I have been convinced that the Full Circle of the highest quality RYO ever seen would come back around, and even better than ever, though I honestly did not expect it to take 20 YEARS. When I started this magazine in the year 2000, I felt convinced, way back then, that once people tried really amazingly superior tobacco, placed in tubes of their choosing, dwarfing the quality and significance of even the finest remanufactured brand, that this concept would be the way everyone who chose to smoke would eventually enjoy smoking, and it would be possible for purveyors of sheer excellence to do quite well financially as well. Having first been introduced to RYO, or Custom Made Cigarettes, a term I have used consistently for over two decades, the story begins.

  The Full Circle actually started for me in about 1996-98. when Costco, who used to sell a generic brand of smokes referred to as Bonus Value in Alaska where I lived at the time, stopped selling them. These, though a heavily discounted brand, were among the finest cigarettes I had ever smoked and a lot less expensive than Marlboros. Although I had no need to shop for Cheap, I found them to be much better than any brand name cigarette I had ever tried including, of course, Marlboros.

   The Circle actually begins in the mid-80s and early 90s when Peter Stokkebye, a good friend, and a true icon of the rolling tobacco industry, certainly at least in the US, began bringing rare rolling tobaccos from around the world into the US. Peter with 4 generations of pipe tobacco history in his family in Denmark, knew it was time to show American smokers the vast possibilities of what a truly dedicated maker of tobacco blends could accomplish for the cigarette smoker. We did several biographical sketches on Peter and his Stokkebye company over the years, and his presence has been felt in every issue of this magazine. Most prominent was a biography in one of the first issues of RYO Magazine of Peter, as well as an interesting three-way conversation between Peter, Arnold Kastener, founder of the Clinton Tube Company (CPC) and whose family was the original makers of the first Supermatic injectors, and myself in issue #1 where we explored the future of RYO/MYO in the US. Needless to say, it was an intriguing moment for myself and for all concerned, including those readers who happened to stumble upon the very first issue of the magazine. Peter, Arnold and I began a journey rich with attention and rewards as few have enjoyed. The readership of RYO Magazine soared.

   Now the most interesting thing began very quickly to happen. Not only did the readership of RYO Magazine grow exponentially and with amazing speed, but it also spoke very loudly of people's frustration with the quality that their cigarettes had been degraded to. RYO tobacco was available at that time, but mostly in more European flavors such as pretty heady Halfzwares and, except for a few Oriental (Turkish strains to be more specific) which while very mild and wonderful tasting tobaccos (depending on your palette), were simply not what most American smokers were used to. Of course, with the exception of a really small handful of connoisseurs and fairly aristocratic smokers who had, by one way or another, become familiar with truly ultra high quality tobacco, this tobacco, though available to a degree, was not common in the American marketplace, except of course for high-end tobacco shops where name brand American cigarettes were seldom sold. There was a certain snob appeal to smoking this tobacco and, though it was more expensive than say a Marlboro, it was truly pure tobacco. In fact, just tobacco and water, a marketing tools phrase that is beginning to show up in the advertising of better cigarettes like Sherman's, Dunhill's, Davidoff's, and a few European exceptions like Treasurer and Sobranie (some at nearly $50 a pack.). However, those superior brands are not even close to the tobacco were going to discuss today. The Full Circle is now complete. From the early beginnings of Peter Stokkebye to a visionary man by the name of John Roscoe, the circle from good to bad to exquisite is now intact. And here it comes. And it is about time!

