Hello from Wales, and London (mainly London ...!)

[mattyhall22]

I have to smoke outside or in the herf shack (aka the garden shed, which I hoover to suck all the spiders out)


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[Sludgie]

Already said hello on another thread, but good to get the formal intros out of the way too. Welcome Undercover, and enjoy the forum. Sludgie (Nick)


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[Tucky]

Welcome mate. The point made earlier about 'being worse things you could do' is totally valid. Im lucky in having a very tolerent mrs but know others arnt always so lucky. Fair play however your going the right way about things so as not to upset your good lady too much, enjoy your new hobby, look forward to seeing you around the forum.

[Undercover]

Woo hoo! Result! Home from 5 days Reserve service, decided to have a further conversation with my wife. Tackled the things I know she worries about - especially health and our daughter. Tried to give some context on the first - a lot worse things I could be doing to myself - and swore on her life I'd never smoke in front of our daughter. As I talked, she smiled, chuckled a bit too, then told me to do whatever, just so long as it's not every night. Just got in from celebrating with one of my old and badly kept Monte No 3s (which I showed my wife first and she laughed at the size. Guess she thought I was out smoking Hamlets or something). Will just let things settle, won't force things, then move the humidor down from the attic. Feels so much better to be vaguely tolerated rather than doing something in the shadows. Not sure why the change of heart, not sure if I should still be Undercover!

[PeeJay]

My wife used to laugh every time she saw me with a cigar in my mouth now she is happy with it (though not the quantity I own) and even smoked one herself two weeks ago. What she couldn't get used to was the interest that everyone shows in it because they don't know any cigar smokers. If they love us they'll get used to it.

[Undercover]

My wife used to laugh every time she saw me with a cigar in my mouth now she is happy with it (though not the quantity I own) and even smoked one herself two weeks ago. What she couldn't get used to was the interest that everyone shows in it because they don't know any cigar smokers. If they love us they'll get used to it.

I read somewhere there are only a few hundred thousand 'regular' fine cigar smokers in the UK, so we're a rare breed and most people's idea of a cigar is something from the newsagent. Not sure my wife will ever sit with me while I enjoy one, but things are more positive than before I went away. Looking forward to meeting you on Wednesday. Shame I can't make the pre-herf as well!

[Undercover]

Woo hoo! Result! Home from 5 days Reserve service, decided to have a further conversation with my wife. Tackled the things I know she worries about - especially health and our daughter. Tried to give some context on the first - a lot worse things I could be doing to myself - and swore on her life I'd never smoke in front of our daughter. As I talked, she smiled, chuckled a bit too, then told me to do whatever, just so long as it's not every night. Just got in from celebrating with one of my old and badly kept Monte No 3s (which I showed my wife first and she laughed at the size. Guess she thought I was out smoking Hamlets or something). Will just let things settle, won't force things, then move the humidor down from the attic. Feels so much better to be vaguely tolerated rather than doing something in the shadows. Not sure why the change of heart, not sure if I should still be Undercover!

[PeeJay]

Same here, I have a cutter on my desk for you.

[Undercover]

Same here, I have a cutter on my desk for you.

Thanks - that's really kind.

What a difference a week makes. From 'over my dead body,' to 'I don't want to know,' to this morning's 'how was your cigar last night?' and 'just don't have one that big every night.' No idea what has caused the transformation, though my wife was drinking a glass of wine last night and she doesn't drink. Maybe fine cigars and fine wines are on the cards, though I don't think Berry Bros would agree with my wife that all 'wine is improved with lemonade'.

[tommy]

Yuk! I think I'd come close to murder if someone popped lemonade in my favourite Penfolds RWT Shiraz! To each there own.
Undercover are you using humidity sachets or beads to keep your cigars in tip top condition. Clearly the cigars in the loft would of dried out after 13 years, had they been at a steady 65-70 humidity you'd have something very nicely aged on your hands. As it is they're prob still good. Anyway I was just wondering really if you have thought about humidity.

[tommy]

Hello from Wales, and London (mainly London ...!)

As an aside the easiest way would be to pop some Boveda bags in the humidor, PeeJay discovered that they can be recharged in a Tupperware with a bowl of water so they're a cheap and reliable humidity source. Forgive me if I'm preaching to the converted but if you haven't put any thought to it I'd be happy to help you out, it will change your smoking experience.

[Simon Bolivar]

Baby steps undercover,like you say don't force the issue & usually they accept our modest vices, after all they learned to live with our many faults many yrs ago!

[Undercover]

Undercover are you using humidity sachets or beads to keep your cigars in tip top condition. Clearly the cigars in the loft would of dried out after 13 years, had they been at a steady 65-70 humidity you'd have something very nicely aged on your hands. As it is they're prob still good. Anyway I was just wondering really if you have thought about humidity.

Just started to think about it, especially now the hobby is a bit more in the open. I've seen a few threads / posts about restoring cigars after they've dried out (they are very dry), so funnily enough it was something I was going to ask about. In fact, I need to research the whole storage thing. I know they need to be in a humidor, but that's about it.

The cigars really have been abandoned for 12-13 years, almost got thrown out or given away at one stage, but, as I told my wife last night, the fact they made the move to Brixton when we moved in together and then to Wales tells me this whole thing is destiny! So, now I have to nurse them back to health. I still have the humidifier, but the hygrometer is long gone - no idea where, so presumably that needs replacing first. How important is temperature? Our house is always cold. I used to make sourdough bread, but gave up because it took days to prove!