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I had a cigar worthy of burnt fingertips tonight. ;)

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same brother, but a xikar multi-tool kept that from happening.

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I will consider my burnt fingertips a badge of honor tonight. :r

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:r but ill leave it at that, dont want to clutter this up to much with banter...we have an app(thread) for that :r

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I'm fairly new to cigars and have been using a guillotine cutter. is there any advantage to using a punch or different style cutter? also what is a cheap but reliable pair of cutters to have?

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It's all a matter of personal preference.
And you'll find a wide variety of opinions on quality cutters. Palio and Xikar are two big names that make quality cutters. I'm partial to Palio.

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I have both and it's pretty much a toss up between the two. I like a punch fo a mixed filler like a TAT P3.
Just my :2

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so far i only have xikar, love both cutters. but obviously the choice is a personal pref

i also prefer a cut over a punch

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I have 2 coolidors at home what would I need to do to get them to be able to lock and still keep air tightness and such without having to buy a new coolidor

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You could use a locking hasp, but any lock you use will be stronger than the cooler itself and could just be pulled off. Why do you need to lock a cooler? You could also just put the coolers in a closet and lock the door. :sh

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Depends how badly they leak. Being completely airtight isn't necessary. Some self-adhesive vinyl foam weather stripping can help tremendously, but you might have to weight the lid to get them to close fully (stack the coolers, place a few hard cover books on the top cooler, or something). If the leak is severe, you're probably better off just getting a new cooler and either using the leaky one for it's intended purpose or just sell it on Craigslist for a few bucks. :2

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Kids and a woman at the house that are vengeful and on way out. Closet won't work cause all my closets she has a reason to get into.I'm not worried about my son because he respects me.

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I would take them to a friends house for temporary storage. Not really practical to put a lock on a plastic cooler, you could just yank out the screws with a pair of pliers. :2

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Bob is wise.

Epoxy wouldn't hold any better than the screws - plus, one doesn't even have to get into a cooler or humidor to damage the contents.

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Is it wise to put a humi pillow with sticks being mailed?

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Another question I seen some cigars with what looks like some small circles that are lighter in color than the wrapper. Is that from beetles? Its about ten or so, I know its not normal

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Depends on where you are mailing them. For any shipments in the CONUS + Hawaii, I don't use them. If the cigars are properly humidified prior to shipment and placed in a bag that doesn't leak, the cigars will be there in a few days and it's not really necessary. The only time I use them is when I direct ship to Iraq/A'stan or Japan and the shipments can take weeks to be delivered (7-10 days for Japan). :2

Those sound like waterspots. Just a cosmetic discoloration in the leaf, nothing to worry about. Doesn't affect taste or structural integrity, just looks unattractive.

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Thanks.

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So I've have my 200ct humidor for about a year now. I have two bead tubes in it that are up to the size of the humidor (I always go above the recommended amount so I know there there is plenty). It is usually at 68% and I typically "energize" the beads once every two months of so. Recently I have noticed that every time I go into the humidor after adding more water, it's already down to about 60-62% in about a week. The beads are turning a tan/sandy color and all I have been using is distilled water in a spray bottle.
Do beads go bad? Is this something I should be worried about?

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You will see many threads about people having Rh "problems" at this time of year. Nothing to be concerned about. Beads dont go bad. But with the increase in the heat inside your house also comes a drop in humidity and the beads will work harder. You can increase the % of clear beads to 75-80% and that will help. There is nothing wrong with any Rh between 60 and 70%. As long as your cigars are smoking well there is nothing to worry about. :2

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All very true.

I just wanted to add a comment that directly addresses Todd's mention of his beads turning a tan color. Todd, most likely it's a little tobacco dust or something related in the air of the humidor is causing them to stain. It happens often and as Bob said, they don't go bad and there is nothing to worry about, aside from the change in color, it doesn't affect them in the slightest.

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The color change is usually due to ammonia absorbing into them.

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Ammonia is colorless.

But it may also be due to other organic/inorganic compounds released by the cigars. I seem recall Dave from Heartfelt saying something about this a while ago.

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Thanks guys. Just don't remember it dropping that low last year.
The few cigars I've had lately seem to be smoking very well. I'll just have to watch it a little more closely.
Thanks again!