  Namely, the Elegant Brand. And the Elegant BRAND is truly a complete system as well. Peter, if he had lived long enough (although 75+ years was damn good), perhaps would have come up with such a system or at least the incredible tobacco that crowns this massive achievement. But alas, we had to wait nearly 20 years for another human to take the step. And what a step it was. The man's name is John Roscoe. John, though known much for Cheaper Tobacco and Cheaper Gas stations and Cheaper markets, is a study both in duality and more importantly in a humans' willingness to grow. Now I've only known John for a few years, though I was aware of his products for many more. His take on the word Cheaper could just as likely and more properly fashioned the word VALUE as well, as his goals in life and as a business man ran much truer to the path of value rather than mere cheapness. He was honestly concerned for the little guy and marketed various goods, including tobacco, under that appellation (i.e., Cigarettes Cheaper). His desires both financial and political went even deeper. He was successful for so many years (and still is) because of his concern for the consumer, whom he felt too often got the short end of the stick because of mass marketing practices at the cost of value. I could write many books on the deeds this man has accomplished, but instead I'll let his idea for the finest cigarette anyone will ever smoke speak for itself. He was and still is not a smoker. He instead observed smokers and felt the pain they went through due to the diminishing quality of products, including tobacco, and especially packaged cigarettes.

   He made it his life's work (actually a renaissance man with many, many interests) to reveal the inequities suffered by just about everyone at one time or another and set about balancing the table. Yeah, he made money for sure, but few would claim he did so without taking the good of the people as his primary premise. and even after all the garbage about pipe tobaccos being the solution, a premise we have always rejected, finally a man has come up with ideas that don't involve pipe tobacco in the least and instead focused on quantity (10+ lbs. at a time) And when you look at the numbers, though they may seem high at first glance, if you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day for 300 plus days a year, your smoking cost will go down by more than a half, and depending on which state you live in, the saving can even be far greater.

  But enough about John. His real contribution to the subject at hand is the finest tobacco I have ever smoked, PERIOD. He has made it possible for anyone to hand craft the finest cigarette ever produced. That is a very big thing and here is how he did it. He started with the concept known to most roll your own patrons of being in control of the production of one's own smokes and I mean total control. He contacted the top expert in tobacco selection (there is none better) and gave him the task of making the finest tobacco blend ever produced. Now this isn't marketing hype. The tobacco (being the most important part of the process) is unmatched. It is extremely mild with a rich natural flavor, and burns superbly and evenly. It is pure gold. He didn't stop there. He knew one would have to craft their own cigarettes from the purest of tobaccos with tools that would make it possible to create sticks of unmatched quality both in flavor and in construction. He sought various manufacturers with impeccable reputations, both from within and outside the tobacco industry, for equipment that would honor the tobacco that would be used. He gave the job of creating a shredder to be manufactured by a man who has shown his genius in making machines. This shredder is a nearly 50 pound beast that runs almost silently and shreds larger cuts of tobacco like nothing I have ever seen. A pound a minute and perfect strands. He bundles with the package the finest electronic injector ever made, Zico's Incredible Powermatic 3. He sells the tobacco in 10+ pound bags to lessen the tax burden for the consumer. He provides a humidifier system (the Boveda Packaged humidity packs) and tubes that are absolutely as fine as the finest Vera Cruz brand (made by the same company as the Vera Cruz, of course). He provides high quality, elite looking, heavy duty cigarette boxes (packs if you will) to put your smokes in, as well as a large plastic tub (also heavy duty plastic) to hold your immaculately packaged tobacco, (again 10+ pounds of it) wrapped in a thick gold mylar plastic bag that then is packed in a beautiful thick display box to insure the tobacco inside will last a very long time. Years, if truth be told.

   But with all the heavy duty equipment you get, it is still the tobacco that really makes the magic. John would not even tell me the master blenders name, which is now a trade secret. The man is a genius and the blend has the rare character of extreme mildness and wonderful rich flavor that only is possible with extended aging sessions over long periods of time. The result is the finest cigarette I have ever smoked with nary an even close second. This is a game changer for all smokers. The mildness of the tobacco itself almost certainly will reduce any addictive behavior in a relatively short time. It is a well known fact that people who smoke less are less likely to abuse or have a strong addiction to tobacco. Overly strong tobacco carries with it the same baggage only more so!. This blend is so pure and satisfying, that one can only imagine that consumption will go down and absolute and superb pleasure will be the result. This is the finest of the fine. There is nothing like it. And you will have the pleasure of making each stick yourself to your own desires and with professional grade tools that will do everything needed, and do it masterfully. You cannot buy such a cigarette. You simply have to CRAFT it yourself, all accomplished with professional ease and professional results - every time. That is the Elegant Philosophy. As The Circle finally closes, it will mean a rebirth. Not only a rebirth and more in the flavor experience itself, but in a much more measured way one looks at the act of smoking tobacco.

Click graphic above to go to the Elegant Tobacco Site

   Tobacco is not just some other addictive substance. Its properties arise from a very special plant and once was used occasionally as a ceremonial tool. Somehow, sometime, somewhere mass consumption, especially mass consumption in the US became the new normal. Every film, from the 1920s on, showed people smoking in nearly every scene, until it became a regular prop of entertainment and entertainers en masse! Its properties and risks are far more complex than drugs like opiates. Though ostensibly the same order of organs are receptive to the effects of addiction, the organs (receptors) vary in their functions and sensitivity to a wide variety of chemicals. In general, the dopamine receptors are the most sensitive, but not one bit of research after the CDC's proclamations to the medical communities was ever undertaken to consider the differences in the addictive nature of various brands of cigarettes or even the many strains of tobacco available. There is a lot of historical data about certain strains of tobacco not only being addictive but, in some cases, down right deadly. For instance, nRustica, one of the most powerful forms of tobacco, can be downright deadly if over consumed. That is why our American Indian forefathers sipped it through a long pipe and only a very few "hits" per person were allowed. Tobacco then was hybridized from ultra strong versions of this tobacco and other ultra strong tobaccos to, overtime, reduce the deadliness of its product (smoke) though many other medicinal uses were found for this extremely potent form of the plant. Today's tobacco is far more milder than the tobacco found in the very early 20th century. That is why more people begin to smoke so much. Still the process of creating non-toxic forms of tobacco has been an ongoing passion. But it wasn't until the tobacco industry began adding other artificial chemicals to tobacco that you will find even in today's cigarettes a plethora of absolutely unnecessary (and understudied chemicals, many of which are/were not studied at all). Since the 1964 Surgeon Generals tobacco report, the CDC's actions along with the S-Chip requirements as well as all other supposed scientifically sound explorations into tobacco, mandated that no further studies of tobacco in general be conducted (in other words that the science of tobacco harm was immutable and settled science, period) with the all encompassing statement simply that "Tobacco kills". Statements like this, having no relative advice about type of tobacco, or usage, consumption, or all the other "little" details involved with smoking remains a great disservice to the population as a whole.

   We are not here to argue for tobacco use. There of course is risk in putting any foreign matter into your body, especially when it impacts more sensitive parts of the body like the lungs. However this is not, nor has it ever been, a one size fits all proposition. What idiot would smoke if it was sure to kill you immediately. Most people are not that suicidal. And as far as long term exposure data, some people do get sick and many more do not. It depends a lot on dosage, how much and what you smoke as well as thousands of other variables. All aspects of life is a risk that is best balanced by the truly and accurately informed individual. Heavy Smoking can be very bad for you. On the other hand, a much lighter measured approach (not chemically enhanced artificially light cigarettes), but with a true highly measured approach to smoking in general should prove more successful for one's overall health. In other words, Sip don't Gulp - and smoke PURE. And that is possible to an amazing degree on the absolute purity of what you are smoking. That is why the Elegant System approach is such a remarkable and sensible idea.

