Your Complete Guide to Rolling Paper Styles
With so many different rolling paper styles to choose from, it can be hard to decide which type of paper you should pick the next time you want to roll up a smoke to enjoy solo or with your friends. In this guide, learn everything you need to know about the different rolling paper styles that are out there and why the $100 bill papers we offer at Empire Rolling are the best options on the market.
Traditional Rolling Papers
Over the years, manufacturers have made rolling papers from a variety of different materials. While wood pulp used to be the go-to material for rolling papers, rice rose to dominance in the mid-1800s, and other materials, such as hemp, flax, and esparto have each had their 15 minutes of fame in the rolling paper industry.
Traditionally, a single unassuming style of rolling paper has dominated the market. These flat squares of thin, plant-based materials have come in books and packs, and they have had features like the sticky strips of gum arabic that we use here at Empire Rolling to make sure our $100 bill rolling papers stick together each and every time.
While traditional rolling papers are convenient, straightforward, and easy to roll, they aren’t the only options in the wide spectrum of rolling paper styles available of the market today and here at EmpireRolling.com. Before we cover some of the other types of rolling papers that are out there, however, it’s important to go over the different sizes in which traditional rolling papers are offered.
Rolling Paper Sizes
Traditional rolling papers are all alike in that they consist of flat squares of paper with gummy strips. Where these types of papers differ, however, is in their sizes:
1. Single Wide
The single wide is as traditional as a traditional rolling paper can get. Commonly used to roll tobacco cigarettes, wood pulp and rice single wides are commonly available in gas stations and smoke shops, and they fit into standard rolling machines. These types of papers aren’t as popular for cannabis, however, because they don’t have the capacity necessary for social smoking.
2. 1 ¼
1 ¼ papers are slightly larger than single wide papers, and they are currently the most popular rolling papers on the planet. With that little bit of extra room, it’s possible to roll significantly larger smokes, but these types of papers aren’t so big that they’re unwieldy.
3. 1 ½
1 ½ papers are big enough that the smokes they roll don’t really resemble cigarettes any more. These papers are just as long as 1 ¼ papers, but they’re slightly wider to admit more plant matter.
4. 1 ¾
Want a little bit more girth for your smoke? Then a 1 ¾ paper is right for you. These papers pack in some extra space without being as ungainly as king-size papers. They’re just right for passing around a party or enjoying a relaxing and luxurious solo smoke at home.
4. Double Wide
These papers are just as long as single wide papers, but they have double the width. The smokes that these papers make are incredibly girthy, but they still aren’t that useful for rolling cannabis.
5. King
King-size papers are the longest papers on the market. Expert smokers use these papers to make absolutely massive joints, and they’re the perfect papers for sharing with friends. However, king-size papers are hard to roll, and they don’t fit in most rolling machines.
6. King Slim
King slims are just as long as king papers, but they are slightly less wide. The smokes you can roll with these papers have all the impact of king-size joints while being somewhat easier to handle and roll.
Cones
Somewhere along the line, a visionary smoker had a great idea that has subsequently changed the rolling paper industry: Why not sell papers pre-rolled and have customers put their plant matter of choice in from the top?
Here at Empire Rolling, we’ve taken the idea of the pre-rolled cone and taken it to the next level with our unique $100 bill imagery. When you use an Empire Rolling $100 cone, you get all the benefits of rolling up a Benny without having to worry about sticky strips, rolling machines, or spilling your stash all over the floor.
While cones are a lot easier to use than traditional rolling papers, some smokers might still prefer the challenge of rolling their own. Either way, it’s good to have some cones on hand in addition to your traditional rolling papers in case the urge strikes to roll up a smoke the easy way.
Blunt Wraps
Blunts were all the rage in the ‘90s, and these intense types of smokes will always hold a soft spot in the hearts of smokers everywhere. Technically, a blunt is only legit if you’ve made it by picking up a cigar at a gas station, broken it open to spill its guts, and replaced the insides with your favorite sticky herb. These days, however, there are better (if less old-school) ways to roll blunts.
One of the issues with traditional blunt wraps is that they’re made from tobacco leaf, which means they contain nicotine. While some blunt purists might contend that a blunt isn’t a blunt unless it’s made with a real swisher, there are plenty of alternatives of the market today that are made with less-harmful substances like hemp leaf.
Flavored Papers
One of the reasons that smokers like blunts is the flavoring in traditional blunt wraps. However, it’s possible to enjoy fruity, minty, or other types of flavors in your rolling papers without having to resort to using tobacco products.
Plenty of manufacturers make flavored rolling papers these days, and these papers come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and materials. However, keep in mind that not all flavored papers are made equal; some of the flavoring substances, such as potassium nitrate, that manufacturers use in their papers are toxic, and they can make smoking more dangerous. Before you use a flavored paper, make sure that it’s made with natural flavors that aren’t toxic or carcinogenic.
Organic Papers
Do you want to inhale a lungful of chlorine or chalk whenever you smoke a joint? Probably not, but that’s what will happen if you choose rolling papers that aren’t organic. The rolling papers used to make cigarettes are the worst offenders, but any paper that it’s specifically labeled as “organic” probably contains tons of toxic chemicals that have no place being in your lungs.
