Does Santa Smoke a Cigar or a Pipe?

Author: Alan King

There is a debate raging among cigar and pipe aficionados as to whether Santa smokes a cigar or a pipe. That's right--the world is being held in suspense over what the Man in Red prefers to smoke with. The debate has the country divided and the opposing parties are at odds grappling over the issue of pipe vs. cigar. The pipe faction, encouraged by the poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" by Clement Moore, believes that Santa smokes "the stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath." The pro-pipe group remarks that Santa would be better off smoking a pipe. They submit the idea that if Santa were a cigar smoker, he would leave ashes and cigar butts in homes when he takes his breaks to eat all those cookies that are left out for him. They also insist that Santa stops for a cookie break every 3,000 miles, when he changes the reindeer harnesses and gives them some of the carrots that children leave out for them, and that he would have to leave at least some clues behind in the form of cigar ashes during these frequent stops. The cigar faction reasons that Santa, being a practical yet sophisticated man, would definitely enjoy a good stogie. Imagine, they argue, the changing of reindeer harnesses while wielding a pipe! No, that image calls for a fine cigar like a Winston Churchill 10 or an Avo Domain 60. These are cigars designed for a workingman who is intent on getting the job done. Besides, they say, cigars are biodegradable and easy to stow away on a long sleigh ride. My staff called the North Pole and interviewed elves that occupy key positions in Santa's workshop and warehouses, but the findings were inconclusive. The elves agreed that only Santa and Mrs. Claus know what he prefers, though they did allude to the fact that Mrs. Claus shops online for purveyors of fine cigars and pipes.The debate was finally resolved by a council of retired senior elves and Santa's worldwide agents. They took a vote, and here was their conclusion: Santa smokes cigars while traveling the world south of Miami's latitude point. Santa smokes pipes when he travels north, with a few exceptions: England, where he often smokes Churchill 10's, and California, where he smokes anything he darn well pleases. So have a jolly holiday! Oh, and leave out some carrots for the reindeer.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/does-santa-smoke-a-cigar-or-a-pipe-683658.html

About the Author
For access to the best Fine Cigars and Cigar accessories available check out the great deals available only on the authors website - http://www.davidoffmadison.com

Cigar Families

Author: Scott Shemtov

The art of growing tobacco and leaves and rolling cigars has been around for thousands of years. The knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. A father gives his son his first stick as a passage into manhood and acceptance or they teach their daughter how to roll or smoke a fine crafted stick. Families have been hand rolling and producing some of the finest smokes and the business and industry has become a family one. A lot of sticks you see are named after the families and sell the most in the industry. Here are some famous cigar families.

A well known brand and family is the Fuente family who makes Arturo Fuente cigars. The company is run by grandson, Carlos Fuente Jr. and his two daughters. The family has been making hand rolled sticks since 1916. Arturo grew up in Cuba and learned how to cultivate tobacco with his father. He then learned how to hand roll and immigrated to Florida to roll sticks in America. He continued to produce the finest of cigars. His son Carlos followed suit and lived in the cigar factory with his parents. He was literally born into the industry and learned from his father. He then passed on his knowledge to his son Carlos Jr. Carlos Sr. moved the family to the Dominican Republic where they have a famous tobacco plantation where the best tobacco and leaves are cultivated.

One of the oldest American cigar families is the Newman Family. J.C. Newman started hand rolling cigars in 1895 and the brand has had continued success. His mother paid him to be an apprentice and learn all about the industry in Chicago. He hand rolled sticks for another company until he was laid off, and then his entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and started his own company. J.C.'s story is truly one of the American Dream. He was an immigrant who started and maintained one of the most successful American cigar companies. His two sons joined the business after serving time in the military. Their sons also entered the business, so three generations of Newman men were running the operation.

