We at BnB Tobacco understandably spend a lot of time talking about the meticulous and intricate craftsmanship that goes into producing the exquisite cigars for which we make available to our customers. Therefore, the thought of unrolling a pre-made cigar may sound sacrilegious. However, you may be surprised to learn that wanting to unroll a cigar is not the most unusual thing that we’ve ever heard of. The question is, of course, whether or not it’s actually possible.
Why Would Someone Want to Unroll a Cigar?
First, let’s discuss the reasons why someone could view unrolling a cigar as a useful practice.
Reason #1: To Use the Wrapper
The most common reason is to use the wrapper and discard the tobacco. This is commonly done with cheaper cigars, in an effort to roll something else into the tobacco leaf to add a nice kick of robust flavor. Most cigar wrappers can easily be rolled back up with something else inside, especially if the person doing the rolling has a certain level of skill.
Reason #2: To Replace the Tobacco
In some cases, a person may decide they want to unroll a cigar in order to replace the tobacco and roll it back up with a new blend of their choosing. This doesn’t happen often, but it can happen if a person loves a particular wrapper but doesn’t like the tobacco that’s inside. It could also happen if the person has made a tobacco blend themselves and wants to test it in a wrapper that they have lying around.
Reason #3: To Transfer the Tobacco
Another reason would be to transfer the tobacco to something else. Let’s say the person loves the tobacco blend but doesn’t want to smoke it in the form of a cigar, or desires a different kind of smoking experience. Manually removing the tobacco from the cigar could seem like an appealing choice.
Can You Actually Unroll a Cigar?
Well, it depends.
First of all, we need to say that in most cases, your better option would be to cut the cigar down the middle, regardless of why you’re wanting to unroll it in the first place. This is easier to do and is what most people do whether they wish to repurpose the wrapper, the tobacco or both. It requires the use of a razor blade that goes down the center, with the tobacco being carefully and thoroughly removed. What’s left behind is a wrapper that can still be used for another type of smoking product.
But what about unrolling it?
With some cheaper made cigars it may be possible, but we don’t recommend it. Basically, going this route is messy, and risks getting tobacco everywhere, which is never a good thing. Secondly, you can easily tear the leaf during the unrolling process due to how difficult it can be to actually loosen up the roll. Therefore, overall, cutting is your better option.
Understand that cigar rolling is a practice which essentially revolves around wrapping the tobacco securely so that it stays put. Cigars travel a lot and must be sturdy in order to survive. Therefore, companies use all kinds of techniques to ensure that the roll doesn’t come undone. If it could easily be peeled off, this would mean that the wrapper isn’t secure, and could have accidentally come loose during transport.
Our Opinion
Ultimately, we don’t recommend trying to unroll a cigar that has been already made. If you do need to access the leaf or the tobacco itself, try cutting it down the middle with a razor blade, which can give you the desired effect in an easier and neater way.