Cigar handling. At the B&M and at home.

J

JaKaAch

HopenchangeHopenchange
I made a trip to a couple B&M's in KC yesterday. When I was looking around in a big walk in humidor, I noticed a guy opening tubo packaged cigars.
He was also taking the cigars out of the tubo and giving them the big under the nose sniff. He then put them back in the tube and back on the shelf.

I wonder what you guys think should be the proper way to shop/browse in a B&M.
While I'm shopping I don't handle the cigars unless I need too. Like to find the price, and then I just pick up the box and look. If the cigars are still in the cello I guess a little handling is OK. If the cigars are naked I think they should be hands off unless you are going to buy them.

When at home I don't get into my humi and handle the cigars unless I wash my hands first.
Is this a little of my OCD coming thru.:r Cigars aren't really a food product, but they are a perishable plant product.

What do you think?
 
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If I pick up one to smell or whatever, I usually handle it by the foot. And no, my nose does not come in contact with the cigar. And if I actually do pick it up, it is something new I want to check out or I know I'm gonna buy.
 
If a cigar is in cello I"ll handle it more. I will check for soft spots, etc. If it is naked I'll only look for wrapper defects, and I always pick it up by the band. I don't usually smell it...I can't actually remember ever smelling a cigar at a B&M. I smell mine at home all the time but I can't remember doing it at a store. If I did I'd only smell the foot and never get that close.:2
 
I try not to handle the cigars unless I am going to buy that particular stick. I want to make sure the stick I'm buying is a good one (construction etc.). Just my :2
 
OtterAKL4987 said:
I try not to handle the cigars unless I am going to buy that particular stick. I want to make sure the stick I'm buying is a good one (construction etc.). Just my :2
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I agree with the above comment. Smelling a cigar and having close to your nose and then putting it back is class-less. Doing it at home is one thing but at a B&M and not buying it. That just isn't right.

Good question for a discussion.
 
The Mum said:
I agree with the above comment. Smelling a cigar and having close to your nose and then putting it back is class-less. Doing it at home is one thing but at a B&M and not buying it. That just isn't right.

Good question for a discussion.
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:tpd:
Absolutely 100% agree.
As an example most people don't care when you handle produce at the grocery store because it can easily be washed. Not so simple with a cigar!
 
JaKaAch said:
When at home I don't get into my humi and handle the cigars unless I wash my hands first.
Is this a little of my OCD coming thru.:r Cigars aren't really a food product, but they are a perishable plant product.

What do you think?
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I'm so with you on this one. I took enough microbiology and physiology in college to know how easily microbes transfer.

As far as opening up a tubo or and sniffing anything in a B&M...very poor practice IMO.
 
I never squeeze the cigars at the store. The most I'll do is inspect the wrapper to make sure there are no holes.
 
Snesley Wipes said:
I'm so with you on this one. I took enough microbiology and physiology in college to know how easily microbes transfer.
As far as opening up a tubo or and sniffing anything in a B&M...very poor practice IMO.
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That's what I'm talking about microbes and Cootys..:r
I have never bought a tubo cigar at a B&M, but if I did I would open it after I paid for it and before leaving the store. Just to make sure it's not damaged or chewed up by beetles.
 
I would bring this to the attention of your B&M owner. They need to know what is going on in their humidor. Let them take it from there.

:ss
 
I try to handle the cigars very little, especially at the B+M. I not only would have said something to the guy, I also would have told the owner of the B+M.
 
I think I would have had to blast that guy "sniffing" all the smokes in the faces with a right hook.

I do not touch the stick unless I plan on buying if it has no cello on it, if it has cello on it my touching is limited. Grab it make a quick once or twice over the wrapper while giving it a little squeeze.

At home, I just pretty much let my sticks sit for weeks at a time, unless they need to be suffled around to make more room, which is usually the case.
 
I usually just thump em like you do with a melon to see if they make a hollow sound :r Just kidding , I only handle them if I plan to buy em . Opening a tube to sniff the cigar is poor form and just rude IMHO . you should have :sl Him .:D
 
The Mum said:
I agree with the above comment. Smelling a cigar and having close to your nose and then putting it back is class-less. Doing it at home is one thing but at a B&M and not buying it. That just isn't right.

Good question for a discussion.
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:tpd:

The first time my wife went with me to our local B&M I gave her the run down about not sniffing things. We must have been in the walk-in all of 5 minutes when some clown grabbed a stick and gave it a good whiff :hn. Our B&M staff walked in just as he was doing it and let him know he damned well better be buying it because it was rude to the rest of the patrons to "rub your nose all over the smokes".
 
:):):):):):)

Spect said:
:tpd:

The first time my wife went with me to our local B&M I gave her the run down about not sniffing things. We must have been in the walk-in all of 5 minutes when some clown grabbed a stick and gave it a good whiff :hn. Our B&M staff walked in just as he was doing it and let him know he damned well better be buying it because it was rude to the rest of the patrons to "rub your nose all over the smokes".
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I will smell the foot, but I keep the cigar at least an inch from my nose. I have a powerful sniffer, so it is not really necessary to shove the thing halfway to my brain to smell it. I also only handle by the band in the b/m.

I do feel that the opportunity to get a good whiff is really one of the only reasons I shop at the b/m and not exclusively online, but I believe I do so in a dignified way.
 
Really, it's not an issue when you realize that the world is not a clean place. How many public doorknobs and/or tables do you touch everyday? How many of you use public water fountains and not think twice about it? I would think there is much, much more bacteria on those than on a cigar.

My b&m keeps opened tubes on top of the stack and when somebody purchases one, they go get another one from the bottom and replaces the open tube on top.
 
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