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02-18-2010, 11:05 AM

Here are the things you always want to look for:

1) The Republic of Cuba hallmark includes a serial number printed in red and an emblem that is only visible under UV light (UV lights are cheap at Lowes, Home Depot or Wal Mart). Check them all out... VERY few people are able to fake the UV emblem. The emblem that appears in the middle is the Cuban Republic Coat of Arms (the same shield that appears on the left of the seal). Also... under UV light... the first 2 letters of the serial number stay red... but the numbers go black! There is ALSO micro-printing on these labels now! get a magnifying glass if your visions stinks... and look right abover "REPUBLICA DE CUBA" and below "LEY SE JULIO 16/1912" and you will see that the thin line is NOT just a line... but the WORDS "Seal of Guarantee of the Republic of Cuba."

2) The trademark sticker of Habanos, S.A. is placed lengthwise when looking at the box front (ALWAYS). This is the little slanted sticker... unfortunately easily faked though.

3) The following marks: "Habanos s.a." - "HECHO EN CUBA" - "Totalmente a mano" are wood-burned on the bottom of the box. You can feel the indentation from the burning and the design must be neat. NEVER is this label made of ink or dye... ALWAYS burned in.

4) Two ink stamps are on the bottom of the box. One shows the factory... one shows the date of production. I won't get into the whole NIVEL ACUSO and CODIG UNETA stuff from the 90s... but you can at least check the sticker code at http://www.habanos.com/sellos?lang=en

5) There must not be any drastic color differences between the layers of sticks... and every one must be ringed at the same distance from the tip. Hey, we all know Cuban rollers aren't always the best in the world, but this they do well with! Each stick should be similar in color, shape and printings.

6) Over the first layer, there should be a small sheet of "vitolina" paper with directions about the correct preservations of your cigars. The paper measures exactly 4 1/4" by 2 3/4". Languages should be Spanish, English, French, German.

7) Cedar sheets, between the inner layers, have a semi-circular cut in the upper-right corner.

8) Examine all caps for the triple-cap and check the length for the vitola (can Google this).

9) They need to come from a reputable source and authorized dealer!

10) SMOKE ONE! If ALL of the above passed the test... the BEST way to make 100 percent sure is to smoke one... cigars have a distinct taste and, if you smoke them, you will be able to tell a fake!

I hope this information helps you, buddy...

Cheers!

02-18-2010, 11:05 AM	#12
AZCigarNut Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Spotting Fakes Here are the things you always want to look for: 1) The Republic of Cuba hallmark includes a serial number printed in red and an emblem that is only visible under UV light (UV lights are cheap at Lowes, Home Depot or Wal Mart). Check them all out... VERY few people are able to fake the UV emblem. The emblem that appears in the middle is the Cuban Republic Coat of Arms (the same shield that appears on the left of the seal). Also... under UV light... the first 2 letters of the serial number stay red... but the numbers go black! There is ALSO micro-printing on these labels now! get a magnifying glass if your visions stinks... and look right abover "REPUBLICA DE CUBA" and below "LEY SE JULIO 16/1912" and you will see that the thin line is NOT just a line... but the WORDS "Seal of Guarantee of the Republic of Cuba." 2) The trademark sticker of Habanos, S.A. is placed lengthwise when looking at the box front (ALWAYS). This is the little slanted sticker... unfortunately easily faked though. 3) The following marks: "Habanos s.a." - "HECHO EN CUBA" - "Totalmente a mano" are wood-burned on the bottom of the box. You can feel the indentation from the burning and the design must be neat. NEVER is this label made of ink or dye... ALWAYS burned in. 4) Two ink stamps are on the bottom of the box. One shows the factory... one shows the date of production. I won't get into the whole NIVEL ACUSO and CODIG UNETA stuff from the 90s... but you can at least check the sticker code at http://www.habanos.com/sellos?lang=en 5) There must not be any drastic color differences between the layers of sticks... and every one must be ringed at the same distance from the tip. Hey, we all know Cuban rollers aren't always the best in the world, but this they do well with! Each stick should be similar in color, shape and printings. 6) Over the first layer, there should be a small sheet of "vitolina" paper with directions about the correct preservations of your cigars. The paper measures exactly 4 1/4" by 2 3/4". Languages should be Spanish, English, French, German. 7) Cedar sheets, between the inner layers, have a semi-circular cut in the upper-right corner. 8) Examine all caps for the triple-cap and check the length for the vitola (can Google this). 9) They need to come from a reputable source and authorized dealer! 10) SMOKE ONE! If ALL of the above passed the test... the BEST way to make 100 percent sure is to smoke one... cigars have a distinct taste and, if you smoke them, you will be able to tell a fake! I hope this information helps you, buddy... Cheers!