A New, Old Way to Enjoy Your Cigar...:-D

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Do any of you use a Cigar Holder? OK...fess up...even sometimes while reading and/or working online (like I sometimes do)?

If so, I think this article will be of interest to you.

By Chas in his Cigar Blog of the Day - Monday, August 13, 2007

"One of the things that I enjoy (besides Cigars) is the period of the 1920's, 30's and 40's. I wear 3 piece suits, bowties, and vintage fedoras on a daily basis. In watching a period movie I saw a gentleman smoking a cigar with a Meerschaum cigar holder.

Back in the day, most women in society would use a cigarette holder so that the tobacco did not stain their gloves. If you have ever seen pictures of Walter O'Malley, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who was never without a cigar, he always used a white Meerschaum Cigar Holder.

So, give one a try and see if it works for you. Two places that I found online to buy them is www.tobacco-barn.com and www.theladysmokes.com".

http://cigaroftheday.blogspot.com/20...our-cigar.html

That said, I also wanted to try a Meerschaum cigar holder so I checked on the web and found one. As a veteran Cigar smoker, I had at first was a little wary of using a Holder, but two (2) years ago...I went ahead anyway and purchased one from Tabacco-barn.com. Once I received it, I grabbed my favorite familiar Cuban Cigar and lite it up.

NOTE: For those who mainly smoke Corona ring gauge (40-42), Cigars, purchase a Holder that is sized X-Small, 16mm...the fit will be tight enough to hold your Cigar in the Holder without it falling out...trust me...I know.

First, I researched that Meerschaum is a porous material and the best Meerschaum comes from Turkey.

How are the Cigar Holders made?

The raw lumps of meerschaum that come from the mines are chemically cleaned.All foreign matter is removed, and the lumps emerge soft, dry and white. They are then sawed into rough, Cigar Holder pre-shaped blocks. Cigar Holder shapes are made by hand and by machine. The carved models are created by hand, working on moistened blocks.

Finishing:

The smooth and craved Holders are then dipped in a boiling mixture of Beeswax and oils. Since the meerschaum is very porous the liquid is absorbed, and it is this that gives the Holder the ability to color as it is smoked.

How does it colour?

The inside of the bowl is not waxed, so it absorbs the moisture from the burning tobacco, and the beeswax picks up the color from the residue. The color varies according to the tobacco smoked, but the final color will nearly always be a rich, deep reddish-brown.

The very first noticeable thing is the temperature of the smoke. Because of the added length and porosity of the Meerschaum holder the smoke is noticeably cooler because tars and other oils of burning cigar tobacco leaves are absorbed by the stone. Also, because there is no physical contact with the cigar wrapper or tobacco, your tongue does not get over exposed with the flavors from contact. The flavors that you taste are ONLY from the nicely cooled smoke.

However, there is maintenance that is involved in owning andusing Cigar Holders. They have to be cleaned periodically with pipe cleaners and alcohol (or brandy – wine), to remove build up, but again with time and use, Meerschaum Cigar Holders 'ripens' (as the tars and other by products are absorbed by the stone, they are drawn to the surface by the beeswax coating which colors the stone). Meerschaum starts out white, then blushes pink, turns tan, and deepens into shades of brown or a rich golden honey color, emphasizing the detail with which it is carved.

Also, there is one draw back to using cigar holders and one of them is that inserting the cigar into the holder takes some finesse and patience because you want to get it inserted tight enough to hold it so that it doesn't fall out but not so tight that you tear the wrapper while inserting it.

“Luxury is the [cigar holder]...that sweeps away the cobwebs of your heart”. Mort Walker

Images - My Meerschaum Cigar Holder, Walter O'Malley, and my Cigar Holder attached to a Cuban Partagas 'Super Partagas' (40 x 5 1/2in), Corona - Factory Box Code GLP March 2010

 

[Kentos]

Interesting, but I kind like the taste of the wrapper. Isn't the band there to keep the gloved hand clean?

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Interesting, but I kind like the taste of the wrapper. Isn't the band there to keep the gloved hand clean?

Kent:
Touché.

Although I love a great wrapper too, but sometimes I'd like to be able to hold a cigar in my mouth for extended periods of time (like when I'm online and/or composing something engrossing), and/or reading and don't want to 'slober or drool' over my cigar.

"My tastes are simple: I ameasily satisfied with the best". Sir Winston S. Churchill

 

[SALBONE]

Antoher item to add to the AD list.

 

[Kentos]

Kent:
Touché.

