NotMinus

I have decided to start smoking cigars and have done some reading. I purchased a splendid spannich cedar lined humidor that holds aprox 50 cigars and am looking at ordering two boxes of Cigars to stock it up to begin. I will also need to buy a punch or cutter and a better lighter. I would like to spend around $150-200.00 CDN per box, does anyone have any suggestions for a quality cigar in that price range? What is the best method of lighing a cigar (Jet, zippo) ? Do you prefer to use a punch of cutter?

Cynthetiq

I prefer a cutter to a puncher.

Why spend so much money to begin? If you are truly serious about this, pick up the humidor, pick up a single box of cigars and see how long they last you. I don't have a humidor because I don't smoke cigars on a daily or even weekly basis.

I like to smoke Partagas because I can find them almost anywhere I travel.

lighting a cigar is best done with the cedar since it doesn't give you the naptha flavor from a zippo.

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tehblaed

On a related note: I've never smoked anything and was thinking about going into the "classy" side of tobacco - pipe or cigar. Would it be any more difficult to start here than with ciggarettes?

The reason I wish to start is because I can remember my best friend's dad smoking his pipe and making the entire basement smell fantastic.

NotMinus

The danger is switching from cigar / pipe to cigarettes eventually. For me, I enjoy it because everytime its been a social activity and I find pleasure in the act itself. The only real requirment for smoking a pipe is obviously a pipe and a lighter. If you plan to age cigars or keep them for any period of time they need to be kept warm and humid to retain the proper tropical like habitat which is acheived by placing them in a humidor.

I assumed to get a box (25) of decent cigars I would need to spend around $150-200 range. If anyone has a suggestion for a good cigar that is notably cheaper, I would like try a few brands. I have enjoyed most cigars that tend to have a richer flavorer.

Sledge

I never knew that cigars took so long to smoke. Cigarettes burn out in a matter of minutes, but a cigar lasts me over an hour. It really is a social phenomenon.

stevie667

theres nothing like sitting around with some mates puffing away in a pub, generally looking completly odd wearing holed baggys and hoodies with a pint in one hand, and a large cigar in another.

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dy156

I would suggest that before you buy a box, buy several individual cigatrs and see what you like. When I was in high school, my friend and I thought we'd try cigars, and I really liked the smaller Arturo Fuentes, I think they were called Rothschilds and some similar Dunhills. (mainly because the smaller ones don't take so long to smoke) Then cigars became popular in the early 90's and those jumped about 3x the price, and I haven't smoked many in quite awhile except at batchelor parties. You might try those, though.

World's King

I smoke a good cigar every few weeks. It's a great way to relax and work on getting mouth cancer.

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somoose

I do really enjoy smoking my pipe, as well as the occasional cigar or finer ciggarette. I must say that while no one's ever complemented me on the smell of a cigar, I've had several strangers thank me for smoking my pipe.

However, smoking a pipe is not a ready, set, smoke sort of affair. You'll probably find learning to smoke a pipe can be very frustrating. Even now I spend more time repacking and relighting my pipe than I do actually smoking it. I recommend visiting a good pipe store and getting instructions from there. Also, don't be afraid of estate (or used) pipes. My best smoking pipe is a little one which was pre-enjoyed.

Enjoy!

majik_6

I suggest going to a local cigar store, and looking for the Cigar Handbook. There's a few different books that go by that name (or similar names), but the one put out by Cigar Aficionado is very informative, and is such a beautifully made book, that it looks at place on the coffee table of any home. It will school you in how to select, store, light, cut, smoke and talk about cigars. It'll also teach you the growing regions, and the terms used.

Also, I'd definitely not recommend starting out with boxes. I have 7 humidors full of cigars, and never buy by the box, simply because I like to try new things, and find what I really enjoy. Unfortunately, most of the things I enjoy enough to buy a box, I can't afford a box of.

I use a double-bladed, self-sharpening cutter. I prefer it to single blade cutters, since it's a little cleaner cut. And I don't particularly care for punches at all, although they're sometimes necessary for cigars that either have too large a ring gauge to fit into a cutter, or have an unusual head, such as the Chisel (a new cigar with a chisel-shaped head).

As for lighting the cigar, you can use the cedar as suggested earlier (it's called a cedar "spill"). You do so by using a lighter (preferably butane) to light the cedar, and then use that to slowly light the cigar, being careful not to actually touch the flame to the tip of the cigar.

