Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Update: My RH in my Edgestar is down to 71% this morn with temp at 62degs. Moving in the right direction...

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Does the label on a cigar serve any purpose other than identification?

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I believe if you use the search function here there is a thread already about this but if memory served me right, The short of it is back in the day , the band use to help keep the wrapper on.

Noadays, no other use than identifying the stick.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Back in the day they were used to keep the oils off of white gloves the upperclassman used to wear.. Or so i have been lead to believe.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I believe this is correct.

As I recall reading... Smoking with your gloves on was considered bad form. So I'm not sure that this is the reason. I can't remember where I read that, though... nor why it was considered bad form. I may be all wet on this one, though.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Not sure if I've ever heard that one before. Not outright saying it's wrong, but it's not really logical. Cigars were rolled for quite a long time before bands were added, all the cigars prior to the "invention" of the use of bands, held together without them just fine.

As for today, yes, that things related to it.

Also illogical. If there was that much oil it would permiate the bands too, some of which were cloth. Plus, how oily is an "oily" wrapper really? It's not.



I have about ten different books on the history of tobacco and cigars and what's funny is that none of the authors seem to really agree on how bands came about. Some of the theories presented as facts by them include: it was used as a tax stamp, or to keep people's fingers clean from the chickory that some cigars were rolled in for color dying and flavoring, or it was by the order of a noble, or it was an enterprising merchant who wanted to distinguish his cigars from the rest, and so on. No clear consensus that I can recall. It got to be so silly that by about the 4th book, I would just only barely skim, or even just entirely skip that section.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Today, the wrapper serves several purposes. (1) To help allure smokers, (2) to identify cigars, (3) to flex cigar-peen i.e. The Davidoff Leather Cigar Ring, and (4) to keep the wrapper intact on dry, poorly cut cigars.

I mainly use the wrapper to flex my cigar-peen. People know I'm serious business smoking Dominican Cohibas and Gurkhas.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

:r:r:r:r

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

roflmao!

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Most likely a myth. Here is some great info: http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar...22,755,00.html

On paper bands: Cigar Bands - Hearsay & History

http://pages.ripco.net/~whizstrt/bandinfo.htm

What does the wrapper leaf contribute?
 

I was examining a cigar and realized the wrapper is only the thickness of one tobacco leaf. This made me wonder a couple things. If so little of the cigar is wrapper, how much can the wrapper contribute to the flavor? Does the contribution increase with a thinner cigar since it has a correspondingly greater wrapper/filler ratio? Is the wrapper leaf more powerfully flavored that the filler leaves so it can contribute to the flavor even though there is much less of it?

I've never smoked two cigars where the only difference between them was the wrapper leaf so I can't go by experience.

Re: What does the wrapper leaf contribute?
 

Tim, it depends on the cigar itself, but I would say the majority of cigars gain it's primary flavors from the wrapper. The most upfront tastes and aroma like that come from cigars come from the wrapper. Both the filler and the binder are the backbone of the cigars, and provide the subtle nuances, and probably the nicotine kick.

For a second, consider something like Angostura bitters, although only one or two dashes are put in something like an Old Fashioned, immediately one can distinguish a difference between whiskey with the bitters and without the bitters. The same is true for cigars with a wrapper and without.

The easiest, and probably least fun way is to peel the wrapper off a cigar you're familiar with and try smoking just binder and filler. You'll definitely notice a difference.

Finally, yes most of the time there is a difference between ring gauge and flavor. Those cigars which have thicker ring gauges tend to balance between wrapper, binder, and filler and as a result, tend to be not as bold as thinner ring gauges.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Hello everyone. I found this forum by using Google, so here I am. Smile I am a newbie to cigars. I know some very basic info but that is about it. I have smoked a few cigars but that is all. I got them while on a road trip from JR Cigar in NC. I do not remember what they were exactly other than they were JR Alternative brand. I already own a dual blade SS cigar cutter, but I do not have a humidor. I am a bang for the buck/value for the money kind of guy and want to enjoy a cigar and not spend a lot of money doing it. If I am happy with a $2 cigar then why pay $10? I realize and understand that everyone has different tastes when it comes to a cigar, so I am wondering where is a good place to start? From the little that I know I prefer a medium bodied cigar to a mild. Where do I start and how do I learn? I have read The Idiots Guide To Cigars and it helps with basics. Thanks for the help.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Start here in the Newbie forum. http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=7 The stickies here and at the top of each forum section are the best place to find much of the information you seek. Have fun and enjoy what you smoke, if that's a $2 cigar, then great! :tu

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Just remember, whatever size you think you need, triple it.

This is a good place to start. :tu
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Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

You've found a great resource right here in the Asylum. Stick around, introduce yourelf, and have fun. We don't care what you smoke as long as you enjoy it.

Re: What does the wrapper leaf contribute?
 

Good analogy - especially for me because I was a bartender in a former life.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

There is actually a series of Russian Cigar Clan articles that has been reprinted on another site with permission of the IP owner, that includes some insight into the subject. Basically what has been said is they are id, anti counterfeit and marketing.




The series of articles are actually some of the best about cigars I have ever read. I dunno how the TOE feels about linking to another site. Considering the articles cannot be reprinted without permssion I don't want to copy paste them here though. What say the TOE?

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Depends on the site, Jason. PM it to me if you like.