For cigar collectors, a single cigar is valued more than just for smoking. Taking good care of their collection involves careful preparation and skill. Cigar collectors gather up knowledge and experience as they continue their hobby and gain more insight and wisdom in how to appreciate, care and value their collection even more. Beginners in this hobby need not be impatient that they have so little knowledge about the art of cigar collecting. This is just normal. What beginners need to do is to catch up on their reading to build up their knowledge of cigars and collecting them as a hobby. It would greatly help in making experts out of beginner hobbyists later on. Here are some answers to common cigar collecting questions that might help get beginner cigar collectors on their way to building up a worthwhile hobby.

Is it advisable to keep cigars in their original cellophane wrappers?
A fairly common question yet may leave some people stumped on what really is the right answer. True, some cigars can be bought wrapped with a cellophane wrapper around them although there are also some that can be bought “naked” or without them. The cellophane wrapper only acts to protect the cigar from damage during transport or handling. They are not meant to be on cigars for long periods of time. The cello wraps may inhibit the proper aging process of the cigars by not allowing them to “breath”. In this case you might need to remove the plastic wrap on your cigars if you wish to keep them in your humidor for safekeeping. This will allow your cigars to age and breathe freely.

But there is also another side to this question. If you usually bring a cigar or two with you when you go out, the plastic wrapper may come in handy in protecting your cigars from damage. If you prefer bringing your cigars with you to smoke later on, you might be better off leaving the plastic wrap on your cigars.How can I check cigars for freshness?
The best way to tell a cigar is fresh is by giving it the “pinch test”. Lightly pinch a cigar using your thumb and your forefinger. You will know that the cigar is fresh if it feels firm and have some spring to it when pinched lightly. It shouldn’t feel hard or even feel soft or spongy on some spots. Chances are, the cigar may not be fresh anymore.Why do some cigar boxes have a block of wood inside them?
When you buy cigar by the box, you might have noticed that some of them have a block of wood inside. This wood is usually made of Spanish cedar and is used as a spacer to keep the rows of cigars even. But that’s not their only purpose. This block of wood also helps keep the cigars fresh and give the cigars its cedar fragrance that can be acquired as the cigars age. Collectors can also use this block of wood by placing them in humidors to help keep the cigars smelling fresh.

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Cuban cigars have created a certain attraction among cigar lovers all over the world. They are such coveted treasures that they can fetch up exorbitant prices for the most valued varieties. Certain factors may have contributed to make Cuban cigars truly a treasure to cherish. Cuban cigars are made from only the finest tobaccos being grown in the fertile plantations in Cuba. The tobacco leaves used are carefully selected in order to maintain that certain quality that Cuban cigars are known for. Making a single one may require an intricate process that may require several steps. The process these Cuban cigars are made follow a tradition that has not changed for over a hundred years. All these make up the steps taken in making the best and the finest Cuban cigar to permit one to have one of the best and most memorable cigar smoking experience.

Buying Cuban cigars may require some bit of experience to ensure that the cigar aficionado may not be tricked into buying a variety of less quality. Since Cuban cigars are widely sought after, fake cigars already have flooded the market where it has become a challenge for one to find an authentic Cuban cigar just about anywhere. Here are some tips that may be able to help you make that purchase that you would never regret.

First of all, when you wish to buy authentic Cuban cigars, you have to take note that there is a continuing embargo going on between the United States and Cuba. This embargo includes the importation of Cuban cigars. Certain exceptions are made for those who have visited Cuba and brought along some of the cigars for personal use. This exception is meant for allowing visitors to the country to bring along a cigar or two, as long as it does not exceed a US$100.

On that note, one must be aware of the risks that may be involved in buying Cuban cigars. Just make sure that when you buy them, you plan to use them for yourself and not to sell for a profit. The difficulties of getting a Cuban cigar may have been the reason why it has become so valuable for many cigar aficionados. This will bring us to the next tip.

When you buy Cuban cigars, be prepared to part with a substantial amount in exchange for an authentic variety. Cuban cigars may go for a couple hundred to even as high as five hundred dollars a box. If you hear of someone who may be selling them for less, it may be considered as a suspicious item. Such bargains may end up as expensive fakes that you should avoid.

If you want to play it safe and still want to enjoy a good Cuban cigar or two while abroad, it would be wise to purchase it from a recognized upscale hotel. This way you can be sure that you are purchasing an authentic Cuban cigar, even though it may mean paying a higher price for one.

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For the cigar lover, no two cigars are ever the same. This can be said both in each cigar’s characteristics and inherent properties.  But this can only be determined by someone who has the experience and the expertise of choosing the best cigars. But how about for those who are novices to this type of hobby?  Here are some useful tips that would help new cigar aficionados on how to choose the best cigars.

First and foremost, novices should bear in mind that the best cigars cost a lot of money. If one is determined to have only the best cigars out there, then he should be prepared to shell out quite an amount for getting only the finest and the best. Exquisite taste does not come cheap, especially in the area of choosing the best cigars.

A reason why the best cigars are expensive is that most of them are carefully and artfully hand made. There are two ways on how cigars are being made: by hand and by machine. Hand-made cigars usually consist of carefully chosen whole tobacco leaves that are meticulously hand twisted to perfection. Machine made cigars, on the other hand, consist of shredded tobacco leaves that are made into cigars using special equipment. The hand made cigars belong to the premium class and considerably cost quite more than machine made cigars which may come at a lower price and may be of lesser quality.

Machine made cigars can also be known for their aroma. Most machines cigar manufacturers make use of aroma additives in order to somehow suppress the taste of tobacco. There are some machine made cigars that might have aroma additives that smell like coffee, chocolate, vanilla or cherry. The best cigars do not have such aroma additives.

