Reddit mentions of ALASKA BEAR - Cigar Cutter Stainless Steel Guillotine Double Cut Blade in Black Gift Pouch

So here's my crash course advice on how to go from no experience to having a good time with cigars, as well as a few pro tips at the end. I'm going to shotgun out exactly enough information so you can avoid common pitfalls, have some cigars on hand for friends, and spend very little money doing it. I'll break things up into sections.

Storage

First, things first. Don't even think about buying some fancy Spanish cedar humidor yet (or, maybe, ever). The cheap ones are shit, even if they look pretty. Often times the expensive ones are just as shitty. You have to season them, you have to check them for leaks (and fix them if they do leak), etc. etc. They have a place, but not in a newbie's arsenal.

Instead, get a Tupperware container with a good tight seal and buy a couple "Boveda" brand two-way humidification packs. You can get a big 60-gram pack for around $5, or a 4 pack for $15 or so on Amazon. They come in 62%, 65%, 69%, and 72%, based on what Relative Humidity (RH) they sync to. Why the different percentages? Some guys like their cigars drier, some guys like them moister. I, personally, prefer drier cigars and keep my own humidor at 65% and as a newbie I'd recommend you do the same because it gives you wiggle room--if things swing up or down a few percentage points you're smack in the middle of the golden zone. (Why is it the golden zone, you might ask? Too dry and your cigars will start to lose flavor and eventually dry out like the bundle of leaves they are, too wet and they will mold and/or get infested with pests.)

These packs are the magical devices that will keep the inside of your airtight container at the right humidity for your cigars. They suck moisture in when it is too humid and release moisture when it is too arrid. They are the gold standard for simple cigar humidification. Don't mess with tubes or tubs of gel, don't mess with sponges, and for god sake don't soak a paper towel with water and shove it in there--unless you like mold.

Tupperware + Boveda Packs = fool proof cigar storage. Keep the container in a cool place (ideally at 60-72F or so) where the temperature doesn't swing (no direct sunlight, not in a room that is scorching hot by day but freezing by night, etc.). With this setup you really can't go wrong. Put the packs in, put the cigars in, make sure to open the container once a week or so to exchange some air and let any outgassed gases from the cigars escape (young tobacco can outgas ammonia) and you've got nothing else to worry about.

Oh, a finally word about Boveda Packs. They say they're disposable and will eventually dry out (if you feel the pack and instead of feeling soft and squishy it feels gravely then it is drying out), so you have to buy new ones. That's bullshit. You can throw them in a ziplock bag with distilled water for a few hours and they plump right back up. I've had some that I've been recharging for years and they work good as new.

Cigars

Life is too short for shitty cigars. Note that I didn't say cheap (you can get really good deals on cigars if you know where to look). Gas stations sell shitty cigars. Don't smoke Swiffers or any other shit ass cigars that are really meant just to be blunt wrappers.

Try to find a cigar shop with a lounge nearby. Stop buy. Ask to talk to the owner or a knowledgeable staff member and tell them you're new to cigars and would like to pick out a few to try. While there are some dicks out there running cigar shops, 99% of the time you'll find a cool dude that is happy somebody new is getting into cigars.

Some things to keep in mind when talking the cigar lingo and shopping for cigars. The flavor of a cigar is totally separate from the nicotine level of the cigar. Just because a cigar has a dark wrapper and a spicier flavor doesn't mean it's going to knock you on your ass.

The terms to be aware of here are body, flavor, and strength. When people talk about cigar body they mean the overall experience of smoking the cigar and the effect it has on your palate. This particular word is pretty variable in the cigar industry but suffice to say it's pretty much like asking what the whole package of the cigar is--a full bodied cigar is typically going to deliver a lot on the next two items: flavor and strength.

Strength is the nicotine level. Some cigars have so little nicotine you barely feel any effect of it at all. Other cigars are so strong that if you smoke them too fast you might find yourself getting nauseous.

Flavor is just like it sounds. Cigars have a wonderful range of flavors. Spices, woody notes, leather, chocolate, earthy flavors, you'll find them all in cigars. When I first got into cigars I thought people who used words like "toasted", "licorice", or "mossy" to describe flavors were full of shit--but now I taste (and love) them too.

