Popular Cigar Accessories Every Smoker Needs

Smoking an elegantly crafted premium cigar without the most essential cigar accessories would be a shame for any cigar smoker. Although you can smoke a cigar using no specialized accessories but only your teeth, hands, and an ordinary lighter, there’d be no fun in it. There’s no doubt that you can light a cigar and smoke it without any accessories such as a humidor, a cigar cutter, or an ashtray, but the experience would be far from pleasurable. To enjoy your cigar’s flavors and aromas, you need to consider specific techniques and paraphernalia.

What goes into a really good smoke is a culmination of the ritual, the procedure of smoking, and taking your time. Here, the role of cigar accessories becomes prominent in enhancing your overall smoking experience from the start to the end. While many different accessories are available in the market, given below are the five must-haves if you’re a cigar smoker or plan on becoming one.

Top Cigar Accessories Every Smoker Needs

With the vast multitude of cigar accessories available in the market, choosing the right accessories for yourself can be a daunting experience. Well, we’ve covered you as we provide you with the must-haves to enjoy a delightful smoking experience.

1. Cigar Cutter

   Before you smoke a cigar, its cap needs to come off. To do that, you need a cigar cutter. But you can’t go for any other cigar cutter available in the market. You have to opt for a fine-quality cigar cutter if you want to achieve a precise and sharp cut every time you smoke a cigar. Various brand options are available when choosing a cigar cutter. The main qualities that you need to look out for are design, durability, and quality.

   In addition to the brand of the cigar cutter, you must also consider the style of the cutter you wish to opt for. A guillotine cutter is one of the most popularly used cigar cutters available in the market. The cutter consists of a sharp blade that cuts the edge of your cigar with relative neatness and precision.

   The second type of cigar cutter is V-cutter. As evident by the name, a V-cutter will snap your cigar making a v-shaped notch. It leaves behind some cap that ensures there’s no direct contact with burning tobacco. The punch cutter comes as a sharp, circular blade. To make an opening in the cigar, it is pushed into the cigar’s cap. The most common use of a punch cutter is for larger cigars primarily because a guillotine cutter is not a feasible option for them.

   Lastly, although you’re advised to not use normal scissors as cigar cutters, there are special cigar scissors that are designed specifically for this purpose. These scissors are usually manufactured from surgical-grade stainless steel.

   

2. A Humidor

   Given that you’re not likely to smoke every cigar you purchase at that instant, you’ll require a humidor to maintain the shape and construction of your cigar. This is because cigars tend to dry out or lose their taste if they’re not preserved under the climatic conditions in which they were made, i.e., at around 70% of humidity.

   The function of a humidor is to supply a humid climate to the cigars, thereby preventing them from drying out. Depending on the quality of your humidor, your cigars can last for an extended period. Even more interesting is that several cigars improve with age, provided they’re stored in an environment with consistent temperature and humidity.

   Now, what are the features of a good humidor? Well, a good humidor increases the useful life of cigars. It tends to preserve the freshness of cigars and also promotes their aging. One can draw a comparison between cigars with fine wine. Just like wine tastes better as it ages, so do cigars.

   When buying a humidor, you must consider your requirements, budget, and, most importantly, customer reviews. You can choose a travel humidor if you want to maintain the freshness of your cigars when you’re on holiday. Or, you can opt for a cabinet or tabletop humidor if you wish to age your cigars. A walk-in humidor will be the perfect fit for you if you have a collection of luxury cigars.
   
   Or if you are tight on budget and not looking to purchase a humidor for yourself, then you could also make your own DIY cigar humidor.

   

3. Cigar Lighter

   Undeniably, you won’t be able to enjoy a cigar without heat. At the same time, lighting your cigar evenly is one of the most essential cigar etiquette and traditions.
   
   While an ordinary lighter can be used to light a cigar, it is not an advisable option, especially for beginners. Therefore, cigar lighters are the only way out. There are myriad options to choose from, each with its specific characteristics. Because there’s a cigar lighter for every setting, you must pick the right choice based on your needs.

   The simplest cigar lighter is the single-flame cigar lighter. It consists of a single jet-flame torch. Consequently, not only does it guarantee wind resistance, but it also offers a focused flame that evenly lights your cigar.
   
   The second option is the multi-frame cigar lighter. As the name indicates, this lighter offers two or more flames that are tailor-made to light your cigar. The primary feature of this lighter is that it ensures your cigar lightens up quickly as it covers more surface area and is, therefore, a more efficient option than the single flame lighter.

   The soft-flame cigar lighter is the oldest option used to light cigars. The ideal setting for using these lighters is an indoor place without any wind primarily because it can be easily blown out. It is, therefore, an elegant choice for lounge settings or if you want to enjoy a moment of nostalgia.

   

4. Cigar Travel Case

   If you’re someone who’s inseparable from his cigars, especially when traveling or enjoying a holiday, a cigar travel case is a must-have accessory for you. A cigar travel case is extremely essential if you are on the road and have to keep your cigars fresh throughout. Since it is not feasible for you to travel with your humidor, a cigar travel case will function to preserve the construction and taste of your cigar.

   Now, what are the most suitable features of a cigar travel case? Although the pointers are subject to variation, your travel case must be sturdy, Additionally, it should cater to the size and shape of your cigars and at the same time, secure your other cigar accessories. And lastly, it should suit your taste and match your style.

   

5. An Ash Tray

   Ashtrays are an extreme necessity for cigar smokers. Since an ashtray has limited functions, there isn’t versatility in design. Rather, it’s only about the style you prefer. Ashtrays are also an ideal place to pop your cigars between puffs. Ideally, you ought to puff your cigar every other minute, so every time you wish to enjoy your drink, your ashtray is the perfect place to keep your cigar safe.

   There are two ashtray options available: glass and ceramic. Glass trays enjoy popularity over ceramic ones because glass is a perfect choice for storing ash. The primary reason behind this preference is the ease of cleaning glass and also, its capability to resist stains. Moreover, glass trays are able to deal with high temperatures effectively. And more often than not, it does perfectly fit indoor decors.

   The alternative to glass ashtrays is ceramic ashtrays. Although they offer a smooth surface and relative ease of cleaning, they tend to be fragile. Nonetheless, an advantage of ceramic ashtrays that cannot be ignored is the plethora of different styles and color options to choose from.

   

Conclusion

Now that you’ve gone through the five extremely important cigar accessories, you ought to get hold of them, if you haven’t already, to take your smoking experience to the next level. Remember that smoking a cigar is not simply a task but a pleasurable experience. And in order to make the best out of your luxury cigars, you must equip yourself with a cigar cutter, a humidor, a cigar travel case, an ash tray, and lastly a cigar lighter. 

While a cigar cutter provides you with an elegant cut on the head of your cigar, a humidor maintains the ideal climatic conditions to retain the freshness of your cigar when you’re not smoking them. A travel case, furthermore, comes in handy if you’re someone who can’t afford to go on a trip, be it for a holiday or business, without your cigars. Similarly, an ashtray is a basic necessity to puff your cigar and collect the ash from your cigar in one place. And last but not the least, a cigar lighter is pivotal because how’ll you enjoy a cigar without heat?

Therefore, you can do your research to choose the right fit from the different options available under each of these categories. Make sure you consider factors like your budget, style and choice, and the reviews of others before making a purchasing decision.