What's new

How Touchy are You?

Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Joined
Feb 3, 2015
Messages
281
Location
Black Hills of South Dakota
No, I didn't somehow find out about your recent conversation with your HR rep. I'm talking touch ups/corrections on your cigars!
This is something I've kind of wondered about for a long time now. When do you decide a stick needs a little help in the burn department, and how does that make you feel?
Like most of you, when I need to kill a little time waiting for meetings, appointments, or just in a general bored mood, I start browsing the pages upon pages of cigar reviews that flood the Internet. I have a few favorite review sites, but that's neither here nor there. I read all kinds, some to help influence purchase decisions, some strictly for entertainment. No matter the author, at some point on some stick they will type on the need for burn line correction. I've come across some generally reliable reviewers that mention how 1 inch in and the stick "required several touch ups"! I personally call shenanigans on that, someone is either trying to sound superior or trying to add drama to the review, but what ever. I really only touch up if I notice tunneling, or a chunk that's not burning at all. As long as the wrapper is burning, or looks like it's going to start burning again I don't mind. When I do finally decide to grab the lighter again it doesn't really bother me, on the other side I have come across posts stating people would rather toss this stick than do a little maintenance and proceed to berate the manufacturer, roller, or some other factor. Premium cigars are a hand made product made from an agricultural product. The fact we get consistently at all is pretty amazing to me!
So where do you stand, correct at the slightest wave? Wait for 1/2 inch differance? Wait until half the stick is just hitting the second third and the other half is at the nub? Also, where do you draw the line on continuing to smoke a stick that needs some help, one and done? Give it two touches then call it a dud? No right or wrong answers here, just curious about your habits and opinions.
 
Rating - 100%
72   0   0
Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
2,326
Location
rock hill sc
Normally I will give a 1/2" difference. If it has not corrected itself by then I will. I'm a little over kill tho I don't like a wanky burn line. But some sticks just burn that way it seems but still taste good. The Camacho comes to mind...
 
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Joined
Feb 3, 2015
Messages
281
Location
Black Hills of South Dakota
Definitely agree on all point so far. In general, a "more premium" stick burns better than a "bargain premium" (I'm sure there's better ways to describe those rankings.) There are always exceptions one one offs, of course. As long as I'm enjoying the flavors, no harm no foul I guess.
 
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Joined
Feb 4, 2015
Messages
1,150
Location
Kansas
It seems to me that tossing a stick and blaming the manufacturer because I am having burn issues may be a silly thing to do. Too many variables as to why the stick may be performing that way, and a very large variable is probably my humidor lol (or was at one time anyway).

I prefer to wait and see if the stick self-corrects, but if the wave gets past a half inch, I tend to correct. I am sure that a stick will the majority of the time correct itself beyond the half inch mark, but if it doesn't, then I feel like I have allowed for a great deal of waist when it goes beyond that. Hence, I try to pull out the flame at the 1/2" mark the majority of the time.

Tunneling for me has always been a problem in that I don't notice it nearly soon enough the majority of the time. Especially when I am golfing. There have been times I have let it go too long and found that after correcting it, the cigar seemingly has taken on a completely new flavour. I might toss it if the tunneling was really bad.
 
Rating - 100%
24   0   0
Joined
Dec 2, 2014
Messages
1,338
Location
NE Indiana
I will usually let a cigar fix itself unless it gets more than about 1/2". This does not take away from my experience in any way. If it goes out while paying adequate attention, that is a different story all together. I understand the draw of a razor burn line, but it is not necessary for my maximum enjoyment.
 

King Kill 33

BoM Dec '13
Rating - 100%
367   0   0
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
8,173
Location
Minot, ND
I will usually let a cigar fix itself unless it gets more than about 1/2". This does not take away from my experience in any way. If it goes out while paying adequate attention, that is a different story all together. I understand the draw of a razor burn line, but it is not necessary for my maximum enjoyment.
^^this is me as well.
 
Rating - 100%
16   0   0
Joined
Jan 25, 2015
Messages
3,788
I am pretty tolerant as there are many factors that cause burn issues. That being said if the burn issue becomes distracting (has only happened to me a few times) then it ruins the smoke for me. Generally I have found that with good rotation during the smoke the burn issue is minimal.
 
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Joined
Feb 3, 2015
Messages
281
Location
Black Hills of South Dakota
I used to get touchy like "Bill Cosby touchy" with my cigars haha jk. Now I just let them burn, so they don't slap me with a lawsuit.
I don't know why this reminded me of the Family Guy spoof on The Cosby Show, "You see, son. Life is like a Jello pudding pop, no wait, life is like Kodak film. No, no! Life is like the New Coke"!
 

Cigary43

Just Another Ashhole
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
3,742
Location
San Diego/Atlanta
As has already been said I tend to smoke until the cigar tends to get a bit off course and then I just use my soft flame and it self corrects quickly enough to continue. I tend to be a bit OCD and use to sit and watch the burn line...once it deviated just a little bit I'd correct it and that started to make the whole experience less satisfying.
 

Almi

Jim
Rating - 100%
7   0   0
Joined
Feb 2, 2015
Messages
764
Location
Carlton,MN Western End of Lake Superior
I will usually let a cigar fix itself unless it gets more than about 1/2". This does not take away from my experience in any way. If it goes out while paying adequate attention, that is a different story all together. I understand the draw of a razor burn line, but it is not necessary for my maximum enjoyment.
^^ I feel the same way
 

StogieNinja

Derek | BoM June 2014
Rating - 100%
223   0   0
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
6,449
Location
WA
The only thing I worry about is the flavor, so I only sorry about the burn line as it correlates to how the cigar is going to smoke. A little wandering is no big deal. If it looks like it's going to cause a problem, I fix it.

I won't put a cigar down because I had to correct a burn line, ever. I'm too cheap for that. But if it needs to be relit several times, or has problems burning, I'll toss it because I'm not enjoying the flavors.
 

THEMISCHMAN

SGT Hulka
Rating - 100%
146   0   0
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
5,113
Location
Ft Hood, TX
I agree with everything above. I too will try to let the problem take care of itself. For me touch ups are required when part of the wrapper isn't burning or if the burn line gets too wonky. I have found that "purging" sometimes helps to prevent and correct issues.
 
Rating - 100%
9   0   0
Joined
Apr 1, 2014
Messages
1,574
Location
Vernal, Utah
Hmm... now I know and can adjust my habits. Thanks interpeople!
I'm horrible. I'm touchy like a teenage boy on prom night. I make 4 or 5 "corrections" per stick. Shows my noobness. I've learned something!
 
Last edited:
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Joined
Jan 31, 2015
Messages
63
Relighting them when they burn out for no apparent reason is frustrating for me. I don't mind if the burn line gets a little wonky, I usually won't correct it until it gets way out of whack. Like half of it 5 inches and the other half is at 4 inches kind of thing.
 
Top