For the novice cigar aficionado, it is more advisable to buy different cigars by the piece instead of buying a certain kind by the container. Some cigar shop may present you with cigars in special containers of 10, 20 to as many as 50 pieces. It would be wiser to buy several different cigars by the piece and choose from this selection the ones that you like most.

Cuban cigars are probably one of the strongest varieties that one can find. When looking for quality hand made Cuban cigars, it is important for the cigar aficionado to note that the best hand made Cuban cigars are sold “in the nude”, meaning they are not packed individually in plastic covers. If you see a plastic wrapped Cuban cigar, chances are that it is machine made.

Cigars from other cigar making countries are known by the distinctive taste of their cigars. Cuban cigars are known to have strong bitter chocolate taste as well as a hint of coffee and caramel. Those cigars made in Brazil are known to have a very rich taste. Dominican cigars are known for their soft and sweet like flavors as well as exude an herblike aroma when smoked.

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The modern lighters that you see today have come quite a long way from being just the primitive flint and steel that was then used to light fires. Today, there are different types of lighters being used. Its history is something that would be pretty interesting to look into. Here is a quick look at how modern lighters came to be.

A lighter, in its simplest definition, is a device used to create a flame. It may not look like the ones that you see today, especially the ones that existed during the early days. In the seventeenth century, people used tinderboxes containing flint, steel and some kindling.  The forerunner of what would later on become the modern lighter was the flint stock pistol that was based on the primitive way of lighting a fire, that of striking flint onto stone to create sparks. This type of lighter still required some fiber material for kindling in order to come up with fire.

From the flint stock pistol, the development of the lighter continued on its way as gasoline and other applicable flammable liquids began to take the place of ordinary kindling to light a fire. Such devices began to arrive sometime during the 1800’s and it started the pursuit of trying to make lighters not only more efficient but becoming smaller and more handy as well. During this time, smoking also became a more popular activity as it becomes an accepted norm in the society. This led for the demand for better and handier lighters among the fashionable set, who started making smoking a worthwhile social activity.

The earliest device that can be closely associated with the modern lighter is the Dobereiner’s lamp. It was invented sometime in 1823 by a Germen chemist named Johann Wolfgang Dobreiner who was able to create a lighter consisting of hydrogen that reacts with a platinum sponge in order to create a flame.  It suddenly became quite a sensation that finally gave birth to what would eventually become the modern lighter.

Then came the smaller and more convenient semi-automatic flint wheel lighters that became popular in the 1900’s. This type of lighter can still be seen even today and is made up of a flint that is strikes upon a metal wheel to create sparks by means of friction. The sparks then lights up a cotton wick that is doused with a flammable liquid in order to create a flame. The next in line was the Piezo lighter which first came out during the 1930’s and became popular among smokers. This type of lighter worked by compressing crystals in a particular direction in order to produce electric charges and sparks. The spark then lights up a tiny fuel outlet in the lighter in order to create a flame. The Piezo lighter became a popular alternative to the typical flint and steel lighter.

The next lighters that came were the butane gas lighter which first came out sometime in 1933. It eventually became one of the best-selling lighters in the world. Then came the gas lighters of the 1940’s and had a massive impact on the lighter industry in the 1950’s. It was during the 1980’s that the electronic lighters eventually arrived into the scene with their ability to light up even in windy conditions. Lighters become more common with the arrival of portable lighters which relegated this once valuable device as a common accessory today and lose some of its fashionable appeal.

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Lasioderma serricorne, even the scientific name sounds nasty. Tobacco beetles are one of the nastiest things that could happen to your cigar collection. Opening your cigar box and finding your favorite cigars filled with holes from boring tobacco beetle larvae is enough to make a grown man cry. That’s why you need to act quickly when you spot early signs of infestation. These tobacco bugs on the average have 45 to 90 day-life span. Within that period, the bugs can easily spread themselves to other cigar boxes that you may have.

These beetles find refuge in the tobacco leaves. They lay their eggs in cigars which  hatches into larvae whose appetite for whole tobacco leaves is overwhelming. Not to mention that the eggs of tobacco beetles hatches in five to ten days. And with each beetle laying up to 100 eggs at a time, your humidor can turn into a beetle colony in no time.

The larvae stage will lasts from five to ten weeks. It is quite unfortunate that at this stage the tobacco beetle has nothing by eating in its mind. The adult beetle only lives for about a month with most of its adult life is spent searching for a mate.

Aside from the obvious bores or holes on the cigars, it can be difficult to spot early signs of infestations. Another good sign is the presence of brown dust inside the cigar box’s paper lining and in corners inside the lid. Also, you could tap softly the foot of the cigar and when a shower of brown dust falls from it, then what  you have is larvae eating away your cigar.

Solutions to tobacco beetle infestation involves two options: disposing of the infested cigars and freezing the cigars.

When you notice signs of beetle larvae in your cigars, it is best to isolate the whole box. Place the box in a sealable plastic bag. When you decide to dispose of it, throw the plastic bag in the garbage can. Make sure that the plastic is kept sealed at all times to avoid any spreading of the infestation. Tobacco beetles can easily spread to other boxes so be careful with disposing of infested cigars.

If you’re not willing to throw the whole box away, seeing that other cigars can still be smoked, the option available for you is freezing the tobacco. Tobacco beetles can’t stand the cold and keeping them inside the freezer for four days can kill them them whether they are in the egg, larvae, or adult stage.

A great disadvantage of freezing the cigars, however, is ruining the cigar itself. Freezing can dry out the cigars plus the smell of the freezer can affect the overall taste of the cigar. Also, be reminded that when removing the cigars from the freezer, it would be best to keep it refrigerated for a while longer instead of pulling it out immediately in room temperature. Sudden change in the temperature or the sudden warming temperature can split the cigar since the filler the inside the cigar will expand as it warms up.

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