A bundle of cellulose acetate fibers is bonded together with a water-soluble fiber-to-fiber bonding agent. The water-soluble fiber-to-fiber bonding agent may include 60-99 wt. % of a water-soluble binder and 40-1 wt. % of a plasticizer. As to the specific components, the water-soluble fiber-to-fiber bonding agent may be a mixture of a water-soluble polymer and glycerol triacetate. The bonded fibers are wrapped in a paper having opposing ends secured together with a water-soluble plug wrap adhesive. A plurality of cuts are made to extend more than one half way through the bundle wrapped fibers. The plurality of cuts may extend more than one half way through the bundle without extending completely through the bundle and may extend from a plurality of different directions. Further, the bundle of wrapped fibers may have cuts extending more than one half way though the bundle from a first direction, and also have a plurality of cuts extending less than one half way through the bundle from a second direction, different than the first direction. If cuts are made from different directions, there is a distance between adjacent cuts made from that direction, and this distance should be in the range of 2 to 7 mm.
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