Bands on? Bands off?

[alexandermorgovsky]

although it would be favorable for me to keep it on until just before burn reaches it, I take it off pre-light. Reason is I like to have a firm hold of the cigar in my mouth, and the band usually touches my lips, which I don't like, so I take it off.

[tattoofreak]

Originally Posted by MrMayorga

The owner of my local B&M who is also into manufacturing his own house blends, told me to leave the band on until the burn demand it's removal. He said that the heat from the burn heats the the glue and makes removal easier with least chance of damaging the wrapper. Makes sense to me

I'm with him the heat helps the band come off I hate when I tear a band trying to get it off before I smoke it so I leave it on tell I have to remove it.

[karmaz00]

its a superstition i guess...never remove band pre-light...always keep it on till it must be removed...usually easy that way...had some bad experience, when i owul dtajke the band off, it would tare a piece of wrapper off with it...so i leave it on,,,let it heat up a bit and slide it off

[Phantom57]

Originally Posted by Architeuthis

Squid® takes the cello off... Very carefully removes the band intact... Puts the band on the cello... Takes the wrapper off the cigar... Very carefully puts the wrapper around the cello (with the band on it)... Then I age the thing for ten years... Then smoke the well aged cello-in-wrapper... Throw the rest of the cigar away... <G>

Reminds me of the formula for 7Up. The make it from lemon peel, and sell or throw away the lemon. Have 7Up drivers try to give me cases of peeled lemons.

[Hermit]

Originally Posted by c2000

I leave mine on hoping that it will impress someone near me that knows cigars..


Jerry (cigar snob) in Minnesota.

Me too, but my dog's not impressed.
(wife either)

[royhubbs]

Most cigars I usually wait till its burning up near the band, but lately I've been smoking the Rocky Patel Edge, which just has the one band at the foot of the cigar.

[Dave128]

I like to leave the band on until the burn gets to it. No real reason, it's just what I do.

[tx_tuff]

When I first started smoking cigars I read online (of course) that it was cigar etiquette to take off the band before smoking. Funny thing is I'm really not an etiquette kind of guy. But ever since I started I have been taking off the band pre-light. Now its just one of the things I do along with smelling the wrapper and foot, drawing pre-light and toasting the foot. The only time I don't take it off is if I can tell it is stuck to the wrapper (if I can't turn it at all with just a slight try). Then I will leave it on untill it heats up.

[jfox520]

I leave mine on. The reason is that most of the time if I try to take the band off prelight I damage the wrapper.

[Dom]

i take it off just because Cigars look so much more natural without it.

It's like a whole circle of life thing, the cigar was created without the band, and so I put it to rest without the band.

[Jack Straw]

I really go both ways, depends on the cigar, and the situation.

If I'm out and about, I will almost always take the label off unless it is low key (think Tatuaje, Padron). I don't want people thinking that I want them to know what I'm smoking (for instance, I will not leave the label on the RP Decade I have, unless I smoke it on my porch). I try and keep a low key (even though I wear a gold ring and a stainless banded watch hah.)

I will also take it off if it is just plain ugly. For instance, smoking a Bahia Blu with the label on would probably make me feel like a 47 year old divorcee who drives a convertible with the windows up and top down.

I have started leaving lables on when I smoke on my porch, unless they are too loose and you have to nurse them to keep them on the cigar. Just something to look at and appreciate, I guess.

[Tredegar]

I leave it on as it helps protect the wrapper from my sausage fingers.

[d_day]

For me it depends on the situation. If I'm smoking at the B&M and it's something not carried, I pull the band off, unless it's one that gives me trouble, like an Arturo Fuente or a Tatuaje. If it's something they do carry, I leave it on. If I'm somewhere else, I will leave it on, unless there is someone around who can't afford what I'm smoking, in which case I will remove it. This also depends on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers still use pectin to secure the bands. These bands come off really easy without damaging the cigar. Others use a glue of some sort that will almost always tear the wrapper when peeling it off. I never pull the band off a high risk cigar unless I absolutely have to.

[e-man]

I have heard that the reason that etiquette says to remove the band comes from the British. If you're smoking a high end cigar, you don't want to flaunt it in front of others who may be smoking a lesser brand. As I see it, unless you leave the house without the band, everyone you're with will probably know what your are smoking. Usually, the band ends up in the ash tray in plain sight anyway.

I've noticed that when I leave the band on, I can use it as a point of reference to gauge how much I have smoked, as I rarely try for a long ash. If you're looking for changes in flavor, then it helps to know if you are 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 through. Also, when smoking in a hot tub, the band is necessary to help keep your wet fingers from soaking the stick. Otherwise, my record is about 50/50. Just depends on how I feel that day.

[Addiction]

I leave mine on personally, I take it off when the burn gets there if its going well enough that I'm going to smoke past the band.