Years down the road after the two companies had their own success; the Newman and Fuente families joined forces and produced top selling premium cigars. The Newmans have also bought and sold other cigar names; yet work closely with the Fuentes. Not only do both families hand roll some of the best sticks, they also share their success with a charitable organization they founded. They founded the Cigar Family to showcase their talents and the charity is called the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/cigar-families-2059138.html

About the Author
Arturo del Rio, cigar aficionado, of Famous Smoke Shop which sells premium cigars. Famous Smoke Shop offers cigars, humidors & cigar accessories at unbeatable prices. For more information, visit http://www.famous-smoke.com
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The Difference Between Handmade And Machine Made Cigars

Author: Scott Shemtov

There are many different types of cigars ranging in size, shape, filler, and taste. This is why the smoking culture is so unique. You simply cannot say that all sticks are the same. Every one you smoke will be different and unique in flavor. Some of the differences will be very subtle and some will be more distinct because of the different fillers and binders used. However, one difference between a good stick and a great stick is whether or not they are hand rolled or machine made. Could this possibly make such a distinctive difference? Ask any connoisseur and they will say it does.
There are ways in which you can determine if the stick is handmade or machine made based on the look of the cigar. Looking at the outer construction of the cigar, the wrapper, will show and tell you a lot about the stick. The wrapper from a handmade stick is very smooth and tight. It will also be a little bit oily when you touch it. When you smoke a handmade one, it will have a very even burn because the wrapper is stretched and wrapped so tightly.
Machine made cigars' wrappers will be a little different. They are duller looking in appearance. Machine made sticks do not have all natural wrappers because the materials have to be able to withstand the power of the machine. A machine made cigar will not taste as good because of the way it is wrapped.
The filler of cigars give it their distinct flavor and it is where most of the flavor is drawn from. This is one of the most distinct characteristic traits of a handmade and machine made cigar. The fillers in both types are very different. Handmade cigars have high quality fillers that run the entire length of the stick. Machine made ones use lower quality fillers that consist of chopped up tobacco that usually includes the stem and other undesirable scraps. The draw and burn quality of a machine made stick is really affected because a long filler is not used.
When you are purchasing cigars, there are giveaways that will help you in determining whether the stick is handmade or machine made. Because the quality and the time it takes to produce a handmade stick the price is more expensive. It is better to spend the extra amount on a good quality smoke. Machine made cigars are also packaged quite differently. They are usually sold in cellophane wrappers and can be found in most convenient stores. If you are interested in smoking a good cigar, never buy one from a convenient store. You can purchase premium cigars at smoke shops both online and in person. Ask any connoisseur and they will tell you to smoke nothing but handmade.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/the-difference-between-handmade-and-machine-made-cigars-2113316.html

About the Author
Arturo del Rio, cigar aficionado, of Famous Smoke Shop which sells premium cigars. Famous Smoke Shop offers cigars, humidors & cigar accessories at unbeatable prices. For more information, visit http://www.famous-smoke.com
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The 411 On Purchasing Cigar Humidors Online

Author: Steve Matin

There is a certain amount of risk associated with purchasing cigar humidors online, but there are also many benefits associated with it as well. It is true that you will not be able to view the cigar humidors in person or physically touch them. However, when you find a reputable vendor online, then it can be an ideal scenario. Cheaper Humidors is just one such example of a reputable vendor of cigar humidors, as you will quickly see for yourself.
When it comes to purchasing cigar humidors online, the first step you will need to take will be to ensure that the vendor offers a money back guarantee on the product they sell, either from the website directly or from the manufacturer. In general, the type of warranty that accompanies a cigar humidor will be an indicator of how much confidence a manufacturer has placed in the product they have created. If you are not satisfied with the humidor you have purchased, you should be able to return it without any hassles.
The next consideration you will need to take into account is the shipping charges that will be associated with the cigar humidors you are considering purchasing. When calculating the budget that you have to spend on a new humidor, you will need to include shipping costs in the overall cost. As a general guideline, the larger the humidor that you purchase, the more you can expect to pay in shipping. It will defeat the purpose of a low cost humidor if you must pay outrageous shipping charges.
Before selecting a vendor to purchase cigar humidors from, you will need to ensure that you are dealing with a reputable website. Read professional and consumer written reviews about the experiences that prior clients have had with a particular vendor. Additionally, even though you will be purchasing a humidor online, you can check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any outstanding customer complaints or pending legal action against a website. You must pay close attention to a vendor if you will be purchasing cigar humidors from overseas.
Next, look for cigar humidors online that have been lined with premium, kiln dried Spanish cedar. The inclusion of Spanish cedar is a humidor's composition is a sign that it has been constructed with quality and care. There are a number of advantages associated with using Spanish cedar to line cigar humidors, including the fact that it can repel tobacco beetles and is better at withstanding the effects of constant humidity.
There are numerous online retailers who offer cigar humidors for sale; however, you will be hard pressed to find an online retailer who is more dedicated to providing high quality merchandise at lower prices than Cheaper Humidors. They stand behind their humidors, and they will stand behind you as a customer as well. If you have any questions about purchasing a humidor through Cheaper Humidors, then you can contact their professional service staff via phone or email.
Regardless of whom you choose to purchase your humidor through, it is going to be a necessary investment in order to protect your cigars. Undoubtedly, you have invested a considerable amount of time and money, and you will want to protect your investment. By following a few simple tips and tricks, you will be able to choose a humidor that will provide you with many years of satisfactory service.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gifts-articles/the-411-on-purchasing-cigar-humidors-online-6226185.html

