What made you decide?

[Hannibal]

What influenced you to start smoking cigars?

I, like most, ran the gambit of tobacco products. I've used almost every form out there. Did the chewing tobacco as early as 15 working in the field. Went into the military and picked up cigs. Had a few friends that smoked pipes so that was next and then was introduced to cigars a number of years ago. I still have all of my pipes but haven't lit one up in a long time. So the old reliable chewing tobacco and cigars are my current vices.

What about you guys?

[badwhale]

peer pressure in boy scouts, but that was a while ago...

[ashauler]

30+ years as a cigarette smoker. Gave them up and switched to cigars. Just started with the pipe within the last year.

[mrtr33]

I look cool.

[MrPlatypus]

Curiosity. I was curious as to what the appeal was, so I went and bought a Macadoodle. Then I found myself here, got a chance to try out some stuff, and have been very avid about them ever since. If I had the finances, I would smoke cigars daily and totally ditch the cigarettes. (I'm working on quitting the cigarettes, but I'm not giving up the cigars.)

[WinstonSpencer]

Watching Sopranos on DVD in college. I wanted to be a badass like Tony.

[CptnBlues63]

Like ashauler I too was a cig smoker for 30+ years then gave them and up then found cigars. Haven't made it to the pipe yet, have to let the wife get used to my latest addiction first........LOL

A few months after finally getting off the cigs (with the help of the 'Champix' drug) my wife's boss came back from a trip to Cuba with a sampler pack of cigars and dropped a Partagas and a Cohiba on me.

I remember distinctly how much I liked the smell of the cigars. I almost sniffed the wrapper off the Partagas and still love to smell a good cigar. It was the smell that got me to light up the first one. It was the taste that got me to finish it and the second one!

No, I don't inhale cigar smoke, and after 2 years without a cig, I had a drag off one last November while out hunting and was amazed at how closely the flavor of cigarettes resembles what I can only assume sundried dogsh*t must taste like. I had to immediately light a Padron 5000 Robusto to remove that noxious (for lack of a better term) flavor from my mouth.

[CptnBlues63]

Oye!

Already responded. Think I'm gonna go home, obviously this flu bug is kicking the crap out of me if I don't noticed I've already responded to a thread and respond again *sigh*

[steffanan]

Turned 18, and didn't do any thing with my "new rights" like buy lottery or tobacco. The thought of tobacco grossed me out, and its really unlike me to try something like that. Almost nineteen, and have never drank a sip, don't like parties, and am anti drugs of all sorts. I like to think I'm too mature to need that sort of fun. Anyway, about two months after being of age, I was on a trip and felt like being rebellious, or trying something new at least. Considered buying a gas station cigar, but talked myself out of it because I didn't feel right about sneaking behind my parents back. Put it out of my mind for a few days, but then laying in bed at home I wondered what a cigar is like. Did a google search and boom. That's where it started. Correct ways to light them, different shapes, flavour changes in every third, different ways to cut the cap, so much interesting stuff to learn. Its like i for the first time in my life tapped into a classy hobby where I can for 2 hours at a time, act as elegant, or thoughtful as i would like. So, I did enough research online to convince myself I couldn't get addicted, and that they are not that bad for me, and I then worked for a week on convincing my parents that its just something I want to try now that I'm 18, and it will probably wear out of my system. That was 5 months ago, and now I have 26 (and counting)cigars in a 100 cigar humidor, a 50 dollar lighter, and hundreds into the hobby, and I'm stuck on it now. Parents are allowing it and only get upset when I try to smoke maybe 2 times in a week, saying its too often, and I'm going to die of cancer.

[CoventryCat86]

Thanks for your experience steffanan. As far as cancer, if it runs in one's family, one's chances of getting cancer are higher than someone who has no family history of cancer. I've seen cases of people winding up with cancer that lead they healthiest of lives and other cases where people abused themselves and died of everything under the sun except cancer.

[ggiese]

Turned 18, and didn't do any thing with my "new rights" like buy lottery or tobacco. The thought of tobacco grossed me out, and its really unlike me to try something like that. Almost nineteen, and have never drank a sip, don't like parties, and am anti drugs of all sorts. I like to think I'm too mature to need that sort of fun. Anyway, about two months after being of age, I was on a trip and felt like being rebellious, or trying something new at least. Considered buying a gas station cigar, but talked myself out of it because I didn't feel right about sneaking behind my parents back. Put it out of my mind for a few days, but then laying in bed at home I wondered what a cigar is like. Did a google search and boom. That's where it started. Correct ways to light them, different shapes, flavour changes in every third, different ways to cut the cap, so much interesting stuff to learn. Its like i for the first time in my life tapped into a classy hobby where I can for 2 hours at a time, act as elegant, or thoughtful as i would like. So, I did enough research online to convince myself I couldn't get addicted, and that they are not that bad for me, and I then worked for a week on convincing my parents that its just something I want to try now that I'm 18, and it will probably wear out of my system. That was 5 months ago, and now I have 26 (and counting)cigars in a 100 cigar humidor, a 50 dollar lighter, and hundreds into the hobby, and I'm stuck on it now. Parents are allowing it and only get upset when I try to smoke maybe 2 times in a week, saying its too often, and I'm going to die of cancer.

My son and I very much enjoy smoking together. Now that he's over 21, I even share some Scotch with him from time to time. Those "special" moments are always meaningful to me and him - and he, too, is coming to "appreciate" a good cigar.

I don't necessarily want to encourage you - but I also don't want to discourage you. I just hope whatever you decide, you do in moderation and it does not overrun your life.