   Once Again - Our Position On Tobacco

  It is our position that because of the sheer enormity of money that is involved in the tobacco debate, and the fact that such vast amounts of resource can breed fraud and corruption, as evidenced by the large number of claims of violations attributed to the cigarette industry, as well as counter-claims of fraudulent research methods by those on the other side of the issue, much more needs to be done to quantify the specific elements of tobacco smoke as well as specific elements of other sources of smoke and pollution in our environment that can lead to health problems. We therefore stress as a logical and necessary step forward, in order to ameliorate the controversy and lessen the divisive nature of the subject, that any and all tax revenues that are collected on tobacco, as well as all punitive damages collected on behalf of US citizens by all local, state, and federal litigation's against tobacco, other than those funds already allocated that are needed to satisfy current regulation and enforcement, be applied to five (5) areas of investigation and compensation exclusively. These areas are:

1. Scientifically rigorous, comprehensive research on tobacco and health with full public disclosure detailing the accounting for the amount of research money distributed, of how decisions are reached as to the ways and means said research money is distributed, and to whom the research money is awarded and why.
2. Full disclosure and complete public dissemination of information on experimental methodology and subsequent findings that are validated by the oversight of non-partisan, scientifically qualified panels that are accountable to the taxpayers by way of unimpeded public scrutiny and debate.
3. All revenues allocated to any of the above as well as to the subsequent health care of individuals who may be found damaged by tobacco or to education programs for tobacco intervention, must be used in a cost-efficient manner as determined by full disclosure and reasonable consensus between these scientifically qualified panels and representatives of those who bear the burden of taxation.
4. During the above research phase, should OTHER sources of polluting elements in our environment be found to be significant factors in the symptomatic expression of illnesses previously attributed solely to tobacco use, that those found culpable be held fiscally accountable, to the degree determined by the same scientifically qualified panels, with suitable restitution to the tobacco taxpayers as a consequence.
5. Additionally, be it found that institutions or individuals have purposely, for profit, or gain of status, mis-stated or over-stated the impact or role of tobacco usage in the symptomatic expression of certain illnesses, those found culpable of purposeful deception for profit be held fiscally accountable, to the degree determined by the same scientifically qualified panels, with suitable restitution to the specific taxpayers as a consequence, in conjunction with the possibility of criminal prosecution for fraud.

   The above needs more in the way of specifics, especially concerning the definition of "scientifically qualified panels" as well as specific methods of oversight and redress of these panels by the public. The Master Settlement Agreement (which you should read sometime) already addresses the cigarette companies' faults and responsibilities of issues 4 & 5 above. However, unlike President Bush's Homeland Security Bill that grew from 40 pages as it left his desk to over 400 pages by the time it left the House of Representatives, there should be no need for over-engineering a simple and logical plan that addresses the stated interests of the medical community and the individual rights of the people to know. The details of taxation, punitive damages, and research are beyond the understanding of very few.   

  The emerging Make You Own philosophy, (which is basically to regain control of our ability to chose and be proactive in our views and choices) especially as it extends well beyond the scope of tobacco, is potentially a very powerful political force that, with enough visibility, could foreseeably change the way our government looks at the control of its population and better defines the risks governments take in supporting tax-driven, social engineering schemes. We at RYO Magazine are dedicated to the prospect of accurate and fair information regardless of subject, as well as the uncompromising appreciation of quality above profit. Profit will come from purity and quality and have more lasting benefits as well. We also believe that given complete and honest data, most humans are more than capable of making wise decisions. With the recent increases in taxation on packaged cigarettes in so many states, even greater interest is being directed at this magazine and the industry as a whole - this is increasing daily. We feel an obligation to play it straight with our readers, who come from every point of view imaginable, from every continent on the planet, as they are our most valuable resource.

  Just remember Obama's S-Chip tax hike (from $2/lb. to $24.78/lb.) and the damage done to the real tobacco industry which at the time was trying very hard to make better tobacco than packaged cigarettes (not much challenge there). And now the taxes are growing higher every day on those cigarettes as well and the RYO market is left mostly to Pipe tobacco. The sheep will continue to be sheared as long as the SHEARS are in the sole hands of the Government and scientific oversight (fact not opinion based speculation) once again takes precedent.