About the Author
Cigaranado is a website where you can find different types of cigar's and also you can found cigar accessories & humidor accessories. Click on the link to see more services. http://www.cigaranado.com/

Cigar Lighting With Cedar Strips

Author: Dave Sabot

Lighting a cigar correctly is vital to ensuring the best smoking experience. There are numerous steps involved in doing so and, oftentimes, smokers have as much of a preference in regards to lighting their cigar as they do toward which types of cigars they prefer. Cedar strips are one of the less-common ways that smokers light-up and they offer an interesting twist on enjoying one's smoke.
To do this, one needs the same devices they normally would require to enjoy a cigar: a high-quality lighter or matches, depending on one's preference; any one of the numerous types of cigar cutters available; a good cigar; and, of course, some time to enjoy the smoke. Actually lighting the cigar with cedar is no different than lighting the cigar with a match or a lighter; it is in the reasons for doing so that the rationale for the various techniques involved are discovered.
Most smokers who prefer this method have some degree of sensitivity to the taste of the chemicals used in both lighters and matches. Cedar burns fast and hot, has a pleasant, natural taste and, according to many cigar aficionados, imparts no unpleasant taste to their tobacco. For this reason, many individuals who prefer to light their cigars in this fashion also light the cedar strip itself with a match, eliminating altogether any chance of having lighter fluid or other substances discolor the flavor of their cigar. Of course, this method is not the most convenient and is usually something that is done when one smokes a cigar in their home as carrying around all the materials required can be somewhat cumbersome.
There are advantages and disadvantages to this method. Among the advantages are the lack of chemicals involved. While fluid-filled lighters can sometimes impart a taste to the first few puffs of tobacco and do burn with a scent, butane lighters and cedar strips do not. Cedar strips are also very inexpensive and most smokers will find that they can get a couple of lights off of one strip, depending, of course, on how hard their cigar is to get lit.
Cedar strips offer something different for one's cigar-smoking experience. The smell of burning cedar being immediately followed by the smell of high-quality, burning tobacco is really quite pleasant. If one is truly looking for a gourmet experience, cedar strips can be a nice addition to the smoking ritual.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/cigar-lighting-with-cedar-strips-1160692.html

About the Author
Dave Sabot is the owner of an online specialty cigar lighters store. With expert knowledge of cigar accessories, including butane torch lighters, Dave also authors a premier lighter repair blog.

The Tobacco Beetle & Your Cigars

Author: Jim Bennington

Tobacco beetles can not only eat your cigars down to dust, they can cost you a pretty penny. While not a new pest for cigar lovers, it is the leading insect that threatens stored tobacco. These critters do not discriminate. They will attack tobacco at any stage of manufacturing, up to retail and travel to your humidor.

Though it is the most common, the tobacco beetle is not the only predator that preys on tobacco. Several other insects such as the tobacco moth, the tobacco worm and at least 12 other species of insects feed on the plant. Many of these insects were trapped either in tobacco factories, warehouses or found on cigars left in room temperature inside homes.
The tobacco beetle, which is larger than the cigarette beetle, is mainly a tropical species. It is identical to the cigarette beetle except that it is larger and is black instead of brown. The tobacco beetle attacks cured tobacco in much the same way as the cigarette beetle. The tobacco moth is sometimes a serious pest of flue-cured tobacco on the farm, farmers say. Infestation may begin even in the curing barn and continue until the tobacco is marketed. Most damage occurs in the pack-house, where the tobacco is bulked before being graded. Infestation may develop from moths flying from commercial storages or farms nearby, or it may be already established on the farm and carried over from year to year in scrap tobacco, peas or beans, stock feeds or other host foods. Tobacco dealers and manufacturers constantly practice insect-control measures and maintains damage-free on insect infestations.

