How NOT To Cut a Cigar

As I sat down enjoying a cigar and beverage late the other evening, a stranger sat down and offered to buy my a drink. Nothing creepy, they just recognized me and wanted to chat a bit.

That was cool. I am always up for some cigar talk as well as a free beverage.

I then offered my new found friend a cigar. He did not have any “tools” to light it up, so I handed over my personal cutter and lighter.

Mistake Number One..

The person said they didn’t need the cutter – He then proceeded to bite off the end of the cigar.

That hurt.

For starters, it was a good stick. Secondly, this act was the swan song to his telling me what a “cigar aficionado” he was.

There a a million posts on how to pick out a good cigar cutter and use it properly.

Here is what NOT to do…

Don’t bite off the end

Don’t use a key as a punch

Don’t take off the entire cap of the cigar (check out the example in that cool professional photo I found).

That is pretty much it. Use a cutter and remember that you can always cut more off if you decide you need to.

Here endeth the lesson.

 

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Xikar 3D Mayan Cigar Cutter

I am not going to lie, this has to be the coolest cutter I have ever owned. For a couple reasons…

1. Xikar makes great cutters. Period. – If you are like me, you have seen a variety of neat looking cutters that just come up short (no pun intended) when it comes to the actual cutting portion. I have yet to have a Xikar cutter fail in the cutting department.

2. The 3D Mayan cigar cutter is a work of art – before you ever start cutting. Half cutter, half sculpture. Even the weight of it is noticeably heavier than the average cutter.

3. So far, knock on wood, I have not run into another one. It is a real attention getter – so much so you might want to consider keeping it on a chain.

We have seen these as high at $250 retail. I picked mine off Amazon for $179.00. Although somewhat pricey for the average recreational cigar smoker, it just may be the last cutter you ever buy.

It comes in a gift box with a certificate to redeem a free Sting-Ray cutter sheath.

Not sure how long you can grab them for the same price I did…so good luck.

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Can You Really Get Premium Cigars for $20 a Box??

I get a kick out of the weekly emails sent out by cigar companies. This morning was,  “Grab this box of premium cigars for only $20 a box!”

Oh, and did I mention they were also going to throw in a humidor and lighter?

WOW! What a deal right?

Not really.

I get sick and tired of hearing about people that are disappointed with cigars just because they were chasing some ridiculous low price.

If I sold you a car for $10,000 and threw in a boat and RV would you think you were getting a good car? Of course not. Why do you think the cigar world operates any different.

The fact of the matter is that the cigars typically suck. Big time.

So the would-be cigar smoker ends up throwing half of them away or decides that they just can’t get a good cigar anymore.

Here is what I recommend;

Stop chasing the incredible $2.00 a stick deal that comes with “free stuff.”

If it is a budget issue for you, then smoke less, but get better cigars. You will enjoy the cigar experience a ton more (even if it is slightly less often).

If this sounds like a rant, it is.

I started the Nomad Cigar Company to try and stop people from chasing crappy cigars. No, you won’t find a $2 cigar over at Nomad…and I am not going to apologize for that fact either. Sure I have plenty of deals over there (like with the Fugitive club you can earn free cigars just for referring friends) – but I will never sacrifice quality.

Too many of these high-volume online shops take their dried out cigars that have been sitting in the back office and make them “specials.”

Really. You deserve better than that.

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The Weight of Cigar Smoke

Hang around a cigar shop long enough and you will no doubt run into the old question, “Can you figure the weight of cigar smoke?”

The conversation starts out light enough (no pun intended) but it can get serious real quick as more and more people weigh in (pun intended).

First off, here is the history.

Rumor is, Sir Walter Raleigh once said that a large portion of a cigar is “smoke” and that he could effectively weigh it.

Here is what he did…

1. Weighed the cigar before smoking.

2. Smoked the cigar while carefully saving all of the ash created.

3. Weighed the ash (along with the remaining butt).

4. Subtracted the end weight (ash and butt) from the start weight (whole cigar).

5. The difference, he surmised, was the “weight of cigar smoke.”

Sounds simple enough huh? Probably best to leave it at that.

