3 truths about the stripes on cigarette paper

In the early article, I mentioned that the “cork” cigarette filter came into use when more and more girls began to smoke. And the white filter tips showed too much lipstick. Then cork tipping paper was applied to replace the white one.

And recently, I came up with a similar question: “Why do they make symmetrical stripes on the cigarette tube”?

I asked our engineers and searched the Internet. It turns out beauty is not the only reason.

Below let’s see the 3 truths about these stripes on cigarette paper.

Good-looking

First, these stripes/streaks are called “Verge lines”, and their application is called “Verge”.

Some brands have Repse lines, they are vertical streaks, rather than horizontal.

These stripes in the cigarette paper are for aesthetic function.

Burning rate

Second, the lines on cigarettes can be used to affect how quickly the cigarette burns.

The burning of cigarettes should be slowed down when the smoker is not inhaling.

The strips on paper have a completely different density and air permeability, due to which the smoldering process slows down.

Also, the strips on the paper ensure that the cigarette burns evenly. No wonder the strips are made in the form of rings. When burning, the first ring disappears, then the second, and so on.

Of course, if you smoke a cigarette like a steam locomotive, making 3-5 puffs in a row, the paper can burn unevenly due to the increased temperature, forming the so-called dips.

In modern cigarettes, we began to make oblique/Twill stripes on paper.

The principle of operation is the same. In this case, the cigarette burns vertically.

And as practice has shown, the breathability of this method is even lower than that of conventional burning rings.

In simple words, the strips on cigarette paper serve as a kind of fuse that protects the cigarette from the rapid combustion of tobacco.

It helps ensure the paper burns at a rough rate as the tobacco – whether it’s being inhaled or sitting lit in an ashtray.

A cigarette should burn evenly, not randomly.

Why are there no stripes on Rolling paper?

If you are familiar with Roll Your Own and Pre-rolled cones, you may find most hand-rolling paper have no stripes.

That is because most rolling paper is made from hemp pulp without secondary processing, bleaching, and impregnation with various substances.

Although there are some exceptions, now most rolling paper and pre-rolled cones are made from hemp fibers, which are cheaper and more practical than making paper from wood.