Before we get too far on a tangent, however, back to actually buying the cigars. Buy a few from your local guy. Be ware that the prices will probably be relatively high--local guys have to slap on state taxes and the overhead of doing business. A cigar that might cost $5 at the local shop might be had for $3 online. A cigar that costs $13 at the shop might only be $5 online.

Which brings us to online shopping. CigarsInternational.com is the biggest cigar seller in the U.S. Cigarbid.com is their auction division (where they auction off surplus at stupid good prices). I've probably spent $2,000-$3,000 on cigars there over the years... but if I'd bought the same cigars all locally it would have been $10,000+ easy.

Once you get a sense of what you like via local purchases, still throw the local guy some money now and then but definitely buy online to save money in the long run.

Smoking the damn things

Before all else. Smoke slow. Slower. Slower than that, god damn it. Newbies smoke their cigars too damn fast. It ruins the cigar. Remember what I just said about flavor? Every cigar on earth tastes like a big hot burning ball of tree leaves if you smoke it too fast. You should puff the cigar every minute or so. Don't puff-puff-puff-puff say two words to your buddy and then puff-puff-puff-puff again. It'll get so fucking hot it'll feel like you're inhaling from a blast furnace. Don't do it. Slow. One puff a minute. The smoke should almsot feel cool as it enters your mouth, not even really heating up until you get down to the last nub of the cigar.

Cutting the cigar. Important. Do not bite the end off. This makes Baby Jesus cry. Use a cutter. Don't use the super cheap freebie cutter they may have given you at the cigar shop. It's shit. You can pick up a low-end but perfectly serviceable cigar cutter off Amazon for $10. That's a great starter cutter. It's sharp, it has a backstop so you can't cut too deep, and it'll serve you well. The end of the cigar has a little cap made from a little scrap of leave, designed to seal it up. You just need to cut that ever so slightly to open the end of the cigar. Cut too deep and the wrapper starts unraveling and you have a bad time.

Lighting the cigar. Gentle. Gentle, gentle, gentle. You can fire off a quad-flame jet lighter at the thing until it's glowing red hot in under 10 seconds, but the first few minutes of your smoke will be shitty because it was burning so hot. I've lit plenty of cigars that fast, mind you, but it's not the right way to do it if you want the most pleasant experience possible. The best way to light a cigar is to essentially toast it. Put the end of the cigar near the flame (always butane or a wood match, never a fluid-loaded lighter like a Zippo as it'll impart a nasty taste) and toast the end until the heat of the flame begins to burn it. Rotate to ensure even coverage. Puff gently, check the end. You want the end to be evenly reddened. Toast more if need be. Rotate. Enjoy the cigar, remember, puff slowly. One puff a minute or so. Don't puff on it like you're trying to fan the flames of a camp fire.

The secret recipe summary

Store the cigars in Tupperware with Boveda packs. Buy cigars from a local guy to find the ones you like, shop online to save serious cash. Buy a decent but cheap cutter. Light carefully by toasting the end. Puff slowly. Smoke with friends and drink good booze.

Here's my advice since I literally just started a few weeks ago. This is exactly what I wished I knew before I spent money on random cigars from various sites.

1. Depending on how many sticks you plan on getting at a time, invest in a tuppedor. Don't waste your time with a wooden humidor (at least right now). I picked up these from amazon and all my ~40-50 sticks sit comfortably in there.
   

• Plastic "humidor"
  
• Hygrometer
  
• Boveda Packs, although I might lean towards the 65% next time. Also, you only need 1 pack in a tuppedor, 2 is overkill. They can also be recharged, so don't throw them away when they dry out.
  
  

2. If you have a nice brick and mortar tobacco store (not a hole in the wall place that caters only to e-cigs and accessories) near you, visit them and ask questions. If they are worth their salt, they should be fairly knowledgeable about cigars. They will point you in the right direction. I stupidly didn't do this and just kind of bought random shit online and have had mixed results with what I bought. The stuff I've bought at the store has been much, much fresher too. However, you will be spending 30-40% above what you'll pay online. I found it worth it for how much time and effort the staff spent helping me, but it is quite a bit more expensive.
   