Enter the geeks…

As the evening progresses (and possibly some drinks) someone in the crowd knows more than they should and still gets an issue of popular science delivered to their home.

Then something like this comes up…

“But what is ash? I mean generally there are oxides of Si, P, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, and K. You need to consider what those elements were bound to before combustion. You also need to consider the temperature and pressure of the surrounding environment. I suppose a muffle furnace would suffice.”

What the hell?

OK Sheldon, sit down in your favorite cigar chair and shut up. Sheesh. Some people take all the fun out of it.

 

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The Best Cigars for the Money

It seems that some people just have too much money. And I don’t necessarily mean “wealthy.”

No, I mean people that just throw money away when it comes to picking out a decent cigar.

There are two ways to blow money when it comes to buying cigars.

1. Buy overpriced cigars or

2. Buy cigars that are too cheap.

Frankly, I am not sure which is the greater sin, so let’s start with the first one.

Twenty years ago, things were different. Your cigar choices were limited in two ways. One, there were just a lot less cigars out there and two, you were pretty much victim to whatever your local cigar shop deemed appropriate to carry.

That has changed.

There are lots of cigar companies out there…big and small. The big boys like Avo are putting out quality cigars at a variety of price points. New start-ups like NomadCigarCompany.com have figured out how to create quality cigars and an amazing price.

So, at the end of the day, you don’t need to pay $20 a stick for a quality cigar. Heck, you don’t even have to pay $15.

Secondly, stop chasing cigar that are under $4.00 a stick. I mean really. What kind of quality do you really think you are getting? For the most part (and yes, there are a couple of exceptions but probably not yours) anything under $4.00 a stick is the bologna of the cigar world – you just don’t know what you are getting.

My advice to the first group is try some lesser expensive cigars. Stop trying to prove yourself to the world via showing off the right “label” and actually enjoy a better smoke.

As for the second group. If it is a budget issue, just skip a cigar here and there and double your budget. You will have a much better cigar experience and stop blowing money on crappy sticks.

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Cuban Crafters 3 Blade Black Cigar Scissor Cutter

We just put in a order for what could be one of the coolest looking cutters on the planet. 

Course, we are just wondering if it will work in “real life.” [Read more…]

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Perdomo Habano Review by J Bebb

On Sunday afternoon I took advantage of a bright crisp fall day to have a
seat in the garden, share a glass of single malt with my daughter and light
up a wonderful cigar-the Perdomo Habano with a Corojo wrapper in a 6X60
gordo size.

The cigar is wonderful to look at, a light sheen lets it almost
glow. This Nicaraguan puro is well constructed, firm in the hand with a
great cedar-y smell in the pre-light. [Read more…]

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Finding the Best Cigar Cutters

Sure, you can use a razor blade, an x-acto knife or a pocket blade; you can even just bite and tear to remove the uncut end of a cigar.  Probably uncouth, but not without it’s value when you’re far from home with an unclipped cigar and a powerful urge to smoke. [Read more…]

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Tips for New Cigar Smokers

New to smoking cigars?

Don’t worry.  Even Winston Churchill had to start somewhere!

Cigar Secrets is filled with lots of information about choosing cigars, lighting  smoking them, accessories, etc.  But this page is devoted to answering the questions many ‘virgins’ ask.  A Cigar Newbie’s FAQ, if you like.  (And don’t be too hard on yourself – some of the, shall we say, more ‘experienced’ cigar smokers who are reading this site could do with a refresher in these basics too.)

So start here and keep on reading.  And why not enjoy a good smoke while you do? [Read more…]

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Getting to Know Cigar Wrappers

Of the three major cigar components – wrapper, binder and filler – it’s the wrapper leaves that readily present themselves for inspection when you’re making your purchase.  Some industry experts claim that up to 75% of the flavor of a cigar comes from the wrapper – so be sure to get to know them well.  “Kick the tires” so to speak of each new stogie you buy.

To pass muster, wrapper leaves should be thick and have an oily feeling.  They should possess a smooth and uniform color, with small veining running throughout the leaf.  The veins should be subtle, not prominent, and no blemishes should mar the leaf. [Read more…]

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