Essential Accessories For Cigar Smokers

Essential Accessories for Cigar Smokers

Smoking a cigar is an elite smoking experience that is the epitome of luxury and enjoyment of the finer things in life. It's a simple pleasure in that we think any gentleman should explore learning more about. 

Now, we're not saying that cigars are good for you, we think we all acknowledge that there is a certain amount of risk to your health if you smoke them. But in general, we smoke cigars in moderation, and that’s not the approach typical of cigarette smokers. In addition, most cigar smokers do not inhale the smoke into their lungs.

Similarly, they’re not as addictive. You can get addicted, make no mistake about it, but it’s easier to avoid if you make them an occasional luxury and not a common vice. Smoke a cigar as a reward for personal success, or as a way to relax after a long couple of weeks.

For decades, gentlemen have enjoyed the robust flavor of cigars that you don’t get from any other kind of smokable. They're a luxury that can be enjoyed for a solid 45 minutes hour instead of ten minutes, and cigars bring an air of class and sophistication to the ocassion.

And if you want to maximize the potential and enjoyment of a cigar, then you need to get yourself some accessories. You can make the experience so much better with a few additions. Let’s take a look at some of the essential accessories for cigar smokers:

Ash Tray

You need somewhere to dispose of your ash, and if you’re smoking a cigarette then just flicking into an empty mason jar or even into a bush might be suitable, but if you’re smoking a cigar it should really be a bit more classy.

If you’re smoking a cigar, you’re probably sitting on your porch or back patio, or maybe you have a designated cigar smoking area where you have an armchair and a varnished wooden table. 

You want an actual ash tray to be a part of that setup. There are numerous different styles of trays which will not only serve as a good place to catch your ash, but which also have a distinctive look and will add to the atmosphere.

Some of them are made of glass, some of them are metallic, some are wooden, silicone, or carbon fiber. You can get trays which have a novelty design or which are customized personally for you with specific colors or inlaid text.

And the best ash trays will also, of course, be reusable and easy to clean. I’m sure you can find one which suits you, there are many options out there. 

Humidor

Humidors are the best method for storing your cigars. In fact, they are arguably the only method to ensure that your cigars stay fresh for as long as possible. You could potentially be storing a cigar for years at a time, and it’s not going to become dangerous for a long time, but it will lose its potency, and may eventually even gather mold.

A humidor will prevent that, because it will control the temperature and the moisture levels of the cigars inside. The humidors are usually made from cedar wood, and are lined with certain natural oils and aromas.

The humidor itself will need a little bit of maintenance every once in a while too. It will need to be cleaned before new cigars are added and you should check the humidification system inside regularly to make sure it’s working as it should.

A good quality humidor that you make the effort to maintain should last you for several years.

Lighter

You could light a cigarette with a match and it would serve the purpose fine, but to properly light a cigar, you need a lighter. And not the kind of lighter that you can just buy over the counter in a gas station, you need one that’s going to last.

The goal when lighting a cigar is to make sure that the entire foot is ignited but that you don’t bring your cigar into direct contact with the fire, and so it's better if your lighter allows for an adjustable flame. 

You have a couple options. The best one, especially if you’re a beginner, is probably a torch lighter. There are certain cigars, such as ones with larger ring gauges, which you simply can’t light without a torch lighter.

It makes it much easier to, especially if you are lighting up outside. Torch lighters are wind resistant so you won’t struggle at all to get a good flame. There are also butane lighters, which give a strong, adjustable flame too, but if you want to go that route you need to make sure the fluid is filtered and odorless because otherwise it may affect the cigar’s flavur.

Cutter

What you’ll notice about new cigars is that they always have a cap on them that needs to be cut off before they can be smoked. It’s there to aid in ensuring freshness by not allowing bacteria or anything that will inhibit the flavor from getting in.

While it’s technically possible to just cut this cap off with a scissors or a knife, it’s not possible to do so with an even cut. If you don’t use a specially designed cutter, you could cause the wrapper to unravel which will ruin the cigar completely.

A good cutter will probably last you for years and years, and there are many different kinds. There are guillotine cutters which will give you a straight and precise cut, and you can get them in either a single or double-bladed variety.

You have punch cutters which don’t actually cut the cap off and instead just create a hole in the cap through which you can inhale. This is a great way to prevent tobacco from accumulating and to protect the cigar from the elements while you’re outside.

Then there are V-cutters which make a notched hole in the cap and will only cut from one side, ensuring that you don’t cut too deep into the cigar itself. This is a tricky enough one to use for beginners but is highly beneficial if you get the hang of it.

There are other little things you can get to enhance your enjoyment too such as travel cases and whiskey glasses with notches in the side to hold your cigar, but the above listed are the most important ones, and the absolute must-haves if you want to realize the full potential of your cigars.