The History of RAW
In 2022 RAW is one of the most recognisable smoking brands, the iconic red font being a symbol for quality natural products. But how did this happen?
Founded in 2005 by Josh Kesselman, RAW was the third product Kesselman had created to be sold by his wholesale company HBI. Previously he had seen a gap in the market and created Juicy Jay’s flavoured rolling papers. He followed up this success with Elements rice papers. For his third venture he teamed up with a manufacturer in Alcoy, Spain to create his magnum opus, RAW rolling papers.
The vision was clear, seeing a massive gap in the market Kesselman wanted to sell a paper that was vegan friendly, believing it would be a massive success. To do this he sourced unprocessed and unbleached hemp fibre, it was then that he dubbed them “RAW papers”. First impressions were overwhelmingly positive and in 2009 after only 4 years on the market the brand saw an incredible boom in popularity.
This was owed to the fact that customers were looking for better, more natural options for smoking along with the organic and vegan proliferation of the late 2000s. Word of mouth was also a prominent factor in the acceleration and growth of the brand.
It was thought impossible to compete with the long running brands such as Rizla and Zig-Zag, who dominated the landscape for decades, but RAW was the first company to challenge these companies to great success.
Classic Unbleached
The most recognisable line of papers are the “original” or “classic” range. When removed from the packet RAW Classics are a distinctive brown colour that is semi transparent due to the paper’s thinness. When held up to the light you can see the unique criss-cross watermark (a sign of the paper’s authenticity).
When smoking these papers leave a clean ash and are practically tasteless. As with all thin papers, RAW’s appreciate a steady confident hand. The result speaks for itself, most people who try these papers become instant converts and those who have become accustomed to them often refuse to use anything else.
As mentioned before these papers are genuinely vegan. No animal products have been used, the gum being sourced from a sustainably harvested Acacia gum.
Organic Hemp
Following up on the initial success and hype generated around the RAW Classic’s release, Kesselman set his sights on a second range. This would focus on his original concept of utilising hemp fibre to create a slow burning organic hemp paper. These look somewhat different to the iconic Classic line, instead being a beige/cream colour. This is a result of the hemp pulp and may result in a paper that looks more traditional in appearance.
As with all RAW rolling papers, this range also has the criss-cross watermark across the length of the paper. As mentioned before, this is the sign of genuine RAW papers.
Hemp is a far more sustainable crop than that of trees. Within the time it takes to grow a tree, and the amount of water involved, one could grow numerous hemp harvests. This makes it a no brainer for eco conscious consumers.
Black
The latest line to be added to the RAW family is that of the Black range. Already known for being a thin paper, the team at RAW wanted to take this to the extreme. An instant hit with fans looking for the cleanest smoke possible, Blacks are available in the Classic and Organic format.
Not only are they thinner but they are also slimmer, the same width as a 1¼ size paper. This enables those used to ripping the excess paper off (what is known as a backflip) to not have to do this.
Raw Tips
Raw have a large range of different tips, accommodating the wants of every smoker. Hemp, card and glass are a few of the options available. For those who find rolling a good filter hard, pre-rolled tips are a popular choice. For the cone roller, conical shaped Artesano tips are available. Perforated tips allow the user to create a zero barrier, making sure the tip never falls through.
Glass Tips are the choice for those looking for a filter that tastes as clean as possible. These are rolled with the tip protruding slightly from the bottom of the paper, in turn allowing you to fill more of the paper with your product of choice. There are two variants, one a traditional rounded mouthpiece and the other, a fluted mouthpiece.
Raw have a large range of different tips, accommodating the wants of every smoker. Hemp, card and glass are a few of the options available. For those who find rolling a good filter hard, pre-rolled tips are a popular choice. For the cone roller, conical shaped Artesano tips are available. Perforated tips allow the user to create a zero barrier, making sure the tip never falls through.
Glass Tips are the choice for those looking for a filter that tastes as clean as possible. These are rolled with the tip protruding slightly from the bottom of the paper, in turn allowing you to fill more of the paper with your product of choice. There are two variants, one a traditional rounded mouthpiece and the other, a fluted mouthpiece.
Rolling Aides
RAW have a large line of different rolling aids. These come in the form of rolling machines, rolling mats and automatic rolling boxes, each with their own unique system of helping the customer roll their own.
Rolling Machines
The most popular are those of the rolling machines. These are made from a 100% natural, hemp composite plastic. Rolling machines roll straight cigarettes and need the correct size of filter for the machine in question. RAW has 4 different models available. In order from smallest to largest these are: Regular Size, 1¼ Size, 2-Way Hemp 70mm and King Size.
Bamboo Rolling Mat
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RAW’s Rolling Mat is made from 100% organic bamboo.
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122mm in length, the perfect length for rolling anything up to a King Size.
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Perhaps the easiest of the rolling aids to use, the rolling mat is an ideal way for beginners to learn how to roll before going on to try for themselves.
Automatic Rolling Box
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The Automatic Rolling box is an ingenious tool, simply pop in correct necessities (rolling paper, tobacco & filter) and out pops the pre-rolled cigarette.
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To help those new to this device a handy instructional is contained within.
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For regular and 1¼ size rolling papers.
