Have I just bought fake Partagas?

[sheppsea]

It's 7 inches long and roughly 18mm across (not sure what that makes the RG)

This is all very intriguing and I appreciate your help

That sounds like a Churchill sized cigar in that case, as I said the most important thing to guarantee authenticity is a reliable vendor

[kipper]

I don't think I have much confidence in what the bloke has to say to me really. He's not really well up on his stuff and hes running an olde worlde sweet shoppe/tobacconist, not a specialist shop.

[cj121]

That sounds like a Churchill sized cigar in that case, as I said the most important thing to guarantee authenticity is a reliable vendor

Yup, likely with a Culebra band on it. Ah well, I guess we won't all be ringing tobacconists in the St Albans area at 09.00 tomorrow.

Judging by its size, the band Might be from a Culebra single though, which is interesting in itself

[SHAMZ84]

I don't think I have much confidence in what the bloke has to say to me really. He's not really well up on his stuff and hes running an olde worlde sweet shoppe/tobacconist, not a specialist shop.

I've got a shop like that near me...but when I spoke to the guy he seemed quite knowledgeable.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Streetfighter]

Wasn't the Culebra originally released in a dress box of 25 (when they were machine made) Given they're twisted in threes, that would account for a single. These in this thread may (and look) be very old. Pre '60s. Very rare, I suggest and worth something to a collector, rather than smoker...

As often, just a thought

Just found this on the interweb,

The Original
Partagas was the first to release a culebra as a production cigar. Stories suggest that tourists visiting the factories would see the culebras belonging to the torcedores and presumably be wrought with envy over the unique braids (The origin of the culebra remains debated). Sometime before 1960, pre-Castro, Partagas released machine-bunched, hand-finished culebras. They came in a dress box of 8 braids wrapped in foil, and a single cigar, either in twisty form or straight, also in foil. Each cigar was 146mm (5.74?) long and had a ring gauge of 39. The entire box sold for under one hundred dollars. These boxes were available for purchase until around 2005 when they were discontinued.

May be a possibility...

[cj121]

Just found this on the interweb,

The Original
Partagas was the first to release a culebra as a production cigar. Stories suggest that tourists visiting the factories would see the culebras belonging to the torcedores and presumably be wrought with envy over the unique braids (The origin of the culebra remains debated). Sometime before 1960, pre-Castro, Partagas released machine-bunched, hand-finished culebras. They came in a dress box of 8 braids wrapped in foil, and a single cigar, either in twisty form or straight, also in foil. Each cigar was 146mm (5.74”) long and had a ring gauge of 39. The entire box sold for under one hundred dollars. These boxes were available for purchase until around 2005 when they were discontinued.

May be a possibility...

Nice find SF but, the big but is the size mate, the OP's cigars are seven inch as opposed to the 5.74 inch. Mind you, we're all prone to a bit of exaggeration when it comes to size Just ask anglers

[Johnny Thunder]

Just ask anglers

OY. It was that big.

[kipper]

Well, despite much discussion between my smoking chum and myself, we decided to smoke them.

And what a pleasant surprise they were too. Very nice indeed. Went out a few times, but that was probably because we were talking to much and got distracted.

Either way, for ?20, they were worth it in comparison to some other ?20'ers I've smoke.

Winner, winner.

[PeeJay]

Well, despite much discussion between my smoking chum and myself, we decided to smoke them.

And what a pleasant surprise they were too. Very nice indeed. Went out a few times, but that was probably because we were talking to much and got distracted.

Either way, for ?20, they were worth it in comparison to some other ?20'ers I've smoke.

Winner, winner.

Glad to hear it but twenty quid each?!

[Simon Bolivar]

Glad to hear they werea decent smoke, would have been interesting to hear the sellers explaintion though; you could always ask him next time your passing where they came from & could he get more as you enjoyed it.