Some basic Points on Cigar Smoking

1
Some Basic Points on Smoking Cigars
2

• Some Basic Points on Smoking Cigars
• There is wealth of information online regarding
  cigar smoking etiquette.  Some of this material
  deals with how you actual handle the cigar
  itself.  Other material deals with how your
  actions impact both smokers and non-smokers
  around you.  We will be dealing with both aspects
  of cigar etiquette over the course of time.
•  
• Today however, we are going begin by looking at
  some simple points that pertain to both dynamics.
•  
• Public Space
• The first of these points deals with where you
  can actually smoke.  It is a given that any of us
  should have to right to smoke in our own home or
  on our own property.  That is not so much a
  matter of cigar etiquette but personal freedom
  and rights to privacy.
•  
• The question marks start getting drawn in our
  minds when we walk across the thresholds of our
  homes.  At this point, we are in public space,
  and really need something of a roadmap to follow
  regarding where we can and cannot smoke.
•  
• Assume that any café or bar you visit is going to
  regard cigar smoking with even more disapproval
  than cigarette smoking.   Smoking, period, is one
  of the new targets of the politically correct
  movement.  It only creates disturbance to go
  against this grain, no matter how much we all at
  times resent it.
• Good cigar etiquette calls for class and
  sensibility on a non-reactive level.  If you know
  you that you and your cigar are not welcome in an
  establishment, you have a choice to either be
  gracious, and wait until you go home, or politely
  claim your own freedom by choosing to go
  elsewhere.
•  
• Good Friends and Special Occasions
• Our friends accept us for who we are and
  sometimes even love us more for our flaws than
  our virtues. 
• Nevertheless, they may not always be able to
  accept our cigar smoking habit.  Many people are
  allergic to any type of smoke, and smoking cigars
  makes for a notoriously strong smoke to the
  nostrils of the non smoker.

3

• Cigar etiquette here depends on two factors.  One
  is non-smoker tolerance to smoke, and the other
  is ventilation.  You will find that even your
  closest friends probably cannot take cigar smoke
  in the enclosed space of their own apartments or
  homes.  Some who smoke themselves may not want
  the smell of smoke on their furniture or
  curtains.  On the other hand, nine out of ten
  probably will not mind one bit if you smoke
  outside where the wind can blow it away and where
  the ash can fall on the ground.
•  
• Basic cigar etiquette here is very simple and
  along the lines of other social considerations
  ask your host first what he or she is comfortable
  with and abide by the rules of the home you are
  in. 
•  
• To Ash or Not to Ash
• Unlike cigarette smoking, which requires constant
  ashing to keep the end free from ash, letting the
  ash build up on the cigar is considered good
  etiquette.  Ash actually keeps the smoke cooler
  and lets you enjoy cigar flavor more. 
•  
• Letting the ash build up on your cigar also makes
  you appear more relaxed and at ease.  You
  communicate an aura of neurosis if you are
  constantly tapping your cigar over an ashtray.
• On the other hand, if you let the ash fall on
  something expensive, this is not going to be good
  either. 
•  
• A good rule of cigar etiquette to follow then is
  very simple The more expensive the item UNDER
  your ash, the more often you should keep the foot
  of your cigar near a cigar ashtray.
•  
• It is acceptable cigar etiquette to keep the band
  on the cigar
• There are some people who say that it is bad
  cigar etiquette to leave a band on a cigar.
•  
• Where do people get such ideas?
• There is nothing wrong with letting others know
  what brand you are smoking.  In fact, it can
  often be a great way to start a polite
  conversation about brands without what might be
  an unwelcome opinion.
•  
• By letting people see, comment, and then
  responding graciously with your point of view,
  you can show much greater dignity and cigar
  etiquette than trying to hide your personal
  tastes and make too much of an attempt to fit in.