Although I love a great wrapper too, but sometimes I'd like to be able to hold a cigar in my mouth for extended periods of time (like when I'm online and/or composing something engrossing), and/or reading and don't want to 'slober or drool' over my cigar.

"My tastes are simple: I ameasily satisfied with the best". Sir Winston S. Churchill

That makes a lot of sense, as I also got the drool thing going when keeping the cigar between the lips.

On another note, have you ever tried a pipe? Nothing beats a nice bent slowly smoldering, clenched as I surf B&B.

 

[PugslyCat]

I may have to try one of these. I have used rubber cigar holders in the past and enjoyed the way the prevented the end of the cigar from getting soggy, especially when smoking outside in the winter.

 

[the_edski]

Christopher, you never fail to englighten and inform!

 

[Devilpup]

Never tried a holder, but I have put a cigar into a pipe. It was interesting but not my favorite .

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

That makes a lot of sense, as I also got the drool thing going when keeping the cigar between the lips.

On another note, have you ever tried a pipe? Nothing beats a nice bent slowly smoldering, clenched as I surf B&B.

Kent:
Never tried a pipe, but life is still young.

Not to get off Thead, but here is a charming story of old;

I fondly remember when I was young boy (I must have been at least 10yrs), and my Dad would come home from work (he was a trial lawyer), with a Cuban (he had so many in the large humidor on his desk in the home office [besides the cabinet humidor],…which my brothers and I were told [on pain of a whopping], never to touch and/or open), between his lips and I would ‘hang’ on his waist begging to have a ‘puff’ (every now and then).
Slyly, (and of course out of range of Mom…mind you), he would give me a puff, but instructed me to never, never to inhale the smoke, but to taste, smell and savour it.

From those days, I ‘grew’ to love cigars and as I ‘grew’ to 16yrs…I used to ‘cabbage’ my Dad’s cigars to smoke with my buddies. Then one day, my Dad sat me down in the home office and cut up a cigar into the various parts (binder, filler and wrapper), with a small pen knife. He then began a ‘homily’ on cigars and taught me the differences between handmade (long & shortfiller), machinemade and ‘others’ (Swisher Sweets and the like…yuck).

I remember my Dad telling me if I couldn’t afford a good handmade cigar…then you shouldn’t smoke lesser types. To further my education, he took me to ‘Campbell’s Smoke Shop’ (still there in East Lansing, MI), to ‘show me the ropes’ on cigars. I think he did this to keep me away from cigarettes (which were the ‘craze’ of my age and time …without result). However, my Dad did tell me that he knew I was ‘cabbaging’ his cigars, but I should at least ask him.

Later on, I did enjoy a Cuban and a cognac (or two?), with him before I joined the Army in 79 on the front porch…and it was the best father to son ‘bonding’ I had ever had with him. I had become of age, became a man and going to be a solider…just like my ‘Paw’. Like most kids of my time...I was 'in awe' of my Father and felt that all I am, or hope to be, I owe to my Dad (and Mom...of course).

So, in essence and since then, I have also tried to get my two (2), son’s away from cigarettes (also without result), and embrace the love of cigars.

"A cigar is as good as [the] memories that you have when you smoked it". Raul Julia

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Christopher, you never fail to englighten and inform!

Ed:
Thanx for the 'shout-out', support and for sharing!!!

"If I cannot smoke cigars in Heaven…I shall not go". Mark Twain

 

[CptBlueBear]

Interesting stuff, mate! I'm always keen to read your highly informative posts.

I have a customer who is, well let's say "an older lady" who uses several amber and ebony cigarette holders. She has a couple of ivory ones, but doesn't use them because they are too valuable. She smokes roll-ups without filters and there is something quite bizarre about watching her in full evening dress rolling outside a formal gathering.

I've never seen a cigar holder - I'll have to go looking.

I love the story about your Dad, by the way. It makes me think of my Grandpa. He introduced me (and my cousins) to Single Malt, I suspect in an effort to show us there was something better and make binge drinking less interesting. It worked partially, at least.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Interesting stuff, mate! I'm always keen to read your highly informative posts.

I have a customer who is, well let's say "an older lady" who uses several amber and ebony cigarette holders. She has a couple of ivory ones, but doesn't use them because they are too valuable. She smokes roll-ups without filters and there is something quite bizarre about watching her in full evening dress rolling outside a formal gathering.

I've never seen a cigar holder - I'll have to go looking.

I love the story about your Dad, by the way. It makes me think of my Grandpa. He introduced me (and my cousins) to Single Malt, I suspect in an effort to show us there was something better and make binge drinking less interesting. It worked partially, at least.

