"Zig-Zag Makes It Longer"

n this issue's Injector Section we took a look at Zig-Zag's new 100mm injector. As promised there, we now take a look at the most excellent tubes that were designed to compliment this new injector. The tubes come in both a Full flavor and Light version and are absolutely first class. You must take into account that over the years we have become accustomed to the superior flavor of good tobaccos and quality tubes and in some ways perhaps we now take for granted the efforts that must go into the manufacturer of these kinds of products. There are a number of good tubes out there much like there are more than a dozen tobaccos I could enjoy as stand-alones. Therefore, when we say that these tubes are special you must appreciate that we are seeing in them an improvement in construction, flavor and overall experience that merits special attention. The Full Flavor Zig-Zag seems to create an increased yet mellow tobacco flavor factor merely because of its length. The longer stick provides more tobacco to serve as additional filtration as well as adding richer tobacco flavor as the smoke passes through the extra volume of unburned leaf. The result is a very smooth and silky smoke. The filter itself is pretty standard in length and the paper exhibits no burning paper taste. These tube are very well made and show no signs of unusual fragility or manufacturing inconsistencies. The printing

   The Light version is singularly spectacular! Immediately upon trying the Light version, the amazingly cool and mellow character of the smoke was unmistakable. Most tubes use one of two method to achieve a lighter experience. The most common is perforating the filter element using a laser cutter to, in effect, punch holes at the front end of the filter element. The problem with these holes (as we have mentioned more than a few times in previous issues) is that we find they can cause an increased harshness to the smoke. The mechanism of this is still unclear but it would seem logical to attribute this harshness to the drying effect the introduction of outside air at this last stage imparts to the smoke.

  Zig-Zag's standard King-size lights use these perforations as do most all other light tubes except CTC's Escort Light which is why we consider the Escort Light our personal favorite King-size Light tube. This time however, Zig-Zag opted with their new 100mm Light to use ventilated paper (as does Escort) to achieve their lightness. The graphic at left shows the microscopic holes in the tube paper itself as compared with the standard paper used on the Full-flavored tube (at right). In our humble opinion, this ventilation method is a better method of achieving tube mildness. Furthermore, ZigZag extended the length of the filter element (lower left - the top element is from their 100mm Full-flavor - the bottom is the Light element). The combination of the ventilated paper and the extend length element is the reason for this tube's superiority and mildness. Zig Zag's 100mm Light is the only light 100mm we have seen to date and as we prefer lighter, milder smokes, we find this new 100mm irresistible. They are already in the distribution chain but be aware that per box of 200 their wholesale cost is about 40% more than the Escort light and 30% more than Zig-Zag's King-size line. Frankly, to many, they are worth the extra money as the increase in the length of time the cigarette lasts is at least that much. Of course, we would like to see the entire Zig-Zag line come down a bit in price and we have spoken at length with the company on this very issue. We receive a lot of e-mail on this subject as well as frequent comments from distributors who likewise find the prices a bit excessive. Nonetheless we have to admit that the Zig-Zag tube is superior to a noticeable degree from most other tubes and they often offer dealer and distributor incentives that are regularly passed on to the consumer. Zig-Zag is a first class company and takes a lot of pride in the products they produce. And considering the savings one experiences by making cigarettes for yourself, the added cost is really not that much of a factor for most smokers. It is also important to note that these tubes not only work well with the Zig-Zag 100mm injector, but are outstanding performers with the new Premier Supermatic as well. You have to set this machine to 100mm length for optimum packing but it involves only a simple flip of the switch on the Supermatic's front panel.

   The Vera Cruz™ line of designer quality tubes remains a mystery. We are hoping to have sufficient information to present this product with complete info at the upcoming ITE (International Tobacco Expo) in Las Vegas in early April. We have had a tremendous response from last issue's article regarding these tubes and there can be no doubt whatsoever that the market is ripe for these kinds of upscale amenities. We are so convinced of their potential that if necessary, we will find a way to produce tubes of this design quality if no one else surfaces to produce same. We welcome your continued comments on the "look" and image of MYO and your opinions on how the look (cosmetics) may influence the future successful expansion of the make your own process. - RYO

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