Here's a new thought. What's your cigar journey? I don't know how to explain doing it, because everybody has and will include different details. I'll get it started, mine should give you some ideas.
I've heard that "life is a highway." I don't know if that's true, I hate the highway, I'd rather cut my own path through the woods (or the jungle). It's wonderful how many people you meet and where they are. We all share a passion - the enjoyment of a fine cigar. How has your cigar journey meandered to get you were you are today?
Grab a vine around the campfire and listen to me tell my tale - then take your turn at the talking stick and share your journey.
I started smoking cigars and pipes my first year in college in 1980. It began with a Dutch Masters Presidente and a corn cob. Downtown Chicago one day I stumbled onto Iwan Ries - I hit the slope. Thankfully, I didn't have a credit card, and it was a long trip from the the campus to get there. Of course a box of AF Chateau Fuentes was less than $20 (a the pound of tobacco and an inexpensive IR briar, and I was sliding down the slope on my backside. That's how it all started. I smoked my pipe everyday, but the cigars were more a 5 times a week thing.
When I moved to the LA area (Maywood school & Huntington Park was home) to be a teacher, my smoking was much curtailed. I just didn't have the time. I smoked maybe 4 times a week - period - pipe or cigar. But now, it was almost exclusively cigars. And there were numerous shops in which to find them, but considering how often I smoked and being a newlywed just before moving to LA, I didn't spend a lot of time at shops.
When I headed to the Seminary in 1988 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, I stumbled upon Riegels and the manager, Dennis. Now I got an education in pipes... Cool!! There were others at the sem who also enjoyed cigars (and pipes), so now the social aspect of smoking fell into place. Studying in the commons with others would often find a blue haze filling the room. At times, middle and end of quarter gatherings at someone's home, would be smoke-fests (they're now called herfs).
My first congregation was in Naugatuck, CT. There were a couple nice local shops that grew up in the boom - Brass City Tobacconist in Waterbury and Stogies in Naugatuck. Both had places to sit.
Up until this time, I had smoked both pipe & cigar, sometimes one more predominantly than the other. When the boom happened, and cigar prices went bonkers (for no reason), I smoked more of my pipe than cigars. But, there were always good deals to be found. I remember finding some Nicole Millers for about $1 a stick by the box. They were a great smoke, but way over-priced at $15 a cigar. Well, they sold out and JR bought their stock. I was visiting a JR in St. Louis, had one, went back and bought three boxes. (Oh yeah, JR cigar had always been a great way to get sticks, prices were really good)
To me, cigars are a more social thing - to be enjoyed with friends - especially others who enjoy a cigar. A pipe on the other hand is a cerebral thing - contemplative, for those deep thinking moments.
Of course, both go well with fishing.
While in CT, I discovered internet - and with it, other online cigar/pipe shops and also a community - AOL cigar club. We'd share reviews and other discussions. I posted a few reviews and Andy Marincovich (a regular there), and also an editor from Smoke Magazine read them and asked if I'd like to review some for Smoke. What? (you mean I'll get free cigars when cigars are priced like they are? and even free, real Cubans without having to know codes to avoid the fakes?) Sure!!! I did blind reviews for SMOKE in the Spring, Summer, and Fall 1999 issues (and I'm pictured as a panelist in the last two). It was with the Fall issues smokes that I had to ask not to be included anymore. Why? I don't smoke as much as they wanted me to... They'd send 3-4 unbanded cigars in a baggie - each would be labeled something like, Robusto #4, Lonsdale #105, etc... And there would be 10-15 baggies in a box. And they'd tell me that they want my reviews in a month. I'm a pastor and my schedule is nuts, not many evenings free to sit down and really "taste" a cigar... I smoke socially, meaning if I'm going to have a cigar, I want to do it with others - and on a pastor's salary, going to the local cigar friendly establishments... Cigar, free.... Accompanying beverages, $5-$10... Wallet's contents - limited... Keeping wife happy by spending occasional evening at home with here - priceless!!!
Yes, I was smoking more cigars than pipes in '99, and that continued as I got to north Wisconsin. Having done reviews, and then posting them on the site at Yahoo and some acquaintances made through that, and some of them cigar manfactures, I found myself with lots of cigars and only a couple pipes.
