Cigars can be a great way to spend the time, whether you are among friends or relaxing alone at your house. Many people smoke cigars as a way to wind down after a long day or to start their weekend.

When people first get into the hobby of cigar smoking, they will find that there is a lot to learn especially when it comes to getting the proper pipe lighter for their cigar, choosing the perfect cutter, and even the etiquette that goes along with smoking.

Should they remove the band that is on the cigar or should they leave it on? While this might seem like a trivial question, you might be surprised at just how important it is. When it comes to cigar etiquette, you will find that there are certain things you should do and certain things that are considered rude. If you are only smoking your cigar at home, and you don’t have a lot of friends over, then you can feel free to leave the label on the cigar. However, when you are smoking around others who know a thing or two about cigars, you should take the band off.  Read more...

Cigar smokers have one of the most elegant and interesting rituals around when it comes to lighting up. It takes skill to light a cigar and many cigar lighters come equipped with various devices required for the task. Some lighters come with other interesting features.

These lighters may be used just as effectively for a campfire lighter as they may be used for a pipe lighter. They are generally windproof, will light for a long while off a tank of fuel and are easy to maintain. Depending on how sophisticated one wants to be, one may choose from one, two or three jets.

Single flame lighters have the advantages of being easy on fuel, of providing reliable lighting and of being compact. Because lighting a cigar is a complex process, one may find that these lighter’s efficiency is desirable as constantly refueling the lighter can become something of a hassle. They are available in designs which feature an elegance commensurate with smoking a cigar and they provide an even, hot-burning flame that can be directed toward the tobacco which makes lighting the stogie very easy and convenient.  Read more...

While too few individuals realize it, elegance and ostentatious are antonyms. The right accessories can communicate a lot of style and elegance and lighters are, perhaps, one of the most under-used ways to achieve this effect. Today’s butane lighters offer great options for this as do liquid-fueled lighters. When one wants to turn heads, however, sometimes something that looks straight out of a sci-fi film really does the trick.

Those who like an ultra-modern look may enjoy one of the many Lotus lighters on the market. Many of these are of the torch variety which offer a clean-burning, blue flame which will light under just about any conditions. The sound of the flame itself is an attractive element of these designs and the characteristic roaring sound is sure to turn heads. The case designs span from simple and elegant to downright futuristic.

There are several different grades of butane available. If one makes the investment required for a good lighter”it is surprisingly affordable, actually”they should make the corresponding investment in lighter fluids. Look for fuel that advertises zero-impurities. This means that the lighter will perform at peak levels and that the blue flame, or flames, will burn hot enough and bright enough for everyone to see.  Read more...

Smoking a cigar is generally an experience where individuals take great pains to make certain the flavor is all it should be. Cigars can be quite pricey and some of the more exotic types aren’t always available which means they can be an occasion in and of themselves.

Making certain that one gets the best flavor starts with how the cigar is lit. There are various means of doing this and some cigar smokers have very strong preferences for and against certain means. The most controversial way cigars are lit is with liquid-fueled refillable lighters.

The nozzle on a can of butane is designed to fit perfectly with the receiver on a refillable lighter. Anything that doesn’t quite fit is most certainly not the correct fuel and one should not attempt to make it work by force. This can ruin the lighter as much as can using the incorrect fuel.

Where liquid fuels are concerned, many of them advertise the fact that they impart no taste to any tobacco lit with them. The taste of lighter fluid is oftentimes a concern for cigar and pipe aficionados. This can be eliminated by using the best-quality lighter fluid. As is the case with butane fuel, the higher-end fuels do provide better reliability and will burn more cleanly than will the cheaper varieties.  Read more...

A refillable lighter represents an investment. These devices can offer many years of reliable service but, like any product designed to last, they must be maintained and, of course, cleaned from time to time. This process is quite easy and, depending on what type of lighter one has opted to buy, it usually takes no more than a few minutes.

Any of these lighters will require a bit of basic maintenance and care in order to provide their full potential lifetime of service.

A lighter, whether it be butane or liquid-fueled, is an enormously simple device. There is a fuel reservoir, an ignition mechanism and either a wick or a fuel jet. All of these elements have to be kept clean if the lighter is expected to function properly. The reservoir on a butane lighter requires no cleaning at all. It is a sealed environment designed to hold pressurized gas. A liquid-fueled lighter’s reservoir is usually simple cotton balls help in place by a piece of felt. When these become dirty, they can simply be taken out and replaced.  Read more...

Where cigars are concerned, Zippo lighters are something of a controversy. Zippo, of course, is the most well-known manufacturer of fluid-filled lighters. Any fluid-filled lighter will be the subject of the same controversy as are that manufacturer’s. The debate stems from the fluid itself and how it affects”or doesn’t affect, depending upon who one asks”the flavor of the cigar.

A Zippo lighter has, for a long time, been known to outdoor enthusiasts as one of the most reliable tools to bring into the wilds. Zippo has advertised for many years the reliability of their lighters and, born out of the trenches of World War 1, they have certainly proven themselves in that regard! Some smokers claim, however, that they lend the taste of lighter fluid to a cigar and ruin the smoke. Most often, this stems from using cheap lighter fluid and can be remedied by upgrading to any one of the many flavor-free lighter fluids available on the market.  Read more...

When people debate the question of whether or not a cigar should be smoked fully or just halfway, they’re really debating whether or not there is something inherently bad about a half-smoked cigar. Whether or not a cigar is bad or good depends upon the tobacco and the wrap, not upon how much of it has been smoked.

Is this true or not? The question is bandied about an awful lot, perhaps more than is truly merited. It’s more of an academic question, really. The real answer is, of course, that smokers should smoke however much of their cigar they desire and, if someone objects, that person can smoke their own cigars halfway if they so choose. There are various reasons why this debate endures.

The taste of the cigar changes because tar builds up in the tobacco as one puffs through it. This is unavoidable. It’s not that the tobacco is any different from one end of the cigar to the other, it’s simply that the byproducts of combustion inevitably build up and affect the flavor. Many individuals find this change in taste quite enjoyable and, as one gets more used to the flavor of the cigar, one also gets more “bite” off of each puff which makes it enjoyable from start to finish.  Read more...