Cigars

[edyzmedieval]

Anyone here smoking cigars, and what?
I recently tried for my first time a fine Cuban cigar, a Cohiba, from one of my friends, was kind of impressed. But still, I will need some tips in order to enjoy it properly.

Any thoughts from our resident smokers? Any tips for newbies?

[Alexanderofmacedon]

For once I agree with SFTS. Hookah is better...

...and weed is the best. From what I've heard...

[Drisos]

But still, I will need some tips in order to enjoy it properly.

If you want to enjoy it do it some more times. Voila. That's how nicotine works. :P

[Reverend Joe]

Just a few basics...

-Stick to the 30-ish range in ring gagues, the best being a 35 or so. That's a proper sized cigar. Too big and it becomes too hard to smoke to enjoy; too little and the intensity rises quickly. If you come to like the more intense cigars, though, try Cigarillos; they are quite small, but they pack a punch. (Edit: also, never exceed 6 inches or so; anything longer takes too much work to smoke.)

-NEVER use a lighter. The entire cigar will taste light lighter fluid.

-Don't bother finding a fancy cutter if you get into it. Just buy a cheap guillotine style cutter; it actually works much better than anything else because it cuts the end evenly. If you don't even want to buy one of those, a small, sharp knife, like a Swiss Army knife, will do the job fine; you will just need to spend some time practicing because it's not as easy.

-Don't be afraid to buy cheaper cigars; some of them are quite good. Backwoods cigars are about as cheap as you can get, at $7 a pack of eight last time I bought them. They're a bit rough but they're flavorful. Just be sure not to get the perfumed versions -- and whatever you do, never, EVER get a perfumed cigar.

-Probably most importantly, cigar should alwaysbe enjoyable. Never force yourself to smoke a cigar; if it doesn't relax you for whatever reason -- hard to smoke, tastes bad, whatever -- throw it out, because it's totally useless. Never mind the cost; cigars will be expensive no matter what.

For once I agree with SFTS. Hookah is better...

...and weed is the best. From what I've heard...

Sheesha is the crack cocaine of tobacco. It's perfumed tobacco at its worst. I have no idea how it ever got so popular at college, because every time I smoke it I retch. You may as well grind up a Black & Mild and pack that instead.

And you can't compare weed to tobacco, any more than you can compare hard liquor to coffee. I mean, okay, granted, it's a lot healthier, but it's also MUCH more intoxicating. Cigars are for relaxing; marijuana is an experience.

[Prince Cobra]

Anyone here smoking cigars, and what?
I recently tried for my first time a fine Cuban cigar, a Cohiba, from one of my friends, was kind of impressed. But still, I will need some tips in order to enjoy it properly.

Any thoughts from our resident smokers? Any tips for newbies?

Here I'm quite conservative...

My advise is to find less harmful vice than this one.

1) EU legislation is getting harsh

2) One day you may have to abandon this(say because of your life, because of your children and I hope not because of health problems). This will cause you a lot of problems (putting on weight for example). And cigars are in fact one of the worst things to smoke(heroine and weed being the worst). Definately this is not the best thing to be learnt.

3) Once you got addicted to smoking, you will never forget it. You can somehow stop it but... it'll not be as before.

--------
Sign,

A Consrevative guy

[Hosakawa Tito]

When I smoke them, and it's not often any more, I prefer a Cohiba SigloII. My advice:
Buy single cigars, not by the box, till you figure out what your preferences are.
A humidor will keep your cigars fresh and prevent them from drying out so don't buy more cigars than one can smoke in 2 or 3 days without a humidor.
Use a butane torch or wooden match to light your cigar to prevent introducing unwanted flavors. Rotate the cigar as you apply the flame to get an even burn. Let the cigar go out on it's own if you don't finish it, don't stub it out.
Purchase a guillotine cutter and don't cut the cigar till you are going to smoke it. Cut the cigar in the proper place. Too deep a cut will cause the wrapper to unravel; too shallow and the cigar will not draw easily. See below:


Enjoy!

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Sheesha is the crack cocaine of tobacco. It's perfumed tobacco at its worst. I have no idea how it ever got so popular at college, because every time I smoke it I retch. You may as well grind up a Black & Mild and pack that instead.

And you can't compare weed to tobacco, any more than you can compare hard liquor to coffee. I mean, okay, granted, it's a lot healthier, but it's also MUCH more intoxicating. Cigars are for relaxing; marijuana is an experience.

Well I've only tried hookah once, and I've only tried smoking a cigar once. From those single experiences (because I'm not a tabacco fan AT ALL) I come to that conclusion. Perhaps incorrect and skewed, but it's my conclusion.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Ahem...

...and the signature too!
.

[Kekvit Irae]

For my christmas gift to my roommate, I'm quitting smoking. However, I do enjoy some Santa Fe Little Cigars. 79 cents at my local gas station. Certainly beats having to pay three dollars for a pack of cigarettes or Black & Milds.

[PershsNhpios]

Recent scientific research confirms that smoking is the cause of everything unfortunate.

[LeftEyeNine]

..And a recent Islamic research has proved that drinking is the mother of all evil.

[tibilicus]

I echo who ever mentioned it above about the whole single cigar thing. The one's you buy in packs aren't as high a quality and are more like cigarettes.

[PershsNhpios]

I am poorly afraid to disagree with you on that remark Tibby.
By the movement of this entire discussion, it is very clear that nothing you have said can be regarded with credit.
No credit at all - I would sooner believe Stephen Colbert.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
"Eventual death cannot be avoided by not smoking."
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[Ice]

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"Eventual death cannot be avoided by not smoking."
.

What about a painful and premature death?

[Reverend Joe]

What about a painful and premature death?

How do you know you won't get cancer anyway?

And anyhow, cigars are hardly dangerous; as long as you are smart enough not to inhale them or swallow your spit while smoking them, and you don't smoke them constantly, you won't get cancer. They also don't have all the added poisons and carcinogens that cigarettes do.

You're one to talk, anyway -- marijuana smoke is LOADED with carcinogens and tar, and when you consider that the average marijuana smoker smokes about as much as the average cigar smoker, it's really not any healthier.

Hate to pop your balloon, but... well, actually, no, I don't. I just have no illusions about the intoxicants I use.

[Ice]

How do you know you won't get cancer anyway?

I don't. However, it is a well established fact tobacco smoke increases the odds of developing cancer.

And anyhow, cigars are hardly dangerous; as long as you are smart enough not to inhale them or swallow your spit while smoking them, and you don't smoke them constantly, you won't get cancer. They also don't have all the added poisons and carcinogens that cigarettes do.

The part about not smoking them constantly is correct, but you still can get oral cancer from cigars.

You're one to talk, anyway -- marijuana smoke is LOADED with carcinogens and tar, and when you consider that the average marijuana smoker smokes about as much as the average cigar smoker, it's really not any healthier.

This isn't the backroom so I won't get into a full fledged debate with sources, but check up on... what you said has conflicting evidence. Besides, you don't have to smoke marijuana.

Hate to pop your balloon, but... well, actually, no, I don't. I just have no illusions about the intoxicants I use.

I smoke cigars too, Joe. I've probably smoked as many or more than you have. Like you said, I'm making it crystal clear that cigar smoking is unhealthy.