   
3. If that's not an option, look for sampler packs online. You can find cheap options that include a bunch of different sticks so you can sample a variety. I would suggest looking at smallbatch mixes find a price you're comfortable with spending (30 to 40 should be plenty, maybe buy 2 of the $30 to $40 packs so you end with ~10 cigars) and in the comment section of your order mention that you're brand new to cigars. He should be able to make an excellent mix for a new smoker. Use code "rcigars" for 10% off (without the "", not sure if valid for the mix).
   
   
4. Also, if you don't come from a background of smoking cigarettes, stick with the mild to medium strength cigars. I smoked a few full strength ones from the samplers I got and they kicked my ass. It was unpleasant to say the least. If you DO plan on smoking a full strength cigar, smoke on a full stomach and drink something sweet with it. Sweet tea or a pop of some sort works well to quell the nicotine content.
   
   
5. Accessories. All you really need is a decent cutter and a torch lighter and you're all set.
   

• A cutter
  
• A butane lighter
  
• Fuel [Note, you can use cheaper fuel, but your lighter may get clogged with shitty zippo butane fuel.]
  
• Some sort of ashtray. You don't realize how nice it is to have one until you don't have one and have no place to rest your cigar.
  
  

6. If you do find a cigar you enjoy, try buying a 5 pack of it. Let it rest for a week or so and try them out over the course of a month or several months and see if you enjoy them as much as you did the first time. See if they get better with age. I have far too many 1 offs that I enjoyed, but would I still enjoy them a month from now? 2 months from now?
   
   
7. Oh, and generally stay away from infused cigars. They use shittier tobacco since they can mask it with flavors. The girlfriend still likes these, but I think she's starting to come around to a natural sweetness/chocolate taste instead of an artificially infused one. Plus they stink up your humidor and can potentially ruin the taste of your other cigars in them if they are in close contact.
   
   
8. Online sites that I've enjoyed purchasing from and ship quickly:
   

• http://store.cigarfederation.com/
  
• http://www.smallbatchcigar.com
  
• http://www.holts.com
  
• Stay away from Thompson Cigars. I've also had issues with jrcigars. They held my order for no reason and I had to contact them to ship it out. I ordered it over 10 days ago and still haven't seen anything, although it's supposed to be here on Tuesday.
  
  

9. Look up retrohaling. You'll taste more of your cigar this way. Warning, it does burn the hell out of your nose the first handful of times you do it. Start with a mild cigar instead of a full strength one like I stupidly decided to do. :P
   
   Hopefully this helps.
   
   Edit: Many edits to fix errors and add additional info.

ALASKA BEAR® - Cigar Cutter Stainless Steel Guillotine Double Cut Blade in Black Gift Pouch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JUERWT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0s5TCb4KB8GT6

I’ve been using this guy for a year. As a cheap approach, it’s pretty good. No complaints thus far after 50 odd cuts.

How many groomsmen?


If you're just buying a cutter for this event no need to be fancy, just buy a cheap straight guillotine cutter, something like this. Unless you're trying to get a cutter for each groomsmen as well?

I'm a cigar lover so I'd suggest cigars. $100 can buy you a 5 count travel humidor, 5 good cigars, a cutter, and a lighter.

My personal recommendation on the 5 cigars are:

• AJ Fernandez New World
  
• Drew Estate Undercrown
  
• Camacho Ecuador
  
• Alec Bradley Nico Puro
  
• AJ Fernandez New World Connecticut
  
  These cigars are very good quality and tasting. They cover a range of flavors and are cigars I always recommend to new smokers, nothing here is strong and over powering. Depending on how many groomsmen you have, you can cut some of these away and double down on the others. All of these cigars are available in 5 packs. I would buy them from JR Cigars or Small Batch. The JR Cigars Reddit coupon code is "RCIGARS15" for 15% off (some brand exclusions). The SmallBatch Reddit coupon code is "rcigars" for 10% off.
  
  The Travel Humidor
  
  The Lighter
  
  The Cutter
  
  You should also order these to put one in each travel humidor to keep the cigars in perfect condition. Otherwise, they'll dry out on you.
  
  Let me know if you have questions.
  
  EDIT: You'll also need a can of butane. To you know, fill the lighters with fluid to actually light the cigars :)

Get a cigar cutter and save roaches to combine in a bowl for a roulette of highs.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JUERWT4/ref=mp_s_a_1_16_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1527721281&sr=8-16&keywords=xikar+cutter