History of rolling paper 500 years of smoking culture – Pay-Pay RAW OCB Rizla Smoking brands

History of Rolling Paper: 500 Years of Smoking Culture

HistoryRolling PaperJuly 2026· 9 min

History of Rolling Paper: 500 Years of Smoking Culture

Before Rizla, OCB or RAW existed, there was a mill in Alcoy. Spain didn’t just invent rolling paper — it taught the world how to roll. A journey through five centuries of history, founding brands and the natural paper revolution.
1154
First Alcoy mill
1764
First global brand
1924
Smoking launched
2005
RAW hemp paper

The First Mills: Alcoy, Birthplace of Rolling Paper

The history of rolling paper begins in the Valencian Community. In 1154, Spain’s first paper mills were built in Xàtiva and Alcoy, the manufacturing technique introduced from the Arab world. For centuries those mills produced writing and packaging paper. But in the 18th century someone had a different idea: make paper so thin and cleanly burning that it could wrap around tobacco.

Tobacco had been in Spain for decades — it arrived from the Americas in the 16th century — and smokers consumed it in pipes or large rolled leaves. Rolling paper was the elegant solution: compact, portable, disposable.

Why Alcoy and not Barcelona or Madrid

Alcoy had water mills since the 12th century. Its climate — the River Serpis, controlled humidity — was ideal for manufacturing fine, high-quality paper. When the time came to produce smoking paper, the infrastructure and know-how were already there. The city became the world capital of rolling paper for over a century.

The Booklet: The Great Innovation That Changed Everything

At the end of the 18th century, rolling paper was sold in large sheets that smokers cut or tore by hand. Practical, but uncomfortable. The revolution came from a priest.

Father Jaime Vilanova Estingo (1765–1824), a Dominican from Jàtiva (Valencia), is credited with inventing the rolling paper booklet: folding sheets into a small format, stacked and bound, ready to pull apart one by one. An idea so simple and so perfect that today, over 200 years later, the format hasn’t changed.

The Booklet — Why It Was a Product Leap

Before the booklet, rolling paper was a bulk commodity. After the booklet, it was a branded product. Now it could have a name, a logo, a design. Now it could be sold in tobacconists, exported, collected. The booklet transformed rolling paper into an identity object.

The Major Brands and Their History

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Pay-Pay

Alcoy, 1764

The first rolling paper brand in history. Founded in Alcoy, pioneered exporting rolling paper outside Spain, mainly to Latin America.

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Rizla

France, 1660

The Lacroix family perfected the first purpose-built rolling paper in 1660. In 1886 the name Rizla was born (riz + La + cross). In 1942 they patented the gummed edge.

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OCB

France, 1822

Brothers René and Guillaume Bolloré open a mill at Cascadec, River Odet. OCB: Odet + Cascadec + Bolloré. One of Europe’s best-selling brands.

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Smoking

Capellades (Barcelona), 1924

Miquel family making paper since 1725. Smoking brand launched in 1924 from Capellades. Today a global leader in premium rolling papers.

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RAW

Benimarfull (Alicante), 2005

Josh Kesselman invested in a Spanish factory in 2004. Launched RAW in 2005: unbleached organic hemp paper. The reference for the modern artisan smoker.

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Bambú

Alcoy, 19th century

Historic Alcoy brand, part of Papeleras Reunidas S.A. Very well known in Latin America and southern Europe.

The Natural Paper Revolution in the 21st Century

The global trend toward natural products — organic food, paraben-free cosmetics, recycled textiles — reached rolling paper too. The modern artisan smoker doesn’t want chlorine, doesn’t want bleach, doesn’t want additives. They want paper that doesn’t alter the flavour of their tobacco.

Unbleached Paper

The bleaching process gives paper its uniform white colour, but uses chemicals that many smokers consider unnecessary. Unbleached paper — in its natural light brown colour — preserves the intact fibre and adds no extra flavour. RAW popularised it; today almost every brand has an unbleached variant.

Hemp Paper

Made from hemp fibre instead of wood pulp or cotton, hemp paper has slow and even combustion, neutral flavour, and is biologically more sustainable. It burns without artificial resins. It is the dominant choice among artisan smokers across Europe.

Comparison of Major Brands

Brand Origin Year Material Gum Unbleached
Pay-Pay Alcoy, ES 1764 Cellulose Yes Limited
Rizla France 1660 Rice / cellulose Yes Yes
OCB France 1822 Fine cellulose Yes Yes
Smoking Capellades, ES 1924 Cellulose / rice Yes Yes
RAW Benimarfull, ES 2005 Organic hemp Yes Always
Bambú Alcoy, ES 19th c. Cellulose Yes Limited

Frequently Asked Questions About Rolling Paper

Where was rolling paper invented?
In Alcoy (Alicante, Spain). The first paper mills date to 1154. The first brand in the world — Pay-Pay — was founded in Alcoy in 1764.
Who invented the rolling paper booklet?
It is attributed to Father Jaime Vilanova Estingo (1765–1824), a Dominican friar from Jàtiva, Valencia. He invented the booklet format we still use today.
What is the oldest rolling paper brand in the world?
Pay-Pay, founded in Alcoy in 1764. Although the Lacroix family (Rizla) made rolling paper from 1660, Pay-Pay is recognised as the first commercial brand in the sector.
What does OCB stand for?
The initials of Odet (the river), Cascadec (the village) and Bolloré (the family). Founded in France in 1822.
Where is RAW made?
In Benimarfull, Alicante (Spain). Josh Kesselman invested in a Spanish factory in 2004 before launching the brand in 2005.
What’s the best rolling paper?
For neutral flavour: RAW Organic Hemp. For ultra-thin: Smoking Master or OCB Premium. For the classic: Pay-Pay or Rizla Blue. There is no universal best — there is the best for your style.

Papers, filters and accessories for the artisan smoker

At Beetle Print you’ll find everything a detail-conscious smoker needs: rolling papers, filters, organisers and premium accessories.

View rolling papersAll accessories
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