How did you start?

[prostartjr1738]

Im curious as to how everyone here started smoking cigars. There not as "mainstream" as cigarettes where everyone tries them atleast once. For me, I always loved the smell of cigars, even when i was very little. Turning 18, just about a year ago, I decided to stop in my local shop. This shop isnt the typical B&M, with chairs, tvs, etc. Its more of a gift shop/cigar/tobacco shop. The people in there arent all that knowledgeable on cigars, and have more lower quality than premiums. Still a decent shop when Im in a rush and need to pick up a few decent sticks. Being this type of store they have a few flavored cigars in there walk in. Picked out a few flavors for me a few friends and the girlfriend. Went home and smoked them later that night. These wernt the best smokes, compared to what Im smoking now they were actually pretty bad. They weren't White Owls, but I would say just a step above (The name escapes me at the moment). For me at that time they werent that bad. They gave me just a slight hint of what a decent cigar might taste like. A day or two later I decided to stop in at my other shop, a more coventinal b&m, with the selection geared to the premiums, mid grades, not flavored crap. I dont remember what cigar I picked up that day, but I remember it was like $13. Didnt pick by brand or anything like that, just by money. I ended up liking cigars after that day, and began expermenting with what I liked. That gets me to where I am today. Still experementing, but have a few cigars I tend to favor. So lets here everyone elses stories.

[jafount]

First let me start off by saying that a cigarette has never touched my lips. I have never nor will I ever have one touch my lips.

In 1994, I was sitting in my patrol car chatting with a buddy when he whipped out some robusto thing, and fired it up. I razzed him at first. But then realized I liked the smell. I also liked the look. In an age of new political correctness and left leaning people in power, the anti-smoking crowd was closing in on freedom and doing away with personal responsibility. So, in my head, a nice robusto hanging out of my mouth while I rolled down the street in my patrol car was a throwback to the days when people actually had respect for police and when police could do their jobs without fear of the ACLU stepping in to second guess everything you did. In my head, I was a crusty old salty dog. When I wasn't actually smoking one, I had it all chewed up hanging out my mouth. I had a great shop on my beat that was very very cop friendly, so I was in there three times a week.

These days I'm a much more sedate smoker. I enjoy just taking an hour and a half, enjoying a nice fat torpedo and single malt and decompressing.

[Sporadic Metonomy]

I was visiting a friend during the month of October a few years back. He had received a box of Tatiana Rum Coronas from his uncle as a birthday gift. We smoked one that night and I was hooked on how relaxed the whole experience made me. Maybe it was the falling leaves or the good conversation, but from that moment I was a cigar smoker.

Two year later and my coolidor is now filled with several boxes and hundreds of single cigars. Occasionally, during our monthly ACLU meet-up, we'll gather 'round our left-leaning propaganda pamphlets and fire a few up for the mis-guided Right while cursing God's name around a bloody pentagram. Good times.

[bigwhiteash]

I can probably trace it back to TV, as a child, I watched every episode of Black Sheep Squadron, and the mechanic was a bad-ass dude with a chewed-up cigar always hangin out of the corner of his mouth. Later I watched a lot of The A-Team, with Hanibal smoking a chuchill or lonsdale whenever a "Plan Came Together".

My first cigar was probably a RyJ "It's a Boy/Girl" thing, but I can't really remember

[DeeDubya]

Cigars helped me quit smoking cigarettes. I liked the puff without inhaling idea. I first tried a pipe but they are way too much hassle.
Now I think cigarettes stink. I am even somewhat tolerant of certain no-smoking ordinances. I always smoke outside. I even have a small space heater on the patio where I sit when I smoke during these winter months.
So I guess you could say that "Cigarettes got me started smoking cigars".

[victory01]

I also started smoking cigars because i quit smoking. I had broken my ankle and got sick of the smell of cigarette smoke in my room so i dropped the habit all together. After I was back on my feet i found myself wanting to smoke something but it wasn't the nicotine. It was the action of smoking which helped me relax that i was addicted to. My girlfriend suggested i pick up some cigars, since i wont inhale and i would still have the relaxing sensation of blowing smoke. After discovering the amazing taste and aromas of cigars i have never looked back. The whole process of caring for them, picking one out based on your mood, cutting and lighting a smoke just adds to the great experience and deep love for cigars we all share.

Great thread.

[Shelby07]

I was up at my buddy's house one night and he offered me a cigar. He mentioned that his son was giving up cigars and was selling his 50 count humidor and about 30 cigars. My girlfriend thought that'd be a great present so she bought it for me. He had some decent sticks in there and of course, since I now had a humidor I had to start buying cigars. One thing lead to another...

[mithril]

Well a little over 4 years ago my friend introduced me to cigars. The first one i had was a diablo. since then i've been hooked.

[ashauler]

Gave up the cig habit here as well. Started in July of "06.....found this place shortly afterward and began the process of having less money and more cigars.

[Mizicke5273]

For me it started my senior year in high school. Every weekend me and my friends would spend at the drive in, and befor we would go, wed stop and pick up some Philies or Swhisher Sweets to smoke. And after a while of them I eventually ventured to my local B&M to get a cigar that was recomended to me by a friend. It was either a RyJ or a Astral TVS. And after that I was hooked on fine cigars, but couldnt really afford them at the time. So after I graduated college and got a real job, I decided to get serious about this hobby. I got myself a 150ct humi, made a decision to try and buy at least 1 box of cigars a month (but I try for atleast 2), and now I have a small cooler and Im looking at getting a 120qt cooler.

[spiffykyle]

Smoked cigarettes for a while. Gave them up, but like others here, just the action of smoking seemed to sooth me. My granddad has been smoking cigars since before I was born so the last time I saw him I asked him to suggest one for me. Then I bought a few others at my local B&M. Then I found this board and now here I am.

spiffy

[here'sjohnny]

When i turned 18 my best friend and his dad were into cigars so he invited me and a buddy over to smoke them. we smoked them in his basement while playing risk. later we found out that smoking in a sealed basement, and then sleeping down there was not the best idea my first one was a montesino.

[dauker]

Back in high school I started in on Swisher Sweets. Don't really remember why, but I remember driving around the hills in my jeep smoking a wood tipped cherry flavored swisher sweet. In college once in a great while I'd buy a pack of swishers to smoke on occasion. That's when my dad would often have a pack of Roughnecks laying around that him and I would share. Once I graduated college, I'd venture into the humidor at whatever shop I found and grab one or two sticks of what of what I could afford, but that was far and few in between. I tended to stick to A. Fuente line. Then about 3 years ago my mother got my a small 15 count humidor for Christmas. That brought me completely into this "hobby." I now have a 150 count humidor. I find I'm more of a cigar collector then smoker, I only smoke 1 stick every 2 to 3 weeks on average.