RAW papers are brown because nobody took the colour out. That is the short version. RAW makes unbleached, unrefined rolling papers, and the brown is the paper's own colour.
The longer version is below: where RAW papers come from, what the lines mean, what "king size slim" measures, which filter fits, and why the two RAW papers on our shelf have no price yet.
Where RAW papers come from
RAW was created in 1995 by Josh Kesselman, according to Wikipedia's entry on the brand. In the United States the brand belongs to his company, HBI.
The idea from day one was a paper with less done to it. Wikipedia describes RAW papers as made from "unbleached and less processed plant fibers" and notes that "the papers do not contain chemical whiteners".
Spain is part of the story. Wikipedia records that the Organic Hemp papers are made in Benimarfull, a village in Alicante province, from organic hemp milled in southern France. The same entry notes a paper factory in Alicante province that has made rolling papers since around 1764.
Why RAW papers are brown
White paper is white because it has been bleached. Skip the bleaching and you get the colour of the fibre, a light brown.
Three things follow from that:
- The taste. Less treatment means less to taste. The paper tastes of very little, which is the only job a paper has.
- The burn. RAW's classic paper burns slowly and evenly.
- The look. Brown, slightly translucent, with a pattern you can see when you hold a leaf up to the light.
Brown does not mean rough. Unbleached papers are not thicker or coarser than white ones. Thickness is a separate choice.
The watermark and the gum
Hold a RAW leaf up to a window. You will see a pattern pressed into the paper. Wikipedia explains that the watermark "is created by pressing and rolling the paper between two metal rollers with constant pressure".
The gum strip along the long edge is plant-based and water-based, per the same source. One light lick is enough.
RAW papers explained, line by line
RAW sells many papers. Most of them sit in three lines.
| Line | Fibre | Colour | On our shelf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | RAW's unrefined blend | Natural brown | RAW Classic King Size Slim |
| Organic Hemp | Organic hemp | Natural brown | RAW Organic Hemp King Size Slim |
| Black | Unbleached | Natural brown, black booklet | Not stocked |
RAW Classic
The one most people mean when they say RAW papers. Unrefined, unbleached, slow and even. If you have used RAW before, this is the taste you know.
RAW Organic Hemp
Made from organic hemp fibre and left unbleached. Hemp fibre is long and strong, so the paper can be thin and still hold a crease when you roll it firm. Pick it if you want to know what your paper is made of.
RAW Black
An unbleached paper in a black booklet. Wikipedia lists it as Black Natural Unbleached King Size Slim. We do not stock it. If you want a paper thinner than RAW Classic, our pick is Buho Natural (see the comparison below).
What king size slim means
Rolling papers come in widths and lengths with old names. Here are the ones on our shelf, with the numbers that matter.
| Format | Length | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| No1 regular | Short | The single-wide format |
| 1 1/4 | 78 mm | The everyday paper |
| King size slim | 110 mm | Long, cut narrower than a full king size |
Both RAW papers we stock are king size slim: 110 mm long, 32 leaves to a booklet. "Slim" is the useful word. You get the length of a king size without the wall of paper a full-width king size wraps around it.
Which filter fits RAW king size slim
A slim paper wants a slim filter. The Hybrid 6.4 mm filter tips are sized for it: 6.4 mm wide, 30 mm long, 55 to a box. Coconut activated carbon packed with cellulose, so the draw stays open to the end.
If a filter sits loose in your paper, it is too narrow. If it bulges the end, it is too wide. The 6.4 mm sits snug in a king size slim.
RAW, Buho or OCB
Three makers, three different ideas of a good paper.
| RAW Classic KSS | Buho Natural KSS | OCB Premium 1 1/4 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour | Natural brown | Natural brown | White, black booklet |
| Length | 110 mm | 110 mm | 78 mm |
| Thickness | Standard | 13 gsm, ultra-thin | Thin |
| Best for | The RAW taste you know | The thinnest unbleached paper | The classic white reference |
Pick RAW if you want the name everyone knows and the taste you are used to.
Pick Buho Natural if you want thinner. At 13 gsm (grams per square metre), it is at the thin end of what paper makers produce. Thin paper rewards a lighter hand.
Pick OCB Premium if you prefer a white paper in the shorter 1 1/4 size. OCB has made paper in France since 1918, and the Premium is the one others get measured against.
Which RAW paper to pick
Three questions settle it.
Have you used RAW before? Then take the RAW Classic King Size Slim. It is the taste you already know, and the size most people mean when they say RAW papers.
Do you care what the paper is made of? Take the RAW Organic Hemp King Size Slim. Same 110 mm length, same 32 leaves, made from organic hemp fibre and left unbleached.
Do you want less paper? Stay with king size slim rather than a full king size. The slim cut gives you the length with less paper around it. If you want thinner still, step across to Buho Natural.
Both RAW papers take the same filter, so you can switch between them without changing anything else.
How to roll a king size slim without tearing it
A long paper is less forgiving than a short one. Four habits help.
- Find the gum line first. It runs along the long edge. Hold the paper with the gum at the top, facing you.
- Lay the filter at one end. Roll the paper around it so the filter end sits flush.
- Roll firm on hemp, gentle on thin paper. Hemp paper holds a crease well, so you can roll it tight. A 13 gsm paper rewards a lighter hand.
- Lick the gum lightly. One pass. A soaked gum line wrinkles and lets go.
One filter per paper. Do not reuse them.
Why our RAW papers have no price yet
Straight answer. Our supplier sells RAW only in trade boxes of 50 booklets. Charging you for a box of 50 is not the same as selling you a paper, and a box price on a card that shows one booklet would be a wrong price.
So the two RAW papers stay listed on the RAW brand page, with sizes and specs, and without a price. When single booklets arrive, the price appears. Everything you need to choose is on the page now.
FAQ
Why are RAW papers brown?
They are unbleached. The brown is the natural colour of the fibre. Wikipedia notes that RAW papers contain no chemical whiteners.
Who makes RAW papers?
RAW was created in 1995 by Josh Kesselman. His company HBI owns the brand in the United States. The Organic Hemp papers are made in Benimarfull, in Spain's Alicante province.
How long is a RAW king size slim paper?
110 mm, with 32 leaves to a booklet. A 1 1/4 is 78 mm.
What filter fits RAW king size slim?
A 6.4 mm slim filter, such as Hybrid 6.4 mm.
What is the difference between RAW Classic and RAW Organic Hemp?
Same size, same maker. Classic is RAW's unrefined blend. Organic Hemp is made from organic hemp fibre, which is strong enough to make a thin paper that holds a crease.