Embarrass doesn't have many cigar smokers - and those who do prefer Swishers and Backwoods. As a volunteer on the local fire department, I had a place to smoke once a month, but I'd always have to bring a few cigars to share - given what they liked, the return favors were piling up. I started smoking my pipe more. No longer having AOL, I needed to find another smoking community - Yahoo Pipe Smokers Club is what I found - great group of BOTL & SOTL, but not much in the way of cigar discussion.
But now, I wanted a couple good pipes... I wanted some of the better tobacco... I'm on a limited budget... What to do? Well, I found a couple BOTH who were interested in some of my cigar stock and had higher grade pipes to trade. Over the next couple years saw my tobacco cellar grow, my pipe racks fill, as I emptied and traded off cigars and even a couple humidors to go with them. A side benefit was that I no longer needed to tend two 100-count humis and a 50-count humidor and a 80qt tupperdor.
I really enjoy the ritual of filling a pipe, but now I learned to enjoy the flake and kake tobaccos and the ritual of preparing them for smoking. Yes, I still enjoyed a cigar - but only once every other month or so.
Pipes are really great outdoors. When it is raining and you have a cigar - you're done. If you have a straight pipe, you can simply turn it upside down and it becomes it's own umbrella. I remember onces fishing a trout stream in the rain and the bite was just incredible. With my rain suit, I was good. I remember watching the cigarette smoker there cursing cause his cigs kept getting rained on. I sat contentedly on an inverted pipe. Add to this that there are a couple tobaccos that my sons smell and think of fishing... That's a memory they will have forever...
The occasional cigar was still in my rotation, maybe one every other month or so. Then, last summer, I was in Gettysburg, the family did a tour of the battlefield (definitely an experience you must consider) and a walking tour of the town when I stumbled on couple cigar stores. I decided to pick up a couple. The rest of vaction in Virginia meant I had some cigars available to me and I ended up smoking more of those than my pipe.
Add to this the fact that in our couples bowling league, our former partners had to bow out because his shoulder needed surgery. Picked up another couple to partner with, he's a cigar smoker - real cigars... Now I had another to share with. I even learned to enjoy a cigar alone (but I still prefer to have them with another BOTL).
Then most recently, I found CS. I again have a community to share stogies with --- those braving the jungle - and the journey --- and the story of the journey.
So, what's your journey been like? Who'll take the talking stick next?
I've heard that "life is a highway." I don't know if that's true, I hate the highway, I'd rather cut my own path through the woods (or the jungle). It's wonderful how many people you meet and where they are. We all share a passion - the enjoyment of a fine cigar. How has your cigar journey meandered to get you were you are today?
Grab a vine around the campfire and listen to me tell my tale - then take your turn at the talking stick and share your journey.
I started smoking cigars and pipes my first year in college in 1980. It began with a Dutch Masters Presidente and a corn cob. Downtown Chicago one day I stumbled onto Iwan Ries - I hit the slope. Thankfully, I didn't have a credit card, and it was a long trip from the the campus to get there. Of course a box of AF Chateau Fuentes was less than $20 (a the pound of tobacco and an inexpensive IR briar, and I was sliding down the slope on my backside. That's how it all started. I smoked my pipe everyday, but the cigars were more a 5 times a week thing.
When I moved to the LA area (Maywood school & Huntington Park was home) to be a teacher, my smoking was much curtailed. I just didn't have the time. I smoked maybe 4 times a week - period - pipe or cigar. But now, it was almost exclusively cigars. And there were numerous shops in which to find them, but considering how often I smoked and being a newlywed just before moving to LA, I didn't spend a lot of time at shops.
When I headed to the Seminary in 1988 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, I stumbled upon Riegels and the manager, Dennis. Now I got an education in pipes... Cool!! There were others at the sem who also enjoyed cigars (and pipes), so now the social aspect of smoking fell into place. Studying in the commons with others would often find a blue haze filling the room. At times, middle and end of quarter gatherings at someone's home, would be smoke-fests (they're now called herfs).
My first congregation was in Naugatuck, CT. There were a couple nice local shops that grew up in the boom - Brass City Tobacconist in Waterbury and Stogies in Naugatuck. Both had places to sit.
