bad draw

is there a good way to fix a cigar with a bad draw, one which is very hard to draw from.

I've had pretty good luck just rolling the cigar gently between my fingers. Sometimes you can even feel the tight spot that is causing the bad draw. I've read, but never tried, that fix a bad draw by pushing a toothpick up through the foot of the cigar. Good luck, tough drawing cigars are a pain.

I have tried to tooth pick trick. It doesnt work everytime, it just depends on how bad a draw you have. Most times, as said before you can feel the tight spot, hopefully it will be at the base of the cigar and you can bear with it until you get passed it.

If you can feel the tight spot and it is close to the base, you may want to try cutting it at the top of that point. You may get a better smoke instead of throwing it away


Enjoy.

Throw it away and light a new one!

(just kidding).

Yup, Ive found that rolling the cigar in between your thumb and your fingers works the best most of the time.

They make cigar pokers that seem to work pretty well. I'll see if I can find the link to a company that makes custom ones. They are pretty slick and can make a good gift.

I recently got a box of Cohiba Pentelas, and nearly every one has an extremely tight draw. it takes so much energy just to smoke the damn thing,

Rolling it did nothing, ill have to try the toothpick trick...

Life is too short to screw around with a bad cigar. I throw it away and get another one out of the humidor.

yeah i did try massaging the "harder" spot and poking a hole in it, neither worked. So just ended up throwing it away, usually poking a hole in it works, oh well

I wouldnt want to throw them out just because of how pricey they are.

I disected one of my habanos and smoked the tobacco in a pipe..it was actually pretty good.

If massaging it at the hard spot does not work (this almost sounds like something else)...as I digress, I would ditch it. I have had a bad draw and like everyone else has stated; you work too hard to enjoy it and thus, defeat the purpose of slowing down time....and meditating with the Cigar and the fine Country of its origin...

had a juan lopez that the guy at the shop suggested. it said 'hand made' on the band, but it was very square. is that possible? is there hand made square cigars? and it was very tight. i puffed on it for about 20 minutes half straining, rolling in pretty hard between my finger but only smoked about an inch of it, then i chunked it and lit up a camacho figurado.

I like smoking Sancho Panza Double Maduro's which are also square. The are handmade. The shape comes from the molds that are used on the bunches when they are pressed.

I solve most of my tight draw problems by using a small drill bit, which I turn by hand into the end of the cigar. Always start with a very small bit at first...if the draw is still not right, then go to one or two sizes up. Ace Hardware also sells some bits with extra long shafts, which also comes in handy for tapping out a long cigar. I've also noticed that when cigars are too moist, they tend to draw tighter. Removing them from the cello and allowing them to breath for a few days out of the humidor also works. I manage to fix about 95% of my problem cigars this way.

Like y'all I've had hard draw stogies too. I used to chuck them but a friend of mine suggested I try just storing them for a few months. I have had very good sucess doing this. Here in my part of heaven the humidity averages 70%. Next time you get lung suckers, just put them aside for a couple of months and try them again.
Rick :smiley20: