help for an new smoker

**kirkus949** · 05-23-2006, 08:25 PM

hey everyone
my dad recently found his humidor full of cigars of dubious quality hidden in the garage. he wants me to restore them. i am currently using glycol solution in my humidor, and i plan to switch to beads soon. should i start him off the same way? also is there a speedy way to bring his dry cigars back to enjoyable status?

btw
i am a college student who decided that smoking bad quality cigars was stupid and decided to maintain a collection of cigars in my dorm room. being a college student i went cheap and bought a humidor on ebay. it came with no hygyrometer. should i buy one? it also came with a cheap guillotine cutter. i seem to have a problem with unraveling. is a punch easier to use in that respect (i dont really understand the operation of a punch)?

lots of questions
help a new smoker out please

**CoventryCat86** · 05-23-2006, 08:34 PM

The chances of bringing back those dry cigars to enjoyable status is slim at best. No harm in trying but don't get your hopes up.

You probably should get some kind of hygrometer for your humi. It's probably a very old unit as they didn't tend to use hygrometers in humidors back in the 1960s.

The Store over on CigarPass has this one which I think is a pretty good deal.

**Monk** · 05-23-2006, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by kirkus949

it also came with a cheap guillotine cutter. i seem to have a problem with unraveling. is a punch easier to use in that respect (i dont really understand the operation of a punch)?

lots of questions
help a new smoker out please

Hi Kirkus, welcome to the boards... I would suggest posting a "hello" post with some more information about you, how you got into smoking, what you are studying, etc.

I won't address the things CC has already done so I'll take on these two...

first off: unravelling... what is the exact problem? Is it unravelling as you smoke the cigar? is the end where you cut it unravelling? give us the scenario and we can probably identify the issue

second: Punch cutter.. you basically use it to punch a hole in the center of the "cap" at the smoking end of the cigar. Many people dislike a punch because 1. It tends to make it harder to properly draw on the cigar and get nice airflow. and 2. because it tends to concentrate the heat a bit to much making it more likely to get a hot draw as the cigar burns down, also tends to concentrate the nicotine at times resulting in a harsher flavour.

Feel free to ask away, and the search function will also turn up lots of answers and good information. Enjoy!

-W.

**nhcigarfan** · 05-23-2006, 09:05 PM

One good thing about the old cigars is that you can pass them out at a college party and no one will be the wiser.

(almost no one - sorry to the guys here in college, I don't mean you I mean the other guys)

**Monk** · 05-23-2006, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by nhcigarfan

One good thing about the old cigars is that you can pass them out at a college party and no one will be the wiser.

(almost no one - sorry to the guys here in college, I don't mean you I mean the other guys)

And when they get sick you can blame the beer funnel instead!

-W.

**kirkus949** · 05-23-2006, 09:21 PM

i am a history major.
i play ultimate frisbee

this summer i am a runner in a law firm

i got into cigars as a result of several novelty trips to a tobacco shop near my house and smoking shit in college

i was unsatisfied with black and milds and drug store stuff.

i have fooled around with montesinos, cao, and i really like a brand called bucanero el capitan that is around 8.50 a single.

i picked up some different stuff earlier today, but my general goal is like 4-5 a single until i find a brand i like enough to buy a box to stock at college

unravelling

they unravel the full length as i smoke, and i end off ripping off part of the wrapper. is this my cut? dryness and badly wrapped cigars? or a combination?

**ggiese** · 05-23-2006, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by kirkus949

unravelling

they unravel the full length as i smoke, and i end off ripping off part of the wrapper. is this my cut? dryness and badly wrapped cigars? or a combination?

Yes... It can be any or all of those. Be especially careful how you cut off the cap.

**tampacigargirl** · 05-23-2006, 10:43 PM

IF you have the time to find a good B&M go in and introduce yourself as a Noobie. Get advice on smokes and such. Listen to they're sugestions while keeping in mind the price range you're looking to spend right now. A good B&M will help you pick out a few sticks and talk to you about the types of cigarcuts, and ways of storing cigars properly. I've been know to spend upto 2-3 hours with a "serious" Noob. Choosing 4-5 cigars in his price range, pointing out other possibilities. Also I teach the person the proper way to cut and light a cigar. Even with a $10 Guillitine you can get a pefect cut each time. Also B&M's can turn you onto cigar events. We have them once amounth with a tournout between 130-200 smokers. Gives you a chance to get a free smoke, a free drink, & talk to the manufacture, roller, blend maker, ect. I recommend these for Noobs because there is nothing like showing up with a hundred or so people all with the same hobby. And alot of them will talk to you.

So, If you have the time, check one out. You can learn alot in a short time of just asking questions.

