irreversibly damaged. The "penis" or blunt end of the cigar, if present, is ripped off whole, leaving access to what has become known as the "cancer paper" among smokers. Most rollers will remove the cancer paper (an inch-wide slip of paper inserted by tobacco companies between the outer leaf and the inner paper so as to prevent their cigars from becoming water-logged) so that when smoked, the burning paper does not overwhelm the tobacco or herb flavors. At this point the tobacco can be easily dumped out all at once, leaving it "gutted." Once gutted, it's not uncommon for the outer leaf to come apart from the inner paper. This is easily remedied using saliva so it can be re-stuck; most smokers are used to this practice and is not a topic of discussion unless the amount of saliva used is excessive. The tobacco or herbs are then placed in the cigar paper and it is rolled up. This process can be considerably faster than the "leafing" method and is possible with extremely dry or stale cigars, although difficult. Phillies brand cigars are almost always cracked, not leafed. Sometimes this process is referred to as "splitting" or "vagina".
[edit] Packing
This technique describes a method of removing the tobacco from one end without breaking the skin of the cigar. This is often times done by gently rolling the cigar between one's fingers, allowing the inner tobbacco to fall out, leaving the skin intact. The blunt is then filled back up with smoking material. This method is also known as champing and Gotti'ing. Gotti'ing is a reference to John Gotti. Hence, a packed blunt is often referred to as a "godfather", or "Gotti".
[edit] Common obstacles
One cannot dispute that a poorly-rolled blunt ruins the experience of smoking, and as such, should be avoided at all costs. Many inexperienced blunt rollers encounter problems with proper airflow through their blunt, and uneven burning, known as a "run", "canoeing", a "sidetrack", or in the United Kingdom, "Elvising", after Elvis's sideburns. It should be noted, however, that joints are more vulnerable to "canoeing" than blunts. These problems stem mostly from the method in which the tobacco or herbs were broken up, and the structure of the finished blunt. Such problems are often compounded by poor quality cigars, which may be too dry to leaf properly or contain veins which disrupt even burning.
[edit] Cancer paper
The "Cancer Paper" is a name given to parts of a (usually Philly or Swisher) blunt with extra paper and/or glue that make blunts harsher tasting. It is named the "Cancer Paper" because it is believed that the extraneous material poses unnecessary health risks. The first is found on the inside of the outer leaf at the mouth of the cigar. The paper is approx. 1 inch and is to reinforce the cigar. In a properly rolled blunt this paper should be removed, because it is unneeded and adds harshness. Removal of this paper can prove daunting for novice blunt rollers so you may want to have some spares on hand.
If you are leafing a blunt, after removing the outer leaf, find a small line where the inner leaf is glued together. Split the inner leaf along this small seal in the blunt. After this, dump the guts. If you hold up the now cracked inner leaf of the blunt to a light, you will see a strip darker than the rest of the leaf. Peel this off carefully. When leafing a blunt you are able to get rid of both pieces of cancer paper, while cracking it makes it more difficult to remove.
[edit] Cancer paper
[edit] Blunt wraps
Another way to roll a blunt involves using blunt wraps. These are essentially pre-made rolling papers from processed, usually flavored, tobacco. All that is needed is to spread tobacco or herbs evenly throughout the blunt paper, roll it up and seal it. Most are sealed individually to keep them fresh, moist and flexible, as dry cigar leaves are prone to cracking and breaking. Some brands also include a plastic straw, around which the blunt paper is rolled during manufacturing, and a transparent, plastic sheet wrapped around the blunt paper to give an extra layer of protection. This tube can be used to pack the tobacco down in the burning end once it has been rolled up. Also available are all natural tobacco leaves cut size and put in to a resealable package. They are a little easier to roll but burn quicker than other types of blunts. The newest blunt wrappers come in a resealable plastic tube. This allows the smoker to place the rolled blunt back into the tube and close/seal it for later use. Flavors of these blunt wraps are as varied as pina colada, watermelon, blueberry,and cotton candy.
[edit] Using blunt cones
Another technique is to purchase a "blunt cone". These are cone shaped empty cigarette shells made from flavored tobacco. The smoker then simply stuffs the cone full of tobacco/herbs and smokes it. As opposed to the above blunt wrappers, a blunt cone is pre-rolled and simply needs to be stuffed. The theory behind a cone-shaped cigar or cigarette is that it has a more even flavor. This is because as you burn tobacco it passes through the unburnt tobacco left in your cigarette. Thus it leaves tar and nicotine on the unburned tobacco and raises it's strength and flavor. So, by using a conical cigarette, you are burning less and less tobacco with each puff - helping to compensate for the stronger and stronger tobacco. That is why so many Europeans use cones and sales of cones in the USA increase every year. [Ref]
[edit] "Crutch"
Often, when rolling a cigarette or a blunt a "tip", "crutch", or "filter" will be added to keep the herbs inside the blunt, and provide a more solid mouthpiece. Most often, crutches are made from a small, torn piece of cardboard, which is rolled into a tight spiral and inserted in the smoking end of the blunt. Using a crutch can prevent herbs from being wasted, as it allows the blunt to burn to the end without becoming too hot to hold. In Europe and sometimes in the United States, people tend to break off a piece of cigarette (known as a "Roach" in the UK, "filter" in Canada and the U.S) and place this in the smoking end, thus allowing all the substance in the blunt to be smoked. One may insert two, three, or more crutches, resulting in a "double-barrel," "triple barrel," respectively. Some smokers also refer to the crutch as "Kick-filter." The remains of a smoked blunt are sometimes called a "roach" or a "butt", and smokers often save the brown butts left in them after smoking for later smoking, as the remaining blunt is much more potent, having had smoke passed through it many times; also known as a "granddaddy" or "second generation" blunts.
[edit] Blunt producing countries
There are three main countries of blunt cigar / wrapper production;
- Dominican Republic: Dominican cigars are known to have an extra sweetness to them and are superiorly mild. The top rated brands (top 10) by Cigar Aficionado are all from the Dominican Republic. In Blunts; Garcia y Vega, Phillies, Blunt Wrap, Juicy, Kingpin, Swisher and Dutch Master all come from the Dominican Republic.
- Honduras: Honduran Cigars lack the sweetness of Dominican cigars. The dryer climate and less fertile soil lead to a smaller less rich leaf. Da Bomb & Zen wraps are made in Honduras.
- Mexico: Mexican Cigars are known to be extremely strong tasting. There has never been a Mexican cigar in the top 10 or even 50 rated cigars at Cigar Aficionado. The dryer, harsher climate of Mexico leads to a much dryer, harsher tasting leaf. Mexican labor is less expensive than the Dominican Republic or Honduras, plus shipping to the USA is shorter & less expensive, so Mexican blunts are much less expensive to produce & usually sell for less. Mexican brands include Royal & True Blunts.
[edit] Pop culture
Blunts are often referenced in the Hip Hop culture
Young Jeezy - "Blunt Fulla Dro"
Redman - "How To Roll A Blunt"
Lord Infamous - "1000 Blunts"
DJ Paul ft. Lord Infamous and Crunchy Black - "Twist It Hit It Lite It"
Lil Boosie ft. Pimp C- "I Smoke Blunts"
Nas- "Blunt Ashes"
Crucial Conflict- "Blunt Choke"
Young Ace- "First Purp Blunt"
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony- "Blowin & Rollin"
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony- "Blaze It"
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony- "P.O.D."
Notorious B.I.G. - "Big Poppa"
In the 1995 film Kids, a "how to roll a blunt" is showed during the park scene.
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