Organic rolling papers, on the other hand, don’t contain any carcinogenic or otherwise harmful substances, and they’re only made with organic plant material. That means they don’t contain any trace amounts of chemical pesticides or fertilizers that could compromise your lung health or cause serious diseases.
Rolling Paper Accessories
Now that you’re familiar with the different types of rolling papers that are out there, it’s time to learn more about the optional add-ons that smokers might use to improve their puffing experiences. While you may not end up using the following types of accessories, learning more about their intended applications will help you add to your smoking expertise.
Crutches and Filters
Early in the days of joint-rolling, cannabis enthusiasts noticed a crucial flaw in the process of smoking; inevitably, a little bit of plant matter would be left at the end of the joint that wasn’t usable no matter how unafraid you were of singeing your fingertips. While the invention of the roach clip solved this problem to a certain extent, cannabis smokers still sought better ways to roll the perfect joint without resorting to mechanical hardware.
Since cigarettes have filters, some smokers resorted to adding filters to joints to provide something to hold during the smoking process. While cigarette filters allow plenty of nicotine to pass through, however, these fiberglass smoking accessories trap most of the active ingredients in cannabis, which defeats the purpose of searching for the ultimate smoke.
The Crutch Is Born
In the end, cannabis lovers settled for a happy medium; instead of outright filtering their joints, they decided to add small pieces of folded cardboard to the ends of their smokes. These pieces of cardboard, called crutches, are easy to grasp between your thumb and forefinger, but they don’t block the active ingredients in cannabis from reaching your lungs.
Since crutches are rolled into joints, you can pre-roll a number of crutch-equipped smokes and take them with you without having to worry about keeping track of a roach clip. You can make your own crutches from pieces of cardboard, but just make sure the cardboard you use hasn’t been exposed to any treatments or dyes.
Rolling Machines
The other ubiquitous accessory of the expert smoker is the rolling machine. Before we go on, it’s important to point out that we aren’t talking about the machines used in heavy-duty industrial applications. On the contrary, these devices are small, handheld devices that produce the perfect joint every time.
Joint rolling machines consist of two rollers arranged parallel on a small plastic frame. One of these rollers comes away from the other on a track, and there is a piece of fabric or flexible plastic between the two rollers. Here’s a basic rundown on how to use a rolling machine:
- With the rollers open, place a rolling paper on the flexible substance between the rollers. Make sure that the side of the rolling paper with the sticky strip is facing up.
- Place plant material on top of the rolling paper, and arrange it evenly. Place a crutch at one end of the rolling machine if desired.
- Close the rollers so that the end of the paper with the sticky strip is sticking out. Moisten the strip, and turn the rollers with your thumbs to pull the sticky strip into the rolling machine.
- Roll the rollers around all the way a few times to adhere the sticky strip and ensure that the joint is uniformly rolled along its length.
- Open the rollers, and remove your joint. It’s now ready to smoke!
Rolling machines come in different sizes for different lengths of rolling papers, but they all follow the same basic principles. These accessories are small enough that you can carry them around with you, and it’s also easy to use a rolling machine wherever you are to produce flawless smokes whenever you need them.
Grinders
No smoker should be without a good grinder. As you’re already aware, breaking up cannabis by hand isn’t enough to ensure you’ll have a smooth smoke; to create a fluffy pile of plant material that’s ready to be put in a rolling machine or stuffed down a cone, you’ll need to have a grinder by your side whenever you decide to roll up a joint.
Grinders are circular devices that use metal teeth to break up cannabis buds. The simplest grinders consist of two sides of teeth that come together around a full load of plant material. By twisting the two sides of teeth in opposite directions, the plant material is broken up into a uniform consistency that has all the makings of a great joint.
Some high-end grinders, on the other hand, have additional components called pollen screens and pollen catchers. These devices attach to the bottom side of a grinder, and they collect the trichomes that break off cannabis buds during the grinding process. This powdery substance is called keif, and you can add it to your joint once you’ve collected a significant amount to improve your smoking experience.
Which Type of Rolling Paper Is Best?
Every type of rolling paper has its benefits and detractors. While single wide papers are easy to handle, for instance, they don’t leave a lot of room for your plant matter of choice, and while king-size papers are big enough to make you the life of the party, they’re notoriously difficult to roll.
In the end, it’s up to you to decide which type of rolling paper is right for you. Here at Empire Rolling, our signature Benny paper is beloved by smokers everywhere for its laid-back design and excellent materials. We only use plant-based dyes in our papers, and the Bennys themselves are made from 100% organic hemp, wood cellulose, and rice.
Best of all, every pack of $100 bill papers comes with perforated crutches to give you the best rolling experience every time. At 1 ¾ inches long, Empire Rolling Bennys aren’t too long or too short, and they fit in standard king-size rolling machines.
Best of all, we offer high-quality grinders right here at EmpireRolling.com to make sure that you’re well-equipped to light up the party in any situation. If your ideal rolling paper is made from safe ingredients without compromising on novelty value, our $100 bill rolling papers will be a hit whenever you light up a smoke.