Preparing a Cigar Wrapper Leaf

Video Transcript

"In this clip we're going to actually show the preparation of a wrapper leaf before we actually wrap the cigar. Now, when you're doing a wrapper you want to look at the wrapper. The reason being is there is an inside and an outside to a wrapper. This is actually Jamaican Sumatra. As you can see it's got a very nice color on the outside of the cigar wrapper. This is the outside. The reason being if you look at it close you'll actually see that vein is actually recessed into the wrapper. If you turn it over not as pretty looking and the vein kind of bumps up. So, that's the inside. This side you want against your binding. Also, if you're getting ready to cut a leaf you want to figure out which is your top and which is your bottom. Now looking at this leaf this would be the top of the leaf and this would be the bottom where the stem comes out. As you can see the veins kind of go up like this. You want the tip down towards this end of the board. Granted, if you're a righter, which I am. And what you do is you cut the leaf. It's like a fillet of the leaf. You want to try and keep as close to the edge as you can but sometimes you'll get leaves with tears in them and stuff like that, with little holes. Because it is a natural product so it does happen. And, just basically make it nice and clean, nice and smooth. Because this is the seam you're going to see on the outside of the cigar. And you take a little bit out of the middle. And you hold onto this piece."