badhangover
New Member
Let me ask you a question. Are your cigars smoking well right now? Should they be more/less humid? Should the cut be any different? Should your lighter put out, uh, more/less fire? I think most of us are reasonably pleased with our individual setups we have attained throughout our time in this hobby. So why do we keep looking and spending for new and improved? The end goal is simply the smoking of our cigars, right?
I shake my head at myself for the minor fortune I've spent on cigar accoutrements. I remember, as I was just barely starting to smoke cigars, some old head telling me he kept his cigars within a sealed Tupperware bowl. He threw in an apple slice or two for humidity. He was just fine with his setup. Okay, I don't think he was smoking HTF/High End cigars - so his elementary storage practices were just fine by him. But what would he say if he knew (and I sincerely doubt he does or cares to know) that cigar lighters could retail for over $1k (and that's without jewelry adornment!)? The dizzying array of fancy cutters available (I think he used a cheap and sharp pocket knife exclusively set aside for cigar cutting). Humidification devices, laboratory worthy precise hygrometers, so on and so on.
I don't know that this evolution has necessarily resulted in a better tasting cigar smoking experience. Cigar smoking has been going on for a long long long time now. I think they were happy with their smoking experiences then. As we are likely happy with our smoking experiences now. But I have no doubt the accessory evolution will continue unabated. More ways to part us from our dough when it's cigars we're trying to smoke and not fancy accessories. Who knows, future generations may consider us savages for embracing lil' white beads as dependable for humidity maintenance.
Until some laser beam cutter comes out that produces a perfect cut each and every time, I think I'm done with accessories. No, wait, I take that back. I'd also like some type of contraption to massage out the kinks of overfilled/plugged cigars. I've never been thrilled with cigar pokers.
I shake my head at myself for the minor fortune I've spent on cigar accoutrements. I remember, as I was just barely starting to smoke cigars, some old head telling me he kept his cigars within a sealed Tupperware bowl. He threw in an apple slice or two for humidity. He was just fine with his setup. Okay, I don't think he was smoking HTF/High End cigars - so his elementary storage practices were just fine by him. But what would he say if he knew (and I sincerely doubt he does or cares to know) that cigar lighters could retail for over $1k (and that's without jewelry adornment!)? The dizzying array of fancy cutters available (I think he used a cheap and sharp pocket knife exclusively set aside for cigar cutting). Humidification devices, laboratory worthy precise hygrometers, so on and so on.
I don't know that this evolution has necessarily resulted in a better tasting cigar smoking experience. Cigar smoking has been going on for a long long long time now. I think they were happy with their smoking experiences then. As we are likely happy with our smoking experiences now. But I have no doubt the accessory evolution will continue unabated. More ways to part us from our dough when it's cigars we're trying to smoke and not fancy accessories. Who knows, future generations may consider us savages for embracing lil' white beads as dependable for humidity maintenance.
Until some laser beam cutter comes out that produces a perfect cut each and every time, I think I'm done with accessories. No, wait, I take that back. I'd also like some type of contraption to massage out the kinks of overfilled/plugged cigars. I've never been thrilled with cigar pokers.