Archive for October, 2009

Customs for giving Cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

There are many customs and traditions which have no reason and the origin of them is never been able to trace. Cigarette smoking around a newborn baby boy is one such tradition which has been widely practiced all around the world. There are many customs which are to be followed when you have a new born baby boy. For example, it has been a tradition that the new born baby boy will be dressed in blue and the father of the child distributes cigars to all his friends who will arrive at the ceremony.

map1Cigar distribution in such a ceremony has been an age old practice and it did not arise the previous night. It has been in practice since the 17th century. At this time of the world, cigars were not so popular and they were considered as a treasure. So, sharing it with someone was considered a great feat and was considered very emotional. But as the 18th century started, cigars became more popular and it was used as a medium of exchange. It was a popular tip which a person gave as an appreciation of the other person’s work.

The birth of a baby boy has always been considered special in any society and it has been a habit of everyone to celebrate it. In certain places, it is also considered to be a great occasion of national importance because of the value the young guy would add to his father as well as the society in the near future. So, those who could afford to celebrate it did so by giving cigars to all, as a token of sharing their happiness with their close kith and kin.

Posted in Cigar History, Cigars | No Comments »

It’s a Boy! pass out the handmade cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

newbornThe origin of this tradition is believed to come from the Native Americans who made it a custom to celebrate any event with the use of tobacco as a part of their custom. When America was invaded by the Europeans and others, it is believed that this custom was stolen along with the other resources. This is one part of the theory. Another theory says that Cigars have always been a man’s cup of tea and it symbolizes masculinity and this is the reason why it was used to celebrate the birth of a male child.

As this practice became more and more popular, even mothers began to indulge in this practice by handing out handmade cigars to her close friends making it an equally popular tradition. So do not be surprised to see a woman smoking a cigar in such an occasion. But there are many who believe that this is a foolish custom and it may affect the health of the child. But if you are one who find it a special custom, make sure that you give the best cigar which is hand-rolled and well made to your friends on this occasion. It is also to be noted that the taste of these cigars change with the color of the outer wrapper of the cigar. So, make sure you have plenty in different colors letting your friends choose the best handmade cigars of their choice.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Tips on Buying a Lighter for Handmade Cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

lighter2Carrying matches along with your  handmade cigars has become an age old fashion and people no longer prefer to carry matches and get into accidents of any sort. Matches have become very primitive and they are no longer preferred mainly because the fire coming out of these matches can cause any undesirable outcome other than lighting your cigar. Also, one needs to take great care in putting it off before throwing it away. Other than this, you cannot use a match wherever you are. Especially, in a sophisticated place such as a business meeting or a party where there is no restricting for you to smoke.

Once you have decided to go for cigar lighters, you have to choose one for you. You can choose a cigar lighter for you depending on three parameters. They are:

1) The type of your lifestyle. If you are a bully and if you were to smoke from the smallest and the ugliest of cigar lighters then no one is going to respect you anymore.

2) Choosing a cigar lighter also depends on how much you use it. If you are someone who smokes cigars all day and are planning to buy one which hardly lasts for some 200 fires then you are going to finish it off in a week or so to the maximum, even if you were to borrow your friends lighter once or twice.

3) Apart from all these the most important factor is the amount of money you are willing to spend on the cigar lighter. This is one of the biggest parameters. Cigar lighters with gems embedded on them are also available but what matters is, if it comes under your cost preferences or not.

Posted in Cigar Knowledge, Cigars | No Comments »

Cigars and Lighters

Friday, October 30th, 2009

lighter1 Lighters for handmade cigars are different from that of cigarette lighters as in case of cigarettes, dry tobacco is used while in cigars moist tobacco is used. If you were to use a cigarette lighter for lighting your cigars then you are definitely going to spoil the taste of your cigar. A cigar lighter requires a broad flame and a clean burning fuel such as butane or torch so that it does not affect the taste of the cigar. Also, it takes a little more time to light a cigar compared to a cigarette. So, it is necessary for you to buy a cigar lighter which is wind and waterproof and must be able to produce a flame to light the cigar evenly.

Lighters for cigars are also costlier than cigarette lighters and a simple wind resistant and refillable lighter would cost you around $100 while a designer piece can vary over a large range depending on its design and specialty. A cigar lighter is a mark of your personality so choose one wisely depending upon it. Also, you can impress someone by gifting him/her a cigar lighter which would suit them the best. If you can afford enough on a cigar lighter, you can even purchase a unique cigar lighter for you. There are a number of brands out there in the market for you to choose from.

