To cut or not to cut

[need2smokem]

I was wondering if it would be wise to cut a cigar before storing. My reason is that the humidity might be able to better penetrate the stick if it can get in from both ends. Especially on the larger sizes.

[e-man]

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The moisture will permeate the tobacco just fine. I've seen cigars with wrinkles caused by inconsistent humidity levels. If these cigars had been pre-cut, then there is a good chance that the heads would have unraveled, ruining the cigar. Can you GUARANTEE that your humidity won't EVER fluctuate for the life of these sticks? Accidents happen.

How do you know that you want the same cut on all of your sticks anyway? Some draw better than others. I prefer to punch some, and v-cut or guillotine others. Some sticks I like to cut bigger than others. Sometimes I go through different phases in my preferred cut. Do you always smoke alone, or are you going to dictate how your guests will have their cigars cut?

You can wipe mold off the outside of a cigar and still smoke it, but if it gets to the foot, it's trashed because you can't wipe mold out if the middle of a cigar. If you get mold on the head you can still wipe it off, but not if it's cut and the mold gets inside.

I know they're fun to look at and touch, but resist that obsessive compulsive urge to play with them too much and ruin them. You could cut a couple before you leave the house, but don't cut them all in advance.

[DaReallyPoGigolo]

+1 for Eric's response.

[need2smokem]

Well some good points I guess but in my case they really don't apply.
I am not reall hung up on how my cigars are cut, I just cut em. I always smoke alone simce I don't have friends that share my love of cigars. As for mold well if it can get inside it will get in the end thats already open and wreck the cigar anyway, would it not?

Perhaps I'll choose a cheaper one that I have on hand and experiment.

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by need2smokem

As for mold well if it can get inside it will get in the end thats already open and wreck the cigar anyway, would it not?

If mold gets into the foot you can clip a bit off until you are past the mold and then smoke as usual.

While I would not store all my cigars this way I do sometimes clip one and notice the draw is a bit tight so I will put it back into the box for a couple of weeks which seems to help loosen it up.

[e-man]

Originally Posted by need2smokem

Well some good points I guess but in my case they really don't apply.
I am not reall hung up on how my cigars are cut, I just cut em. I always smoke alone simce I don't have friends that share my love of cigars. As for mold well if it can get inside it will get in the end thats already open and wreck the cigar anyway, would it not?

Perhaps I'll choose a cheaper one that I have on hand and experiment.

I agree with Madurolover, that it doesn't matter in a the short term. But, I'm not sure why you're so worried about changing humidity so quickly.

Ideally, you want cigars to change humidity slowly. Otherwise, wet and dry patches in the cigar will cause burn issues. They are more prone to swell if you change humidity quickly.


Maybe you just bought a 5-pack and want to smoke them ASAP? But if you're not smoking them all in the very near future, then I don't see the point of clipping more than one or two.


Whatever you do, DO NOT do this to a collection!

There's a reason they don't leave the factory pre-clipped. If you've ever kept cigars without cello, you know that the foot can easily swell, fray, flake, or unwrap. Do you really want the heads of your cigars to do that too?

If they are not properly conditioned when you cut them, you could crack the head and/or wrapper. You may not even realize that they are cracked, until you open your humidor and they're all split wide open.

Maybe you're immune to Murphy's Law.

If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

[TheShaun]

I can tell you that I just finished smoking a cigar that had been pre-clipped by the previous owner (i received it in a game). The wrapper came fully unravelled and before it did, it was a nightmare to smoke. Tasty cigar that became a complete waste.

[Cigary]

I have clipped and put it away before with no ill effects but it's something I don't do as a matter of habit. Like Donnie said I clip and if the draw is too tight I will let it sit for another day.