A tale of two stogies: a one-leaf stogie and a two leaf stogie. The time to make them is roughly 1 minute per leaf, including stemming.
Two-leaf Stogie: ~2 minutes
No special skills or secrets here. Using two whole leaves of Criollo 98 viso, I make a 6" x ~30 ring stogie. The concept of a stogie is a cheap, long, thin cigar.
Any variety will work. Since the cigar will be long and thin, you can use leaf that would otherwise be too strong to smoke straight. Or you can use something as smooth as butter. All that it requires is two leaves (one or two varieties) that are about the same length, with one half of one of the leaves fairly intact, for use as the wrapper. It does not need a separate binder, so long as the wrapper has enough width to span at least half the stogie's length.
The strip on the left has been misted, and will be the wrapper.
The filler strips are in low case (somewhat flexible, but dry).
Each filler strip is individually compressed over its length, then the three strips are aligned at the head (right).
Cut filler in half.
Bring the two cut bunches together so that the thicker end of one matches the thinner end of the other.
I find that if I make a slight taper (wider at the foot to thinner at the head) and I am careful to not wrap the head too tightly, I usually get a good draw. Because of the venturi (nozzle) effect in a thin stogie, it can't be rolled as densely as a thicker cigar.
The wrapper must be tight enough to make a firm cigar, while allowing adequate draw.
Complete, with excess wrapper dangling from the head.
Cut the foot. Cut the head. Stick in mouth. Ready to smoke.
This particular stogie is a bit over 6". The ring gauge tapers from ~34 and the foot to ~28 at the head. Beauty is not its forte.
One-leaf Stogie: ~1 minute
A one-leaf stogie takes less time than hand-rolling a cigarette. For this one, you need a medium to large leaf in which the lamina is fairly intact on the stalk end of one half of the leaf. Here, I use a single leaf of BigBonner's burley red tip.
I will use the top of the upper leaf strip as the wrapper.
The wrapper segment is cut parallel to a vein.
The second strip is cut straight across, and the three filler pieces are crunched together.
If the filler is too long at the head, it can be folded over inside the wrapper to make a firmer head, since the stogie will be cut at the head.
This stogie is about 5" x 28 ring.
These stogies are not intended to impress anyone with their appearance, though you can spend more time, and make them pretty. But they are quick to make, and smoke well. I don't use any glue, and don't bother to trim the wrapper margin, unless it is really ragged. They're also a simple way to sample the characteristics of a specific leaf variety. What is crucial is that they don't leak along the wrapper, and that they draw well.
Bob
Two-leaf Stogie: ~2 minutes
No special skills or secrets here. Using two whole leaves of Criollo 98 viso, I make a 6" x ~30 ring stogie. The concept of a stogie is a cheap, long, thin cigar.
Any variety will work. Since the cigar will be long and thin, you can use leaf that would otherwise be too strong to smoke straight. Or you can use something as smooth as butter. All that it requires is two leaves (one or two varieties) that are about the same length, with one half of one of the leaves fairly intact, for use as the wrapper. It does not need a separate binder, so long as the wrapper has enough width to span at least half the stogie's length.
The strip on the left has been misted, and will be the wrapper.
The filler strips are in low case (somewhat flexible, but dry).
Each filler strip is individually compressed over its length, then the three strips are aligned at the head (right).
Cut filler in half.
Bring the two cut bunches together so that the thicker end of one matches the thinner end of the other.
I find that if I make a slight taper (wider at the foot to thinner at the head) and I am careful to not wrap the head too tightly, I usually get a good draw. Because of the venturi (nozzle) effect in a thin stogie, it can't be rolled as densely as a thicker cigar.
The wrapper must be tight enough to make a firm cigar, while allowing adequate draw.
Complete, with excess wrapper dangling from the head.
Cut the foot. Cut the head. Stick in mouth. Ready to smoke.
This particular stogie is a bit over 6". The ring gauge tapers from ~34 and the foot to ~28 at the head. Beauty is not its forte.
One-leaf Stogie: ~1 minute
A one-leaf stogie takes less time than hand-rolling a cigarette. For this one, you need a medium to large leaf in which the lamina is fairly intact on the stalk end of one half of the leaf. Here, I use a single leaf of BigBonner's burley red tip.
I will use the top of the upper leaf strip as the wrapper.
The wrapper segment is cut parallel to a vein.
The second strip is cut straight across, and the three filler pieces are crunched together.
If the filler is too long at the head, it can be folded over inside the wrapper to make a firmer head, since the stogie will be cut at the head.
This stogie is about 5" x 28 ring.
These stogies are not intended to impress anyone with their appearance, though you can spend more time, and make them pretty. But they are quick to make, and smoke well. I don't use any glue, and don't bother to trim the wrapper margin, unless it is really ragged. They're also a simple way to sample the characteristics of a specific leaf variety. What is crucial is that they don't leak along the wrapper, and that they draw well.
Bob
