Bands on? Bands off?

[Herf N Turf]

As the legend goes, in the Victorian era, cigars started coming with bands. This was due to the fact that white, elbow length gloves were mode o day for high zoot ladies of the time. The tobacco would yellow the gloves and hence, the band. Gentlemen smoked sans bands, ladies, left them on.

I've always removed the band, partly due to tradition and partly because they just get in the way and annoy me. To this day, whether Im smoking a GoF, or a Curly Head maddie, first thing I do is peel the band.

What do you guys do?

[Snake Hips]

I leave it on, because a banded cigar is what a cigar is supposed to look like, haha. I can barely stand smoking a naked cigar unless it came that way, as the older cabinet selections did and the Romeo y Julieta Cazadore does. I only take it off when the burn gets to it. Also, the band often takes some wrapper leaf with it...that's just an unesessary PITA right thar.

[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

[Herf N Turf]

Interesting... never had a band take wrapper with it. Perhaps my uncle Murphy(author of the "law") has overlooked this particular little quill for my butt. Curious, since he doesn't seem to miss a trick, otherwise.

[smokering10]

i leave mine on as long as possible untill the heat from the cigar makes it basically come right off. i leave it on because it looks cleaner then just a naked cigar.

[Cypress]

I leave mine on to allow the glue to warm up and have an easier removal unless its a Tatuaje where its hard no matter what.

[The Postman]

I also leave it on untill the heat softens the glue. I have ripped to many cigars trying to do it the other way.

[ezmoney5150]

When I first started smoking cigars I would take the band off because it just looked too elite for me. As time went on I learned that sometimes the glue on the band would take some of the wrapper off. So now I just leave it on. The heat will sometimes loosen the glue by the time the burn line gets there.

[boxer757]

Most of the time I leave the band on. I do this for a few reasons.

1. One that a few have mentioned already is that I do not want to damage the wrapper of my cigar. I have had quite a few cigar wrappers torn up by an early band removal. The heat of the cigar as you smoke it down softens the glue and allows you to remove it easily wihtout damaging the cigar.

2. I like to keep my bands and for the reasons mentiond above about the heat softening the glue, the band is less likely to get torn up.

3. I am nearly always asked the question "What are you smoking?" Yes I can just tell them but it helps to have the band on there so that they can get a visual of what it is and it will make it easier for them to find, often times I just give them the band if they are serious about finding it.

4. It just feels right to me

[Strick]

Leave mine on for the reasons stated above...

[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>

[c2000]

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


Jerry (cigar snob) in Minnesota.

[Zarathustra19]

Every time I've removed the band prior to lighting up, I've had a weird burn problem. Probably more attributable to other factors, but its become almost a superstition by this point.

[Mr.Erskine]

I have always taken them off before I lit them. I guess it has just become habit. Plus, that way I'm sure I'm not going to forget the damned thing, because I collect them.

[PipesandGOP]

Not enough options... I usually light mine with it, then take it off after a few minutes. No real reason behind it other than that's how I like it and after a few minutes the band usually annoys me for some reason and I pull it off.