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Hi,

Can I use coarse Kosher salt for the salt test? It's all I have in the house right now.

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Potentially. Salt testing is really about making a paste with the salt and just a bit of water. If the crystals are bigger like they are in most kosher salts achieving paste might be a bit difficult. Might have to grind up the salt to get it to work.

But I say sense kosher salt costs more than the cheap iodized stuff just wait until the next grocery visit. Unless you have ridiculously high humidity or no humidity even a couple days at where its at will have a long term affect on the cigars.

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I used kosher salt for my salt test; worked fine. Just realize that its a fine line between just right and too much water.

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i noticed a tiny bit of mold brewing on the humidity puck in my humi, any reason why?

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You're using the floral foam humidifier (aka: "credo") I take it?

Not an uncommon occurrence, considering it's a perfect environment for mold to grow, and PG solution won't completely stop it.

I'd just toss it and order some beads from either Heartfelt or Michael (CigarNut).

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yes im suign the foam. the mold is actually on the plastic puck. definately going to get beads once i have cigars to fill my humi. thanks, adam.

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So to keep with the hydrometer theme a little. I bought mine about a year and a half ago. How long to the batteries usually last and when you change the battery i would assume that you should also recalibtrate it?
Mine seems to be starting to get a little hard to read so I was going to go get a new battery anyway.

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How long the batteries last depends on the hygrometer and the batteries. Certain types & brands of batteries will last more or less than others, but it's probably best to change it once every 6 months to a year regardless.

Rechecking the calibration at that point isn't a bad thing.

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Really depends on the battery. I have had them last months. Just had to change them recently with batteries that only lasted about 5 weeks.:td

I always recalibrate with new batteries, just in case.

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Personally I change the batteries in mine about every three months. Proabably overkill, but it's only a few bucks against my peace-of-mind.

Digital hgygrometers need a good battery in order to provide accurate results. As the battery degrades so does the accuracy.

Also, when you change the batteries I recommend recalibrating/retesting.

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Thought this was going to be the answer but thought I'd ask the people that have been doing it for years.
Thanks guys!!!

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Damn now that It's mentioned my batteries in my current hygro are a good 6 months - 8 months old. Thanks for the reminder :tu

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So today I was talking to a worker at the B&M and we were talking about what I kept my humidity at and I told him i am usually between 62 and 65 and he wondered why so low he told me some wrappers split and crack at that humidity but I have yet had a problem. He suggested near the 70 marker but yet I could swear on here between 63 and 65 was good.

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Ever smoke a cigar out of a B&M humidor? They go out on you AT LEAST twice. High RH does that. Also they get so spongy you almost cannot smoke them below say 35%.

Most workers in B&M's really have no clue. I hate to say it but they really don't know much more then they are told.

B&M shops have to keep their humidors up at 70-73 RH to make up for all the traffic they get. Opening the door a lot and whatnot. I'm still convinced they could drop the RH to 68 and things would work out much better for everyone. But that's just my guess.

The few cigars I've smoked out of the Humidor at work always go out on me A LOT. The ones I bring from home usually never go out on me. Unless of course I leave them for a few minutes. Much easier to nub my own sticks or at least smoke them down to the band.

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I Agree, Corey!:tu I've Tried Every RH From 60-70 & 63-65 Works For Me. I Smoked Several Sticks Lately @ 67 RH & They Were Harsh & Went Out. :2

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See my concern was more this part.. I have around only 300 cigars in my coolidors and desktop and would hate lose even 1 due to improper storage. Going out part isn't an issue when I have a lighter in my hands or pocket hehe.

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I'm by no means an expert, but I keep mine usually in the low 60% range and never have had a splitting problem. I will say that mine used to split when I went for walks in the winter with a cigar. Recently, now that I have proper storage and humidity, this has not been an issue. I used to use just a traveldor which I'm sure was very low humidity and got a ton of splitting, but like I said, it was only when I went out and walked in the winter.
just my experience so far.

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:tpd:

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I'm sure this has been discussed plenty, but I couldn't find an answer with my searching, so I guess I'll ask here:

Would a cigar box work as a humidor if I put some beads in it or something? I know many boxes wouldn't, but I have a Cohiba Supremo box that seems to seal pretty tight, and I never have more than 10 at a time really, and don't plan to have more than that for a long time. Money won't allow it. This will be temporary as I plan to build a humidor when I get the time and money (I'd rather build to my liking than buy). I have a few very nice cigars I want to take care of without buying a humidor just yet, if feasible. I've been doing the humidipak thing in a ziplock bag, in a box. Thanks for any help.