Posted in Cigar Knowledge, Cigars | No Comments »

Hand-rolled Cigars vs. Machine-rolled Part 1

Friday, October 30th, 2009

hand-rolled2The basic difference between cigars comes by its method of making and this is how cigars are classified generally. In general, cigars are either made by machines or rolled by hand, so the classification stands as Hand rolled cigars and Machine rolled cigars. Someone who is new to smoking and someone who cannot see any big difference between cigars can start off with the machine rolled cigars which are available in super markets and some drug stores. These cost comparatively less. But, if you are someone who wishes to go to the next level in smoking, it is better for you to carry yourself to the next level by spending some extra money and smoking a cigar which is hand rolled. These hand rolled cigars are not available so easily and it can be obtained only from the tobacconist in your place or can be purchased from any online store which sells them.

The difference between hand made cigars and machine rolled cigars other than its making is that hand rolled cigars are made out of 100% tobacco which is mostly imported from foreign countries such as Dominican Republic (Dominican cigars)where the best tobacco of the world is cultivated. These tobacco brands are much better in terms of quality and flavor. In case of a machine rolled cigar, 100% tobacco is not used. Along with tobacco, preservatives, paper and other chemical ingredients are also used. This reduces the quality of the cigar.

Posted in Cigar History, Cigar Knowledge, Cigars | No Comments »

Hand-rolled Cigars vs. Machine-rolled Part 2

Friday, October 30th, 2009

hand-rolled1The general theory is that hand rolled cigars are much costlier than machine rolled cigars. But certain cigars made from machines are also mislabeled as hand rolled cigars just because its outer wrapper was rolled with hand. This is the reason why you find certain hand rolled cigars cheaper. So, if you are someone who is interested in smoking an original hand rolled cigar, do not go for the cheaper ones.

The main components of a hand rolled cigar are the filler, the binder to hold it and its outer cover. In case of a hand roller cigar, long fillers are used which are 100% tobacco and this is the reason why a packet of them costs up to 70$ when there are cheap cigars which cost less than 1$ each. Also, the short fillers used in the case of a machine manufactured cigar do not completely consist of tobacco leaves. The filler consists of leaves, stems and other parts of the tobacco plant which are chopped into very small pieces by the machine and this definitely affects the taste of the cigar. If you are someone who smokes regularly and cannot afford to spend more money on smoking, then you can go for these cigars as they are not so bad after all. But if you are someone who are more interested to experience the original quality of a hand rolled cigar then you should definitely give it a try and get the best smoking experience.

Also, the outer wrapper of  hand rolled cigars looks more attractive, attracting all cigar lovers to give it a try at least once in their lifetime.

Posted in Cigar History, Cigar Knowledge, Cigars | No Comments »

Make Your Own Humidor for Handmade Cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

humidor1Before starting on making your humidor, it is time to know what a humidor actually means. A humidor is a kind of box or room which is capable of maintaining a constant humidity and temperature and can be used for storing any article which requires these conditions. In general, it is used for storing handmade cigars and other tobacco related items. Humidors even come with hygrometers to keep the humidity level in check.

There are different types of humidors such as Table humidor, Room humidor, Travel humidor and Personal humidor. Purchasing these humidors for cigars is often not desired as it takes many hundreds of dollars to purchase a well functioning humidor. This is the reason why making one’s own humidor became popular. Everyone cannot afford to invest so much in smoking and also making such a device is not so tough unless you expect it to be very fashionable.

Making a humidor is so simple that it doesn’t need any kind of particular skill or experience. A simple humidor can be made as follows:
Equipment Needed:
1) An air tight cooler box or any other branded product that is capable of holding the required cigars content of your choice. Go for a bigger one if you are very much fond of smoking.
2) An oasis florist. Go for the one which absorbs water and not the dry one which doesn’t.
3) Propylene Glycol (PG). It can be obtained from a pharmacist and if your local pharmacist doesn’t have it then you can get it ordered from him and it does not cost more than $8.
4) A digital thermometer or hygrometer to show you the humidity level in the container.
5) Distilled water - In case you do not trust your tap water to be free from dangerous micro organisms.
6) Scissors and other accessories which can make a hole in your container.

Making Procedure:
1) With the scissor and other accessories, make a hole in the top of the container to the size of the display of your digital thermometer or hygrometer.
2) Also, drill a small hole near the sides of the container in case you fill your oasis a little more than what is required.
3) From the florists oasis, cut a piece so that it is a little smaller than the bottom of the container with a little space to move.
4) Mix the propylene glycol and distilled water in equal amounts and make a solution of it so that it comes to half the size of your tea cup.
5) Soak the piece of the oasis into the above solution and make sure that you thoroughly damp without leaving many dry places. Also, make sure that the oasis is not dripping. Propylene glycol is a food additive so it does no damage to your handmade cigars.
6) Put the oasis on the bottom of the container and attach the digital hygrometer to the lid so that it shows the display on the outside. Remember to remove the clip of it to make the rear part of it exposed so that the calibration is accurate.
7) In case the calibration is not accurate, calibrate it and you can refer the web for this purpose.
Your own humidor is ready and in case the humidity level drops after months, soak your oasis once again and start using it.