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I was originally planning on buying a humi, but the more I search around here the more I'm convinced I should just buy a cooler and turn it into one :D

My only problem is that, though I've searched, I'm finding it hard to find any information for the complete newb on how to start and maintain a coolerdor.

Also how would I go about procuring some boxes for one if I don't have a B&M nearby that sells any cigars aside from maybe some swischer sweets, but I don't really fancy putting those boxes in there.

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Alright brother, here's what you do.

1. Go to Walmart
2. Get a cooler, 70-150 quart pick one you think is reasonable and then buy 2 sizes bigger than that.
3. Take the cooler and clean it out with hot water and baking soda (let it dry out)
4. Buy heartfelt or shilala beads. (use their charts and round up BIG time)
5. Fill said cooler
6. Buy another one
7. Repeat.
8. Repeat some more.
9. PM me with any questions you ever have, I will answer them all.

With the beads you'll need to use a spray bottle with distilled water every 2 months and when you get them. Just read the instructions at heartfelt or shilala's beads and you'll be good as gold. Most of the people here (90%+) swear by them, including myself. Others that have huge epic aristocrats that require something else entirely.


Now as for cigars, you can use many of online vendors. Most of us will tell you cigarsatyourprice.com is the best vendor out there or the party source. Maybe towercigars or fullers pullers. Anyways just pick one and buy samplers and see what you like. Everyones tastes are different. If you have no B&M shop near you (within an hour) you're stuck ordering online. It's not a bad thing but you'll have to find out what kind of cigars you like. Maybe even buy a nice 20-25 cigar sampler from someone here at CA.

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Thanks for the great details! :D

Definitely expect a few PMs, you dug your own grave on that one!

I assume with the baking soda you just mean let a box sit in there for a few days rather than just sprinkle it in there?

I have to get a little more time under my belt before I'm able to join in the trades here, unfortunately.

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Jeremy, Bill said it best...I bought a 150 count humi a few years back when I wanted to take this interest seriously. It was a matter of weeks before I was looking for something else to put sticks in. I have a few small coolers now, as well as ammo boxes that I have lined with spanish cedar, and they are so simple to maintain. You do not have to worry as much about leaks due to poor craftsmanship, and they seal so nicely. Good luck to You, and have fun filling it!

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No biggie on the trades, and definitely not a grave brother. I really owe it to all the people here that have helped me a long my way. I'm more than happy to pay my dues and give back to the excellent people we have here on this forum by helping anyone I can that joins. Just keep posting and the world of knowledge will expand to you, until then there is always great vendors and you can always shoot me a PM. I'm on the forums like 5 hours a day, no joke.

No just take the cooler and scrub it out really good, there might be a plastic smell in there you just want to scrub that out with hot soapy water and baking soda. Wipe it down really good. Chances are there isn't but hey this is hundreds if not thousands of dollars you'll be investing over the months (years) with this hobby so why take the chances eh?


Sean is right, really a humidor only needs a very good seal. Anything would work, just as long as it has no smell and locks up very tight. A coolidor is great for those on a budget realizing they need A LOT of storage to warrant anything nicer being bought in the future. I started with a 300 count thinking I had all the space in the world, now it's nearly full and I "graduated" to a 120 quart cooler. I'll be seeing a few more of those in my future no doubt.

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Great! These were the exact answers I was looking for :D

The idea of spending a little less on a humidor and having some more for some nice smokes just too appealing to me :)

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Coolers are an ideal budget solution to cigar storage. But I am an advocate of smaller coolers. 48-50qt coolers are easily stackable in a closet and it gives the ability to separate and expand as your collection grows. Smaller coolers are also easier to move around.

I would also recommend getting a small 70-100ct desktop humidor($50-75) for singles storage and for everyday smoking. Beads are the way to go. I use 65% Heartfelt beads, you'll need about 1/2 pound per 48qt cooler. If you find you prefer some smokes at a bit higher Rh, the smaller coolers will allow you to use a higher humidity in a separate cooler. :2

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You're able to trade sooner than you think... check out the Newbie Sampler Trade.

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This is a great thread, I completed my first trade last week and it was a lot of fun. Just jump in and get started; it may seem intimidating, but everyone is very helpful.