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I would say just get a 15 count traveldor instead of a cigar box. Toss a tube of beads in it and call it even.

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Tupperware is your friend. :banger If you cant dig one out of the cupboard, Target has some nice small boxes from Sterlite with snap closures. You can find them with the ziploc stuff in the grocery section for under $10. :2

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Hmm, I may go one of those routes then. I figured keeping them in cedar was ideal.

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You can always throw in a sheet of cedar from a box. If you dont have one you can probably pick one up at your local shop for free. Cedar just adds a nice smell but is not totally necessary. :2

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This is what I did for about a year or two. Now I have it to bring around with me now that I have a collection of cigars. It's not like it will ever go unused.

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In addition to Bill's excellent comments, I have noticed draw problems and a sour taste from cigars kept at 70 or higher. The only problem that I have had with cracking wrappers is when our New England climate is too cold.

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Ah, I see, thanks. Yea that box actually has a nice sheet in it too.

While it's more than some tupperware, I may go this route for the same reasoning. It would be nice to have to take on vacations and different places in general.

Thanks for the help. I'm obviously on a budget and can only smoke here and there, but I have an Opus X, ESG, and Fuente Anejo that I want to save for a good occasion and take good care of in the mean time.

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I'm on a budget at the moment an is trying to go the cheapest route possible until I can afford a large enough humidor. I'd hate to spend money on the smaller ones just my :2

At the moment I using a large Tupperware container with 35mm film canister with lots of pin holes. I inserted a clean sponge that I dampen with distilled water as my make shift humidifier. I was wondering would this work also I'm using this to monitor the humidity and temperature inside the box.
http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/parts...ite-00326l.jpg

What are your thoughts?

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Patrick, if it works, go for it. Personally, I'd grab a few Boveda packs or water pillows and ditch the film canister.

At the end of the day, if your hygrometer is accurate and your cigars smoke the way you like, you're in good shape.

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The Hygrometer is probably OK -- have you tried testing it to see how accurate it is?

I think tupperware is great for cigars, but the damp-sponge-in-a-35mm-container makes me cringe... You would be better off with beads (any sort) or a Boveda pack. The sponge will only release moisture until the container is saturated. It will not regulate RH. This is critical in a tightly sealed container like tupperware.

You can get beads or a Boveda pack at very reasonable prices...

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Thanks for your thoughts, No I have tried testing it to see how accurate it is, I just assumed it was accurate enough. And I am going to add some beads to the equation ASAP.

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Cigar lighters?
I have gone from expensive cigar lighters to med priced to cheap $12 one from the B &M since I started cigar smoking regularly in October last year went through 3 lighters and all my last lighters stopped clicking/igniting or got lost. Am I using them to much or I smoke more that the average bear if thats the case whats a good lighter , I'm almost thinking of keep getting cheapos but $12 can add up over the year.

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For me, I love the blazer torch lighter. I've never had any issues with the ones I've got and I've been using them for the last 4-5 years now. I think I picked up 3 or 4 way back in a group buy and they all still work great.
I would think you could find some from one of the vendors that advertise here.

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You can get six of these delivered to your door for $12. It will take 4-5 weeks but they are well worth the price. You will not find a better value and they hold up quite well. I am using a couple now that are well over a 18months old.
Dealextreme.com

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1046/sku41791.jpg

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Ronson Jetlite= $3-5 at your local Walmart or CVS

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I was recently given a small humidor. The guy who gave it to me liked to put a shot of rum in the bottom of it to flavor his cigars, I would never do this method myself but that was what he liked. So the rum actually spilled onto the bottom of the humidor and now is stuck in a glob is there anything I can do to get it off? I didnt think that it would be good to use any chemical solutions and just scrubbing it with a wet paper towl did nothing. Is there any way i can save this humidor?

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Sandpaper would be your friend in this situation. :tu Be sure to sand all sides to get the artificial flavor of rum out of the cedar. Re-season and you should be good to go.