Posted in Cigar Knowledge, Cigars | No Comments »

Cutting your Cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

cutter2Cigar cutters are devices used for cutting, penetrating or removing one end of the cigar commonly called as the cap to smoke properly. There are certain types of cigars which have to be cut in both ends but the common hand made cigars generally require a cut or hole in one end of the cap. Most cigars which are hand rolled will have a cap which is rounded and does not expose the tobacco inside. The cap area is made by pasting one or two small pieces of the wrapper by using a conventional tobacco paste or flour and water mixture. This cap may be cut with a scissor or even bitten off but cutting off the cap unevenly will result in a bad smoking experience as the cigar will not burn properly and also may also result in the loss of smokeable tobacco. Usually, cigar manufacturers use different type of tobacco along the length of the cigar to give the smoker a very good and different experience. It also gives different tastes and a variety of flavor. In case, if the end is badly peeled off then it may result in the loss of tobacco in this end.

So, in order to avoid these problems, the use of cigar cutters became popular. There are three different types of cigar cutters depending on the type of cut it makes. They are straight cigar cutter, wedge cigar cutter and hole punch cigar cutter. From the names, one can see that the straight cigar cutter makes a straight cut, wedge cutter makes a v-shaped wedge and hole punch puts a hole in the cigar to open the cap.

Posted in Cigar Knowledge, Cigars, Cigars and Culture | No Comments »

Types of Cutters for Cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

cutter1Straight Cigar Cutter - The straight cigar cutter is one of the basic types of cutters which have been in use for a long time ever since it was made. It makes single cut on the cap with a single blade. There are straight cigar cutters which make use of two blades. A straight cut can also be made using a cigar scissor but it is very easy to carry a straight cigar cutter in your pocket unlike a scissor. Also, in case of a straight cigar cutter, the cut can be wherever one intends.

Wedge Cutter - The wedge cutter makes a V cut in one end of the cigars without cutting off the end. It slices from one side and at the same depth every time it cuts. This is one disadvantage as different cigars are off different length and different cap sizes so having a wedge cutter of one size restricts you from smoking different size of cigars.

Hole Punch - The hole punch, as the name suggests puts a hole in the cigars instead of cutting it. There are certain disadvantages in this type of cutter. If the hole punched is not big enough for the cigar, the small passage restricts the path of smoke and the burnt tar also accumulates near the hole giving a bad smoking experience. Also, a hole punch is not specifically needed as something else like a pencil can even make a hole.
Overall, straight cutters with a double blade are the best type of cutters.

Posted in Cigar Knowledge, Cigars | No Comments »

Colors of Cigars

Friday, October 30th, 2009

colorIf you are someone who does not know what a cigar is, then for your information, cigars are a bundle of tightly rolled fermented tobacco which is dried before it is made. There are three different components of a cigar namely Fillers, Wrappers and Binders. All of them have a considerable effect on the quality of the cigar and its taste making it all the more important in choosing the components for its making. The filler of a handmade cigars is nothing but tobacco which determines the primary quality of the cigar. Hand rolled cigars which make use of long fillers and 100% tobacco and are much costlier than machine rolled cigars mainly because of their quality. There are many who purchase these costly cigars making one understand the difference in quality which leads people to buy them.

It is very natural for the quality of the cigar to be affected with the difference in the quality of the filler. But one would be surprised to know that even the wrapper of the cigar has a significant contribution towards its taste and quality. The outer wrapper of a cigar is not simply paper like that of cigarettes. The wrapper of a cigar is generally the leaves of a tobacco plant and in general, the widest leaf of the plant is chosen to wrap as it has to hold the filler in it. This wrapper leaf determines the character, quality, flavor and taste of the cigar and this is the reason why many cigars are often described by its wrapper.

The general colors used in cigars are Double Claro, Claro, Colorado, Colorado Claro, Colorado Maduro, Natural, Maduro, and Oscuro with Double Claro being the lightest and Oscuro being the darkest color. Double Claro which appears to be slightly greenish in color is achieved by picking the leaves before it is matured and by drying it quickly and Oscuro leaves are black in color and give the strongest flavor. Different parts of the world grow different kinds of leaves, thereby, giving a brand name to the quality of handmade cigars made from that place.

It is generally believed and commented by everyone that cigars made out of dark wrappers are a touch sweet compared to the lighter ones which taste dry. Also, statistics say that it is the wrapper which contributes 40% to the taste and the flavor of the cigar while the filler and binder contribute the remaining 60%. This is the reason why people find difference in the flavor of cigars made out from the same fillers while the wrapper being different. For example, when a Maduro cigar and a Double Claro cigar containing the same filler and binder are compared, Maduro cigars are found to be stronger in flavor than that of Double Claro cigars. But this cannot be generalized as the quality of the filler and the binder can also change.

Posted in Cigar History, Cigar Knowledge, Cigars, Cigars and Culture | No Comments »