Lighting Up - How Do You Do It?...

[Olls]

I'm still experimenting but I'm leaning towards the three match version too, except I just clip the cap before lighting rather than after, as in the CA video. I also use the long cooks matches, although I'm going to pick up some nice cigar matches when I next get a chance.

In a sort of spiritual "respect the cigar" kind of way I completely understand and buy into the idea of lighting slowly and without letting the cigar touch the flame. It's a nice ritual. Scientifically, though, I'm not so convinced. It's not like coffee or toast where therere are degrees of roasting/toasting - with a cigar you always end up burning it, so I can't see how this affects the flavour. Can anyone explain this in a non-wooly way?

How does everyone go about correcting uneven burns and how often do you generally get problems like this or a cigar going out on you? I find it happens fairly often at the moment - maybe it's my technique...

[Robusto]

Can someone post the specific link to the CA three-match video if seriously they rate it, please?

Cheers.

[Drewmidorn]

three match story!

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Blogs/Blog_Detail/0,4695,49,00.html

[Robusto]

Damn! Tobacco is a demonised thing that our school servers block. I can't watch it here.

Til later...

I might be more of a positive cinematic role model with a nice, even cherry-red foot by Route B.

Cheers, Drew.

[Gary]

Great minds must think alike

I was about to type (probably a lot less eloquently) the exact same thing. Everything you've said. 3 matches before a draw....unless i'm in a force ten gale and revert to the old torch lighter.

D

[Robusto]

I've just lit up by this three match method and it worked perfectly.

I'm going to switch sides away from the lighter thing I've been doing.

The match-method light-up was perfect, and the cigar tasted great. Bizarre - I know - but it tasted better somehow.

I agree with a lot of what people wrote above. The process affords more contemplation of the cigar. (They are beautiful things and deserve a good gawp!). It felt as if I was being more caring towards the stick. Towards the expensive stick, and these beauts do deserve respect!

I feel like a philosopher!

I cut the cap by force of habit. Next time I will leave the stogie uncut and see how that works by this guy's recommended method.

My D4 looked like a thing of beauty when I started my smoke. Perfect catch across the foot, and slight, neat-looking white ash.

I'll relegate my lighter for torching up of necessity in the great outdoors.

[TJCoro]

It makes one ponder the impact of the rituals on the pleasures we derive from the sacred leaf - the care we take in lighting and handling our friends; our constant gazing and appreciation of the contruction; the manner is which we store and allow our puros to mellow with age. The least of which the how we finish off our finest smokes - a topic I believe could support its own thread on this forum. I prefer to let mine expire on their own while confortably nestled in a safe place.

Rest in peace, dear friend, and thank you for the brief moments of pleasure you bestowed upon me. - Unknown.

Almost a religious experience; a bid for nirvana, pure intent. But that's just me.

[emeraldisle]

The method I tend to employ when lighting a cigar is pretty much akin to how Bryan demonstrated in the Youtube video. Have a silver Jack Daniels cigar lighter.

Gabriel

[Major_Tom]

Hmm, quite a few ways of doing it by the looks of things. The method I use is another variation, there are a few vids on ebay of it aready.

I nearly only ever smoke outside due to my smoke-free house (by declaration of The Other Half) so that puts matches out of the question. I will use them, but only in dead calm -doesn't happen often here.

So I use a butane Colibri Belmont. It's a diddy little black laquer thing and only holds enough gas for one or two smokes.

I wet the end of the cigar and cut it with a double-bladed El Cheapo cutter courtesy of Cgars Ltd. I then toast the foot with my torch from about 1.5" away careful not to lose the damn thing in the flame. Onces its nice and black and smoky I pop it in my mouth and apply the torch again from about 1", rotating slowly and taking small puffs.

After one rotation I blow on the foot to check for an even glow; if not it goes back in the mouth again for another try.

When I'm using matches I take exactly the same technique but use 2 matches to get it blackened and one to light, drawing the flame up to the foot.

[Gary]

Told you Bryan . I had a Juan Lopez No2 the other night and using this method as usual the cigar again lit perfectly, burned and draw evenly, it's the only way .

Just on a side note for anyone who may not as yet have smoked a Juan Lopez, especially the No2 (Robusto size), what a great cigar, cheaper than the likes of Cohiba and Montecristo but tons of flavour, a perfect burn and draw, I'd highly recommend picking up a box or at least a few to store in the humidor, a little hidden gem of a smoke.

I've just lit up by this three match method and it worked perfectly.

I'm going to switch sides away from the lighter thing I've been doing.

The match-method light-up was perfect, and the cigar tasted great. Bizarre - I know - but it tasted better somehow.

I agree with a lot of what people wrote above. The process affords more contemplation of the cigar. (They are beautiful things and deserve a good gawp!). It felt as if I was being more caring towards the stick. Towards the expensive stick, and these beauts do deserve respect!

I feel like a philosopher!

I cut the cap by force of habit. Next time I will leave the stogie uncut and see how that works by this guy's recommended method.

My D4 looked like a thing of beauty when I started my smoke. Perfect catch across the foot, and slight, neat-looking white ash.

I'll relegate my lighter for torching up of necessity in the great outdoors.