**Jonsey5484** · 05-24-2006, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by nhcigarfan

One good thing about the old cigars is that you can pass them out at a college party and no one will be the wiser.

(almost no one - sorry to the guys here in college, I don't mean you I mean the other guys)

I agree with you, even though you might not be able to restore your cigars to a smokable state for someone who smokes cigars regularly, you should still hang on to them for when you have friends that want to mooch on your collection. Give them one of those, they will never know the difference.

As for a cutter, I first started using a gullitine cutter that someone had given me, I used it a few times and then bought a Xikar cutter. I love that cutter!! I can't use anything else. They are a lot lower cost than when I bought mine. I think I saw a special somewhere to buy two for the price that I paid for one.

**brian** · 05-24-2006, 01:29 PM

I have been using a $3 gullitine cutter that I bought during this time lastyear in Gatlinburg Tennessee. Cuts pretty good for a year old cheapie. lol

**ukyfan** · 05-24-2006, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by brian

I have been using a $3 gullitine cutter that I bought during this time lastyear in Gatlinburg Tennessee. Cuts pretty good for a year old cheapie. lol

Hey, another KY boy and just down the road from here at that!

And kirkus, be sure to listen to these guys. Some might be old as dirt *cough George cough* but they know their stuff!

**taltos** · 05-24-2006, 03:19 PM

Kirkus, your cigars might be too moist, which would cause them to unravel. I agree with all of the other advice given today. Paul

**brian** · 05-24-2006, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by ukyfan

Hey, another KY boy and just down the road from here at that!

And kirkus, be sure to listen to these guys. Some might be old as dirt *cough George cough* but they know their stuff!

Yea, will be living in Winchester by the end of June or early July. I have family up there that I will be staying with until I finish going to college. I will be applying to the Lexington Communitty college,was looking at Criminal Justice to help with my career goal of becoming a trooper, but will most likely go to the Winchester campus that is part of the Lexington college so I won't have to deal with all the traffic everyday, plus the Winchester campus is only 10 miles away from my sister's house. Probably take two years of History or something, just becuase I need a minimum of 2 year degree to apply for the KSP.

Sorry if this has gotten the original topic of the thread off on a tangent

**kirkus949** · 05-24-2006, 05:10 PM

awesome to meet some fellow smokers from the area.

**JJ Westbrook** · 05-24-2006, 09:00 PM

I am far from being an expert (or even close to the knowledge some of these guys have), but it sounds to me, from your description, that your problem may be your cut. I think you may be cutting too much off of the cigar. Try doing a search on this site or the net in general for how to cut a cigar. I have seen sites it pictures and very detailed instructions.

As for your cutter, there is nothing wrong with using a guillotine cutter, as long as its a good one. You may luck out and find a good sharp one for little money. I have one that I keep in my wallet (for those times when I find myself without my good one) that I paid $1.50 for. It works pretty well. I wouldn't trade it for my good one any day, but it'll do in a pinch. Get you a few decent cutters (one or two of each kind), try them all, and then decide which type of cut you like and THEN get you a GOOD one of that type. It doesn't have to cost a whole lot, but it can if you let it get out of hand.

Welcome to the site, look around. There is a lot of good information here.

**brian** · 05-24-2006, 09:10 PM

Read this article from the cigar 101 page at thompson's website. I am sure there are better articles with more information, but it helps to read everything you can find. Hope this helps.

http://secure.thompsoncigar.com/defa...ing.ascx&sm=cs

**iluvmysh** · 05-25-2006, 04:59 PM

Hey, for a hygrometer, I went to walmart and bought one for right under $7 including tax. It is 14% off though using the salt test. So I can either go back and get a new one and test my luck (some people have gotten pretty accurate ones) or I can just add 14% to it. So there's an option.

**kirkus949** · 05-25-2006, 07:14 PM

final question

glass top humidors? do they work as well???

**Monk** · 05-26-2006, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by kirkus949

final question

glass top humidors? do they work as well???

Heya Kirkus,

I my main Humidor for all my nice sticks is one my wife bought me to start off my whole addiction to the hobby and it has glass sides. The important thing to remember is that you don't want it to be in the direct sunlight.... Its bad for a humidor in general, but glass is even worse. I keep mine in the shade beside our bedroom window on a dresser and it keeps a perfect 65% with the heartfelt beads for at least a week in our dry Condo so no detriment that I can see... plus it looks real nice and makes reading the digital hygrometer easy without opening the top.

-W.

**coolcutters** · 05-26-2006, 02:58 PM

Welcome to CS! Your unraveling could definately be do to a dry cigar/dull cutter. If you want to see all the different types of cutters check out www.qualitycutters.com. They have punches, single and double blade guillotines, and scissors. If you need more help with cutters let me know - sorry I'm not much help with the humidors.