Das Filter Blog
Pre-Rolled Tips vs Folding Your Own Crutch: Which Is Better?
Quick answer: Pre-rolled tips win on consistency and speed. Every tip in a pack is the same diameter, so your rolls come out the same every time, and there's no folding. Folding your own crutch wins on cost and lets you size each one by hand, but the diameter changes a little every time and it takes practice. If you roll often and want repeatable results, go pre-rolled. If you enjoy the ritual, fold your own.
Most crutch guides online show you how to fold one and stop there. This one puts the two options head to head, so you can decide which fits how you roll. Then we'll show you how to fold a good one anyway.
What's the difference?
A pre-rolled tip comes ready-made as a finished tube in a set size. Drop it into the end of your paper and roll.
A DIY crutch is a strip of card that you fold and roll into a tube yourself, usually with a few accordion folds at one end to form the inside.
Both do the same job: structure, an open mouth end, and keeping loose bits out of your mouth. (Here's what a filter tip actually does if you want the full rundown.)
Pre-rolled vs DIY at a glance
| Pre-rolled tips | Folding your own | |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Same diameter every time | Varies roll to roll |
| Speed | Instant | Takes time, especially at first |
| Skill needed | None | Some practice |
| Cost per roll | Low | Lowest |
| Size control | Pick a size (6, 7, 8, 12mm) | Fully custom |
| Works in rolling machines | Yes, sized right | Hit or miss |
| Ritual | Minimal | Part of the fun |
Why go pre-rolled?
Consistency
This is the big one. A hand-folded crutch comes out a slightly different diameter each time, depending on how tight you rolled it and how much the card sprang back. A different tip diameter means a different roll: sometimes the paper overlaps nicely, sometimes it barely seals, sometimes the roll pinches above the tip.
With pre-rolled tips, the base never changes. You find the size that fits your paper, and every roll starts the same. That's why Das tips come in fixed sizes.
Speed
No cutting, folding, or rerolling a crutch that sprang open. It's a real difference when you're rolling several at once or rolling somewhere that isn't your kitchen table.
Easier for beginners
A new roller already has plenty to manage: even loading, tucking, sealing. Taking the crutch out of the equation makes learning much easier.
Rolling machines
Machines want a tip that's the right size and stays round. A pre-rolled tip is predictable in the barrel. A hand-folded one can unroll or get squashed. More in how to use a rolling machine.
Why fold your own?
Cost
A strip of card is basically free. If you roll a lot and budget is the main thing, that counts.
Custom sizing
You can roll a crutch to any diameter or length you like, from pencil-thin to fat.
The ritual
Plenty of rollers just like folding their own. It's part of the craft, and a clean W-fold crutch is satisfying to make.
You're never out
Got card? You've got a crutch.
How do you fold a good crutch?
If you're going DIY, do it right.
- Pick the right card. Stiff but foldable: a tip booklet's cover flap, a strip of card stock, or a perforated tip book. Skip glossy, printed or coated card.
- Cut a strip roughly the length you want the tip to be, and several times longer than the tip's circumference.
- Accordion fold one end. Make three or four small, tight back-and-forth folds to form an M or W shape. This is the part that blocks loose bits while leaving room for air.
- Roll the rest around the folds. Wrap the remaining card around the accordion into a cylinder. Go tight.
- Size it to your paper. Roll tighter for slim papers and looser for king size. If it won't hold the size you want, trim the strip.
- Pinch and place. Hold it rolled as you set it at the end of your paper, then let the paper hold it as you tuck and roll.
What goes wrong with DIY crutches?
- It unrolls. The card is springing back. Roll tighter, and keep it pinched until the paper is wrapped around it.
- It's too wide. The paper won't overlap enough to seal. Unroll it and trim the strip.
- It's too narrow. The roll pinches right above the tip. Use a longer strip or roll it looser.
- It's crooked. The roll angles off to one side. Keep the fold square to the edge of the card.
What size pre-rolled tip should you get?
Match the tip to your paper:
- Single wide / slim: Slim Jim, 6mm x 28mm
- 1 1/4: Midway, 7mm x 28mm for slim rolls, or Big Boy, 8mm x 37mm for fuller ones
- King size and cones: Big Boy, or 12mm wide tips for big rolls
Unsure? The filter tip size guide walks through every pairing, and rolling paper sizes explained covers the paper side.
How many should you buy?
The 20-count packs of Slim Jim, Midway and Big Boy are $10 each. If you've settled on a size, the 40-count packs of SLIM JIM, MIDWAY and BIG BOY are $20. If you want to try sizes side by side first, the DAS SAMPLER includes three 20-count tip packs, and the Higher Values Package pairs Big Boy and Slim Jim tips with rolling booklets.
So which is better?
For most people who roll regularly, pre-rolled tips. Consistency makes every roll easier, and the time saved adds up. For budget rollers and folks who enjoy the craft, folding your own is a perfectly good way to go. There's no wrong answer, and plenty of people keep a pack of tips in their bag and fold at home.
Frequently asked questions
Are pre-rolled tips better than folding your own?
They're more consistent and faster. Every pre-rolled tip in a pack is the same diameter, so every roll starts the same way. Folding your own costs less and lets you size each crutch by hand, but the diameter varies roll to roll.
What can I use to make a crutch?
Anything stiff but foldable: a tip booklet's cover flap, a strip of card stock or a perforated tip book. Avoid glossy, printed or coated card.
How do you fold a crutch?
Make three or four small accordion folds at one end of the strip to form an M or W, then roll the rest of the card around the folds into a tight cylinder sized to your paper.
Why does my homemade crutch keep unrolling?
The card springs back if it's rolled loosely or is too stiff. Roll it tight, pinch it while you set it in the paper, and let the paper hold it closed as you tuck and roll.
What size pre-rolled tip should I buy?
Match the tip to your paper: 6mm for single wide and slim, 7mm or 8mm for 1 1/4, and 8mm or 12mm for king size and cones.
Shop Das filter tips. Products are for adults 21+.