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Sorry Greg, but sandpaper is not a good idea with Spanish Cedar. The dust particles are very small and can damage the lungs.

Try rubbing alcohol or Everclear on a paper towel. Dont soak the spot as you can damage the cedar. :2

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Interesting. I've had manufacturers recommend it for stains and lots of mold growth. :sh

I've done it with fantastic results numerous times but I have also worked in a wood shop with no mask too. :D

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Although I have read different accounts, I do not think the dust is actually toxic. But it is more of an irritant than something like pine or oak. :sh

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I think it depends on what a "small humidor" is.
If it is a 75 count or less, I would just buy a new one.
:2
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:tpd:


I'm not sure you'll ever be able to get the smell of the rum out of there.

Also, the lower cost humidors are typically constructed from a almost paper thin SC veneer applied over press board, so the stain could easily have penetrated all the way through the entire veneer.

I'd go with Peter's suggestion and, if this is a nice looking humidor, just keep it and use it to store cutters, lighters, matches, punches, etc...

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That explains SOOOO much :)

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Thanks for all the great information. I think i will just try to clean it and use it as storage for my cutters and lighters. It is about a 50 cigar humidor so i dont think it is worth saving.

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I have been givin a Donatus Solingen germany cutter. I am trying to find out how Do I sharpen this thing? Do I have to dismantle it? and if so how do I go about doing this? Any info on this would be great. who would have thunk there is so little info for such a great cutter.

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Check your local walmart for a Ronson JetLite lighter. These are nice little lighters, light everytime and from asking around and talking with people they last for years. And best of all you can get them for less then 3 bucks. For the price of a bic, they are a steal.

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Does it look something like this?
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/...006f157681.jpg

The blade isn't removable.

You could disassemble it by knocking the pivot pin out, but that could destroy the cutter and might require access to a machine shop to properly reassemble.

FWIW - Solingen isn't part of the company name, it's the city where the company is located. Many manufacturers of high quality steel knives, tools and cutlery have been located there for many hundreds of years, and some of the best steel in the country comes out of there. It's both a pride thing and stamp of quality - it's not just German steel, it's steel forged in Solingen, Germany, a step above. All the steel forging companies located in that city stamp Solingen Germany on their product to show it's (superior) origins.

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That is exactly what it is. Thanks for the info on what Solingen is. I have been doing some searches on it and have came across allot of sites that make knifes, scissors etc. as well. Well, I was thinking of finding a way of knocking the pins out but that would be a major pain. Is there a way to sharpen the front blade through the V-cut slot? I have seen these cutters go for quite a bit of money, you would think there would be some way to sharpen them. Thanks again for the info T.G.!

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No problem, it's a common misunderstanding, I made it myself many years ago too.

I suppose you could knock the pin out with a roll punch but I would worry that the pin could be a press fit and if it is, once you knock it out, the hole will be left expanded, so that when you go to put the pin back in there won't be enough pressure to hold it there.

I've heard some people claim great success with deburring a blade by crumpling up some aluminum foil into a cylinder type shape and then cutting it with the cutter a bunch of times. I tired it once with a cheapie double guillotine, I can't say if it helped any or not, but it didn't hurt it.

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Maybe try a dedicated knife shop? They should have experience sharpening lots of different kinds of blades. :2

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As i stated in the new user thread I've only recently gotten back into cigars after several years off. I reconditioned my old humidor and put a new battery in a digital hygrometer that I had. It was accurate a few years back and thus I did not do a salt test (doing one now). For the few months it has been set up it has been sitting nicely at 69/68RH with 1+/- from time to time.

I had my first terrible experience with tunneling, something that hasn't happened to any of my cigars in my humidor yet. This was on a fresh Oliva G that had only been in the box for about 10 days.

I have read that weather conditions can have adverse effects on the cigar as well. I was smoking on my covered porch during a thunderstorm so it was cool (relatively speaking for a southern summer evening) but humid. The first inch of the robusto smoked well but at about the 2" mark it began to tunnel terribly. So much so that even after two attempts at a relight i was only able to smoke about another inch or so to the point that it had tunneled so deeply that i could not successfully relight it and had to give up. So was it weather, a cigar that was just too moist, or even a combination of both? As I stated i'm doing a salt test on my digital hygro as we speak so in 24 hours i'll come back and state what the actual RH has been.