I personally find that to be a great hassle, so I use a butane jet lighter. Don't use a Zippo style lighter, unless you'd like your cigar to taste like lighter fluid. And it's best not to use a candle, no matter what you've seen in movies (airborn wax particles can attach to the cigar, and ruin the smoke).

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ratbastid

As a former smoker of 10 years, may I ask what would possess you to decide to engage in this form of self-mutiliation?

The decision to start smoking anything is like deciding to start slicing off parts of your body, a millimeter at a time. Oh, it's not a big deal. Just a millimeter at a time. Hope you can quit before you're missing something important....

I've got nothing but compassion for nicotiene addicts, but to decide to start smoking in this day and age is just idiotic.

NotMinus

I am willing to accept the damages it may do to my body. I do belive I have the resolution to govern my praxis.

Nisses

Ratbastid, they aren't nicotine addicts, you don't inhale cigarsmoke.

And it's a sort of social thing really. It's like drinking alcohol. Why would you drink alcohol, it destroys your liver, makes you all googly...

In this day and age, you pick your poison and live with it

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NotMinus

I picked up a double bladed guatine cutter and butane lighter today. I also ordered A box of 25 Jose J. Piedra Cazadores
15 Hurricanos Short Churchill, 5 Fonseca Delicias and a pack of Backwoods Red and Backwoods Brown.

Amano

off topic, but i really like the taste of cloves. and for some strange (but very fortunate) reason, I have no problem smoking one and then having absolute zero craving for months on end.

although, i haven't tried cigars. Anyone know how they taste compared to cloves? Different I'd imagine, and it'd probably be like comparing apples to oranges, but for anyone who has experienced both, which do you prefer and why?

cheezdip

I like the gomez fast breaks, or any macanudo. I'de recomed not bying boxes at all. Just by a few of different kinds to see what you like. It will take you forever to smoke a whole box.

ratbastid

You're taking me out of context, there. The nicotine isn't really the thing, it's the tars and carcinogens.

It's none of my business what crap you put in your body, but don't come posting to me when you've got mouth cancer.

AfterBurn

Where would be a good place to buy cigar paraphinalia? I figure cigar shops only sell cigars plus they're pretty hard to find

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MSD

To be honest, of all the cigars I've smoked, I keep going back to $2 packs of Gold and Milds. Maybe I'm not "cultured" enough, but the more expensive stuff just doesn't taste as good.

somoose

Actually I've found that cigar shops near me usually sell a good variety of cigar paraphinalia. Where to find them is another question altogether. I would think that Montreal would have some good stores, but if not, then I can safely say that most major US cities have great stores. I don't know if it's considered OK to suggest stores in this forum, but if it is then I can give a name for some good stores which I also know to have a website.

drawerfixer

The only cigar which really caught my mouths attention happened to be a Don Diego Prelude.



It's a small, mild cigar, and costs around a dollar per smoke.

I only smoke in social areas with friends, where I can kick back and act rich. By only smoking at these times, I can avoid addiction. Best of luck to ya.

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Astrocloud

I never smoke cigars.

Fenton-J-Cool

i dont get it, astro

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Astrocloud

??? what's there to get?

thingstodo

Try out many cigars before investing in a box unless you are just filthy rich. A few good brands in my opinion are Partagas, Punch, H. Upman and did I mention Partagas? there are many more but these are a few that are easy to find. Hell, you don't even need a humodir if you buy a few at a time. Try the Partags humitube or the Sabrosas and you don't need a humidor.

Special tip: if you're ever in the Caymans, buy a BOX of Cayman premiums!!!!

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NotMinus

I have enjoyed taking up cigar smoking. I am just about done hand building a humidor from some raw lumber I bought ( i will post up pictures when im done) it should store about 100-150 cigars when im done and it is contructed out of curly maple and spannish cedar. Iv budgeted out $50 a month on new cigar purchased and spent some cash initialy stocking the cheap humidor iv got now.

choskins

I recommend the Xikar guillotine cutter. Punches only work on certain ring guages. For lighters, I recommend the Colibri Trifecta.

Great cigars that are relatively cheap, include anything by CAO, the new Rocky Patels by Indian Tabac, anything by AVO or Gurkha.

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