Tobacco particle size is known to influence quality factors such as filling power, cigarette end loss and pressure drop as well as manufacturing economics. In the purchase, threshing and presentation of tobacco to a cigarette factory considerable attention and effort is used to encourage the maximum concentration of large particles. This paper describes experiments which consider the translation from various uncut to cut particles at cutting and at cigarette making. It questions the relevancy of existing size criteria and how they may beneficially altered. In view of the detrimental effects of small tobacco particles on cigarette quality and production economics the concentration of tobacco testing and equipment design on large particles is questioned. It is postulated that this traditional aim towards large particles, at threshing, is inherently detrimental since it also tends to increase the quantity of small particles presented to the cigarette factory process.