Up until this time, I had smoked both pipe & cigar, sometimes one more predominantly than the other. When the boom happened, and cigar prices went bonkers (for no reason), I smoked more of my pipe than cigars. But, there were always good deals to be found. I remember finding some Nicole Millers for about $1 a stick by the box. They were a great smoke, but way over-priced at $15 a cigar. Well, they sold out and JR bought their stock. I was visiting a JR in St. Louis, had one, went back and bought three boxes. (Oh yeah, JR cigar had always been a great way to get sticks, prices were really good)
To me, cigars are a more social thing - to be enjoyed with friends - especially others who enjoy a cigar. A pipe on the other hand is a cerebral thing - contemplative, for those deep thinking moments.
Of course, both go well with fishing.
While in CT, I discovered internet - and with it, other online cigar/pipe shops and also a community - AOL cigar club. We'd share reviews and other discussions. I posted a few reviews and Andy Marincovich (a regular there), and also an editor from Smoke Magazine read them and asked if I'd like to review some for Smoke. What? (you mean I'll get free cigars when cigars are priced like they are? and even free, real Cubans without having to know codes to avoid the fakes?) Sure!!! I did blind reviews for SMOKE in the Spring, Summer, and Fall 1999 issues (and I'm pictured as a panelist in the last two). It was with the Fall issues smokes that I had to ask not to be included anymore. Why? I don't smoke as much as they wanted me to... They'd send 3-4 unbanded cigars in a baggie - each would be labeled something like, Robusto #4, Lonsdale #105, etc... And there would be 10-15 baggies in a box. And they'd tell me that they want my reviews in a month. I'm a pastor and my schedule is nuts, not many evenings free to sit down and really "taste" a cigar... I smoke socially, meaning if I'm going to have a cigar, I want to do it with others - and on a pastor's salary, going to the local cigar friendly establishments... Cigar, free.... Accompanying beverages, $5-$10... Wallet's contents - limited... Keeping wife happy by spending occasional evening at home with here - priceless!!!
Yes, I was smoking more cigars than pipes in '99, and that continued as I got to north Wisconsin. Having done reviews, and then posting them on the site at Yahoo and some acquaintances made through that, and some of them cigar manfactures, I found myself with lots of cigars and only a couple pipes.
Embarrass doesn't have many cigar smokers - and those who do prefer Swishers and Backwoods. As a volunteer on the local fire department, I had a place to smoke once a month, but I'd always have to bring a few cigars to share - given what they liked, the return favors were piling up. I started smoking my pipe more. No longer having AOL, I needed to find another smoking community - Yahoo Pipe Smokers Club is what I found - great group of BOTL & SOTL, but not much in the way of cigar discussion.
But now, I wanted a couple good pipes... I wanted some of the better tobacco... I'm on a limited budget... What to do? Well, I found a couple BOTH who were interested in some of my cigar stock and had higher grade pipes to trade. Over the next couple years saw my tobacco cellar grow, my pipe racks fill, as I emptied and traded off cigars and even a couple humidors to go with them. A side benefit was that I no longer needed to tend two 100-count humis and a 50-count humidor and a 80qt tupperdor.
I really enjoy the ritual of filling a pipe, but now I learned to enjoy the flake and kake tobaccos and the ritual of preparing them for smoking. Yes, I still enjoyed a cigar - but only once every other month or so.
Pipes are really great outdoors. When it is raining and you have a cigar - you're done. If you have a straight pipe, you can simply turn it upside down and it becomes it's own umbrella. I remember onces fishing a trout stream in the rain and the bite was just incredible. With my rain suit, I was good. I remember watching the cigarette smoker there cursing cause his cigs kept getting rained on. I sat contentedly on an inverted pipe. Add to this that there are a couple tobaccos that my sons smell and think of fishing... That's a memory they will have forever...
The occasional cigar was still in my rotation, maybe one every other month or so. Then, last summer, I was in Gettysburg, the family did a tour of the battlefield (definitely an experience you must consider) and a walking tour of the town when I stumbled on couple cigar stores. I decided to pick up a couple. The rest of vaction in Virginia meant I had some cigars available to me and I ended up smoking more of those than my pipe.
Add to this the fact that in our couples bowling league, our former partners had to bow out because his shoulder needed surgery. Picked up another couple to partner with, he's a cigar smoker - real cigars... Now I had another to share with. I even learned to enjoy a cigar alone (but I still prefer to have them with another BOTL).
Then most recently, I found CS. I again have a community to share stogies with --- those braving the jungle - and the journey --- and the story of the journey.
So, what's your journey been like? Who'll take the talking stick next?
