Hello all!

I'm stepping into foreign territory here.  I know absolutely nothing about cigars except that they're brown, you smoke 'em, and the troops like 'em!  So, my friend's birthday is coming up, he's a Marine Infantry Officer deployed to Iraq, and I want to send cigars for his platoon, roughly 50 guys, for the "celebration" (if you can call it that).  So my questions are as follows:

What is a good cigar that most guys will like?  I don't want to send something gross but I can't really spend hundreds of $ on this either.  I've seen people posting things about samplers; maybe that's a good idea...??

Apparently size matters when it comes to cigars?? 

What is a humidor??  I'm guessing something to keep them in good condition until they get smoked? And do I need to send one if this is a one-time thing??

Any other basic info I should know?? (I read that most don't like flavored ones, that was good advice- thank you!)

Thanks in advance for any help!!

Hey CaliGirl,

Here's links to a couple old threads in which Maj Gary Bourland gives us advice on cigars.  The threads hadn't had any activity in over two months, so they weren't showing in the default view.

http://forum.anysoldier.com/forums/thread/7866.aspx

http://forum.anysoldier.com/forums/thread/4473.aspx

You also might want to stop by your local cigar shop (not the one at the mall but the one where you find people actually smoking) and ask their advice.  I was really surprised at how helpful my cigar shop was.  I hadn't spent a dime there and they gave me humibags for shipping the cigars that I wasn't shipping inside travel humidors.  My only regrets are that I didn't go there first and that I didn't bring a card for them to sign that I could ship with the cigars.

D'oh!  I thought I'd read through all of the "Cigar" threads before I posted anything... didn't realized that there was a hidden "Cigar 101" thread already!  

Anyways, that information helps a lot.  I will probably have to go to a local dealer rather than ordering online anyways, because of time constraints.  I'm still wondering if I need to send humidors, cigars cutters, and zippos?  I guess that's something to ask the cigar dealer (although I'm sure he'll tell me "yes" either way). 

Thanks for the help!
 

No D'oh.  I wouldn't have remembered if I hadn't just been through this too.

I wouldn't send a humidor unless you're offering to refill it periodically.  I wouldn't send an expensive cigar cutter unless you know he's going to keep using it.  Cigars International has 10 packs of "throwaway" cigar cutters for 9.95 (but shipping would be $5).  Your local shop might have something like that as a promo item. They will probably make it clear that it's only a single blade and won't give a clean cut.  (Yeah, I've had lots of time to read lately).  The lighter seems to be pretty important, more so than the cutter.  I could be wrong, but under the circumstances, I would only send one lighter and one cutter.

Hi Cali!

Well, I stepped into that territory recently myself. I went to the local cigar store and purchased some and shipped them off.  They even gave me a bag to send them in.  Since my contact is nice, he offered up the fact that they had probably sold me a bill of goods.  He taught me a great deal, and still I know nothing except this...

The REAL cigar people have favorites and you cannot predict what that is, sort of like favorite beverage.  They typically pass off the ones they don't particularly care for to those that don't know better:) 

If they don't have a humidor and are regular smokers, they NEED one.  If they don't have one, they manufacture one out of whatever they can find laying around in a desert!

My contact said ordering them online is easiest.  I have to agree.  They get the cigar they deserve, and I don't have to smell like a cigar shop!

I just sent this to someone who needed a humidor.  Seemed like a great deal to me, but then again ... I am no cigar ace..whatever that word is for cigar experts

http://www.thompsoncigar.com/default.aspx?page=product&sender=csearch&uid=196

Honestly, I think the best way to go, is let the contact be your teacher.  They enjoy it, AND they get what they want:)

Have fun:)

Hi Caligirl - I see you've already gotten some good advice. But here goes anyway:)

Walmart sels

ls zippos - good price - best lighter on the planet - lights and stays lit in any weather.  They also sell the flnts for them - in the jewelry department.

Every one is different on this one- some people cut a notch on the top of the cigar - some cut it off flat on top - for the former you need one of those clipper thingys JoCee mentioned, the latter a knife will do.  I think they may have some of those!!

For humidors that will stand up to the conditions they are in, there is a thread a bit below this one called rugged humidors that JoCee and I took turns posting on - prices range from 13 to 39 - they can also make a  temp humidor out of a Rubber maid container and wet paper towels.

As far as what they would like - Gary's threads are real helpful.

And some people do like the short cigars - Rothschild has some good ones,  Don Diego Babies have a following and the short Italian Stoagies. 

Of course the Churchills seem to be rather popular too:)!

And most of this is by way of my cigar loving consultant:).  Except the zippo and the rugged humidor stuff!!

Good luck and have fun

Ann