That is beautiful! I have seen how cigars are roll so I am curious. 1. Did you roll that without any equipment? 2. Is it cheaper to buy the tobacco and roll it yourself? 3. How would you compare the taste? Yard gar, high end?
1) All you need for "equipment" is the old lady's breadboard to roll on, a pizza cutter or ulu to cut your leaves with, and that's it. That right there is a good start. Maybe along the way, when you really get into it, then you roll some newspaper around your cigar to make an ersatz mold. Then you might haunt the antique shops or ebay for an old cigar mold, for like $35. Might even take a copper pipe fitting you score at Home Despot, sharpen up the end, and there's your cap cutter.
2) Well, of course it is. It's not the lady making a pittance of pesos... it's all the middlemen you're cutting out. I can make a 5 1/4" x 50rg perfecto lasting me an hour and a half, costs me 75 cents. To be fair, tho, most guys roll parejos... that's a heck of a lot easier, but may double the price.
3) I'll be honest, a little of both. Starting out, I prolly rolled more yard gars than anything. Now that I have a better handle on what I like to blend, I prefer a home rolled and aged Uppowoc Perfecto most 80% of the time. But that misses the point. How many times have you blown 8 or 10 bucks on a stick you say "that's really not for me"? Just the nature of cigar sampling, I spose. Takes a while to find the bought cigars you want to stash a box of. So it's the exact same for store bought as it is for home rolled. You just have to find out what you like, either way.
4) Plus, here's the thing: You are missing point number four. Number four is the most important of all the points. Number four is the part where you sit down among a beautiful selection of the most wunnerful aromas on God's good green earth, and stick your hands in up to the elbows, and get yourself into a magical trance. Rolling a half dozen sticks takes about the time it takes to smoke a wonderful stick, and is easily as satisfying; but with the added anticipation that you get to enjoy that product down the road.. A terrific couple of hours. You know how the finest stick you go sniffing your fingers the rest of the night thinking of that fine aroma? Same here. You have those baccy oils all over your hands and up in your sinuses. Oh my. Plus, and here's the deal, instead of making stinky ash heaps out of a beautiful stick, you're making eager anticipation, cause you know you get to smoke those beauties down the road when they get ripe.
You want a starter kit? Ping me.