CPT:
Thanx for your reply, support and for sharing!!!

"I smoke ten to fifteen cigars a day. At my age I have to hold on to something". George Burns

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Cigar Lovers:
I'm 'breaking in' my 2nd meerschaum cigar holder (getting nice color too!).

“A cigar [holder]—it’s not so much a [passion] as the crown and hallmark of pleasure”. Count Leo Tolstoy

PS My 1st Holder;

 

[Riff Raff]

Kent:
Never tried a pipe, but life is still young.

Not to get off Thead, but here is a charming story of old;
I fondly remember when I was young boy (I must have been at least 10yrs), and my Dad would come home from work (he was a trial lawyer), with a Cuban (he had so many in the large humidor on his desk in the home office [besides the cabinet humidor],…which my brothers and I were told [on pain of a whopping], never to touch and/or open), between his lips and I would ‘hang’ on his waist begging to have a ‘puff’ (every now and then).
Slyly, (and of course out of range of Mom…mind you), he would give me a puff, but instructed me to never, never to inhale the smoke, but to taste, smell and savour it.

From those days, I ‘grew’ to love cigars and as I ‘grew’ to 16yrs…I used to ‘cabbage’ my Dad’s cigars to smoke with my buddies. Then one day, my Dad sat me down in the home office and cut up a cigar into the various parts (binder, filler and wrapper), with a small pen knife. He then began a ‘homily’ on cigars and taught me the differences between handmade (long & shortfiller), machinemade and ‘others’ (Swisher Sweets and the like…yuck).

I remember my Dad telling me if I couldn’t afford a good handmade cigar…then you shouldn’t smoke lesser types. To further my education, he took me to ‘Campbell’s Smoke Shop’ (still there in East Lansing, MI), to ‘show me the ropes’ on cigars. I think he did this to keep me away from cigarettes (which were the ‘craze’ of my age and time …without result). However, my Dad did tell me that he knew I was ‘cabbaging’ his cigars, but I should at least ask him.

Later on, I did enjoy a Cuban and a cognac (or two?), with him before I joined the Army in 79 on the front porch…and it was the best father to son ‘bonding’ I had ever had with him. I had become of age, became a man and going to be a solider…just like my ‘Paw’. Like most kids of my time...I was 'in awe' of my Father and felt that all I am, or hope to be, I owe to my Dad (and Mom...of course).

So, in essence and since then, I have also tried to get my two (2), son’s away from cigarettes (also without result), and embrace the love of cigars.

"A cigar is as good as [the] memories that you have when you smoked it". Raul Julia

This is why I love this Forum! Stories like this make it all very special and not just some hobby that involves tobacco. More posts like this one is just fine by me!

As for the cigar holder; they are elegant and sophisticated looking. I am just not sure they are for me. I much prefer the tactile sensations of having a cigar in my mouth. Maybe it stems from my grandfather (Boppa) smoking his Antonio y Cleopatra Candellas while he fly fished. I have a picture of him wearing a chef's hat in our cabin in Northern Michigan cooking breakfast (bacon, eggs, trout rolled in corn meal) with a huge stogie sticking out of his mouth and big ole grin on his face. He was the type of guy that would chew his cigars until there was only about two inches left and then decide it was time to light that bad boy up. I guess he was just breaking it in or something.

Now I am not that voracious of a cigar smoker, but I do enjoy a bit of chewing on my cigars. There are flavors you get from chewing it that you don't get from smoking them. If it hadn't have been for Boppa, I probably never would have discovered that.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

This is why I love this Forum! Stories like this make it all very special and not just some hobby that involves tobacco. More posts like this one is just fine by me!

As for the cigar holder; they are elegant and sophisticated looking. I am just not sure they are for me. I much prefer the tactile sensations of having a cigar in my mouth. Maybe it stems from my grandfather (Boppa) smoking his Antonio y Cleopatra Candellas while he fly fished. I have a picture of him wearing a chef's hat in our cabin in Northern Michigan cooking breakfast (bacon, eggs, trout rolled in corn meal) with a huge stogie sticking out of his mouth and big ole grin on his face. He was the type of guy that would chew his cigars until there was only about two inches left and then decide it was time to light that bad boy up. I guess he was just breaking it in or something.

Now I am not that voracious of a cigar smoker, but I do enjoy a bit of chewing on my cigars. There are flavors you get from chewing it that you don't get from smoking them. If it hadn't have been for Boppa, I probably never would have discovered that.

Bill:
Great story, support and thanx for sharing!

"Gentlemen, you may smoke." King Edward VII of England