Having a humidor is not a guarantee as friend from Davie found out. Despite stashing away his stogies in his safe haven, he returned and found his Cubans with holes like a strainer. That's because the illegal cigars were not properly cured and the insects were not destroyed before the cigars were put away, allowing them to multiply. "I couldn't believe my eyes," he said. He lost hundreds of dollars on the coveted cigars " For a while I thought someone had opened the humidor or I thought someone had sold me a dud." But a friend explained to him that Cuban cigars are the most prone to developing beetles because they don't fumigate their tobacco. The don't take the same preventive measures as the other countries do. But if you do have Cuban Cigars beware!

Below are steps to eradicate tobacco bugs in your humidor and how to prevent them from returning.:

1. First, double bag all the cigars that were in the humidor with the contaminated cigars, even those which don't have holes. They probably have eggs and larvae. You can also use tupperware containers. One inside the other (Because of the extra moisture produced by the freezing, the extra bag or container will act as a deterrent for the moisture the freezing might produce). In a regular frost free freezer the temperature should be 10 F. to 15 F. above Zero. If in a deep freezer the temperature should be -10 F. Keep the cigars in the regular freezer for 30 days and in the deep freezer for 15 days.

2. While the cigars are in the freezer, clean your humidor with a vacuum. Leave it empty and open for at least a week. The bugs will die without its food source, the tobacco.

3. When it is time to remove the cigars from the freezer, transfer them to the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then let your cigars reach room temperature as they sit outside for another day. Return your cigars to your humidor and humidify them again. Be patient, don't try to speed up this process.

4. When ever you come across Cuban cigars freeze them immediately, following the steps above. Better safe than sorry.
Long ashes everyone.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/the-tobacco-beetle-your-cigars-407739.html

About the Author
Jim Bennington has been caring for the cigar and pipe smoker for 30 years in Boca Raton Florida. For More information go to www.bocabenningtons.com

Tips on Ashing a Cigar

Author: Dave Sabot

Smoking a cigar is very unlike smoking a cigarette. The right time to ash a cigarette is when the ash becomes inconveniently long. The tobacco in cigarettes is cheap and hot-burning. Conversely, the tobacco in a cigar is expensive and burns best when it's kept at a lower temperature. This ensures the very best flavor.

Figuring out how much of an ash gives the best flavor will depend not only on the smoker's preference but on the cigar in question. Some cigars will burn hotter than others and, thus, need more of an ash. Remember that the first few puffs of a cigar will be the point at which the ash is at its hottest. Cigar lighters, such as Colibri lighters, oftentimes have a very hot flame and the first few puffs are not representative of the overall flavor of the cigar owning to the heat. Once an ash is generated, the real flavor begins.

While a cigar is certainly hot, it should not be so hot that it affects the taste of the tobacco. This is why very powerful lighters, such as the various Lotus torch lighter models, are held a bit away from the cigar during the lighting process. To burn, fire or embers require fuel, oxygen and heat. The ash regulates the amount of oxygen the cherry receives and, thus regulates the overall temperature of the burn. As any smoker is aware, the first puff off of a cigar is usually the hottest. The temperature of the smoke mellows as ash is generated.

The ash also affects how easily one can draw off of the cigar. Of course, a thicker, heavier ash means that it will be a harder draw for the smoker. No ash means that the draw will be very easy but also may mean that the ember will be burning too hot to ensure quality flavor. The art of cigar smoking involves finding a happy medium between the two. It may take some time but, then again, all worthwhile things have that quality to them.

The cigar ash may still have some very hot embers within it, so keep this in mind when smoking in outdoor locations. Especially in areas with dry grass or wood, this can pose a risk of fire. To make sure the ash is cooled, flick it first into the palm of the hand and then toss it to the wind once one is sure it's cooled off. Aside from determining the flavor of a cigar, the ash presents one of the hazards of smoking and should be watched.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/tips-on-ashing-a-cigar-1160714.html

About the Author
Dave Sabot is the owner of an online specialty lighters store. With expert knowledge of cigar accessories, including cigar lighters, Dave also authors a premier cigar lighter reviews blog.