Take about half a box and add enough water to make a paste. Scrub the inside of the cooler and leave it overnight. Rinse it out well the next day and leave outside overnight opened up to air out. Add your beads and cigars.
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I've got a question for you guys. I received some cigars in the mail today from a trade with a brother from the pipe forums. He sent me some CC minis that got banged up in the post, some are dry, and some are cracked. I was wondering how banged up and dry does a cigar have to be to be labeled trash? Is there any hope for these little boogers? I can post pictures if that helps.

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If you can hold it between you fingers then try smoking them. You can repair some damage to larger cigars using liquid pectin. This is available at the grocery store near the canning jars. But minis are usually too small to repair. :2

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I put them in my humidor and I guess I will let them sit in the 65% for a week and then switch it to the 70% for another week to try and regain humidity. Is there a better way to do this or is it the only way?

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http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y46...g?t=1297723981

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y46...g?t=1297724009

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Those appear to be Partagas Short's and JLP Petite Cazadores, much larger than mini's. Rehydrate to 65%, 70 is too high for Cuban cigars. You can repair those wrappers with a little bit of liquid pectin.

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Oh I thought these are minis and smaller are cigarillos? What is the correct verbage so I don't make the mistake again?

Also, why is 70 too high for cubans? I believe you as youbare more experienced than me but I just had never heard that before.

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The vast majority of smokers seem to like find their Cubans smoke better and taste better at 65% or below....I keep mine around 62%. At 70%, they seem to smoke "wet"....problemed burns, problems staying lit, flavor issues, etc. I know this from my own experience, but can't explain the "science" behind it.

70 is too high for anything, IMO. I find my sticks smoke best around 65. But if you like the way your sticks are smoking, don't worry about the numbers... :2
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Minis and cigarillos are more like a ring gauge in the 20's. Party shorts are a 42 RG, I personally lump them in with the "Petit Corona sized sticks". Knowing all the correct sizing on every CC would be too much IMO. Technically the petit cazadores is a ....petit cazadores 4 1/8 x 43. But for my purpose and reasoning they are "PC sized sticks".

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Thanks for the info fellas. I will post any more questions I come across. :tu

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Hi , I am a new member here and I am hoping that someone can help me with a humidor question . I live in Chiang Mai , Thailand and the weather gets real hot here so I assume that this is a problem for keeping cigars ?
I am thinking that a wine cooler is the best option ? I have found 4 or 5 wine coolers that I can buy here , a couple of different Sanyo's as well as a couple of Samsungs .
I hear that thermoelectric is the way to go but even after doing a lot of searching on the net , have not been able to figure out if these coolers are thermoelectric or not :sh
So I guess my questions are :
1) Do I need to buy a wine cooler as it gets up to over 100F here in the hot season ?
2) How the hell do I figure out weather the cooler is thermoelectric or not ?
And asking the salesman here in Thailand is not the answer as very very few salespeople here have any knowledge of the product that they are selling .
These are the 4 coolers that are available in this area , any help is appreciated , thanks everyone in advance .

sanyo SBC-245K
sanyo SBC-725K
samsung rw52dass
samsung rw33ebss

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I looked through the internet for Samsung and Sanyo wine coolers and could not find anything, even without trying to use the model numbers. Do you have other wine cooler options available?

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I found them all online, but the sanyo website was only in Thai(I guess) and there was no mention of what kind of cooling unit the samsung ones used. The samsung site has a contact us section, have you tried calling or emailing?

The sanyo ones:
http://www.sanyo.co.th/coldchain/pro...llar/index.php

The samsungs:
http://www.samsung.com/ie/consumer/h...=specification
http://www.samsung.com/hk_en/consume...il&tab=support

Compressor type coolers can be made to work, but most prefer thermoelectric. If you can't get thermoelectric, ya gotta make do with what you can get. I don't have any real experience with wine coolers, so maybe someone else can give a better answer.

If you can't get a hold of anyone over there, I could call their N. American help lines and see if they know anything.

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Do a Google search for Vinotemp. They have some nice models and I am sure they have a distributor in Asia. :tu

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Hi and thanks for getting back to me , I will do some more searching and see if I can find a wine cooler that is thermoelectric , these are the only brands that I have come up with so far . I am pretty sure that the ones that I have previously mentioned are not thermoelectric and yes that language was Thai .
On a side note I guess there is no way that I can get away with not using a cooler here in Thailand as it is so hot ?

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I would talk to other enthusiasts in your area regarding the necessity of a wine cooler. They may have other alternatives or be able to steer you in the right direction. Good luck.