maybe old-timers out of mold practice
That would definitely be me.
If I bunch 3 or 4 entire leaves together, then tear it into thirds, and stack them, the natural shape of the leaves
always gives me the tapered head which I prefer. (I enjoy smoking a fat cigar, but want the head to be about 47 to 50 ring max.) If instead, I tear those leaves into thirds, but invert the bottom third when stacking them, then I end up with a parejo for a mold--still all long filler leaf.
I rant at the little bits and pieces that fall out of the opened head of many factory cigars, even really expensive ones. These tidbits have been slipped into the head to adjust its circumference to fit a mold. Even when I open them with a 'V' cutter, I end up spitting out that added "stuffing".
So, I'm not only an old-timer out of mold practice, I'm a cranky old-timer codger, and tapered, fat-cigar lover. When forced to use glue (e.g. for a gift cigar), then I bring out the mold, and just deal with it.
Bob