First Thread from a newbie

[ashauler]

Thanks to all for your help and understanding to a beginner, especially bigpoppapuff!! A little about myself: 41 yr old, live in Kansas, Quality Program Coordinator for a third party warehouse and logistics firm. I have been smoking cigars for about 2 months now, have successfully used them to get rid of a cig habit. I smoke about 2 cigars a day and do my best not to inhale although I can't help a few inhalations on each cigar. Sounds like a lot of cigars, but much better that 50-60 cigs a day.

I would like some advice on cutters and the effect they have on the "even-burn" of the stogie, I seem to get uneven burn often. Is this possibly related to the way I am using the punch or cutter? I have both a punch and guillotine (sp?).

[bigpoppapuff]

in my opinion,there are only two cutters to get...either a xikar multi-tool or regular xikar...or a palio (i counted xikar as one...your choice)...

hex has the xikars....caminoviejo.com (he runs this site)

you might also try rockyscigars.com for cigars,accessories,etc..


a bad cut can be a problem...get one of the aforementioned cutters...

[cls515]

For a bad burn, it is important to get a good light and have the cigar properly "humidified". Xikar cutters are highly recommended. Since you are smoking cigars often, it may be a good idea for you to go ahead and invest in a quality cutter. Bigpuff has the Xikar scissor tool, I have the butterfly cutter. Both work great and come with a lifetime warranty. It is the only cutter you will ever need.

[stjohnroe]

Welcome from the UK!

IMHO any good double guilotine cutter will do, but admitedly Xikar make the best of these. Your burn problems are probally down to uneven humidification.

[Desert Rat]

Welcome!

I personally do not get a strong connection between messing around with the puffing end of the cigar affecting what is happening at the end thats on fire, but thats just me .

[snowdon]

Thankx guys, thou not a neube to cigars I'm a neube here. I was looking at what you had to say to this fellow and realized I need to do something about my cutter. I think its so dull its "mashing"? the end of the cigar and restricting the smoke when I light up. Often I use a punch but its not always optimal?
Think I may need to invest in a good cutter!

[ashauler]

Thanks to all for the suggestions on cutters!! I'm off to the cyber mall Stjohnroe mentioned that it may be "uneven humidification" which could very well be I guess. How often should I open my tupperdors and humidor to rotate the smokes? or is that even necessary?

[cls515]

It isn't necessary to rotate cigars. The important thing is for the humidity to be constant throughout the cigar, and this just takes time. If the cigars are placed in a humid environment for a short time, only the outer layers will be at the proper humidity while the inside won't. These differences within the cigar may account for the uneven burns.

[ashauler]

Thanks for the info everyone!

[Dru Lee Parsec]

It isn't necessary to rotate cigars. The important thing is for the humidity to be constant throughout the cigar, and this just takes time. If the cigars are placed in a humid environment for a short time, only the outer layers will be at the proper humidity while the inside won't. These differences within the cigar may account for the uneven burns.

AH! The light above my head just turned on. That makes sense. For some reason I've just had it in my mind that the purpose of a humidor is to keep the cigar from drying out and crumbling to dust under it's own weight. I don't know why it never occured to me that an evenly humidified cigar would cause a more even burn.

See, I just learned something.

Now, Is this the same reason why a cigar should be in a humidor for a period of time for the flavors to become optimal? Is that related to even humidity or is that purly an effect of the different oils in the tobacco mixing over time?

[designwise1]

The last part of your question is the answer. The "marriage" takes place over time - air movement and humidity are part of the process - but time is the biggest factor.

[pierce652]

Not to hijack the thread but I was just thinking about this driving to work this morning while smoking an AF Hemingway...how long of a rest is needed in the humidor? What constitutes proper aging or resting for the smoke to become balanced?

[bigpoppapuff]

i think it's all pretty subjective...after all...you're the one wo is going to smoke it...i now many who say the cigar they buy today is one they'll enjoy 6 months from now...you can insert your own time frame...play around with it and make your decisions later...there are no wrong answers as long as you enjoy the cigar...which is,after all,the important thing...