By nature, I am an extremely methodical person. I wake up at the same time everyday, have the same routine, sit at the same tables at restaraunts, and keep everything in a tidy order. Usually if one of those things gets out of place then my whole day is off by a few inches. With that in mind, it got me thinking about the accessories I use on a daily basis when smoking cigars. I honestly RARELY swap up my accessory rotation so I wanted to talk about what I use, why I use it, and see what you all are using with success to enjoy your smokes.
Ashtray:
First up my ashtray. I have been using the same one for about 10 years now so I don’t have many details on it anymore. It’s a Drew Estate crystal ashtray that carries the design of a Nicaraguan box seal on the back. It’s heavy, it’s not too big nor is it too small, it’s pretty, and it’s held up. Pretty simple there. A cool little note is this was actually given to me from non other than Jonathan Drew back in the day and I have used it on almost every review/cigar smoked since!
Torch Lighter:
I am currently using an ST Dupont Maxijet. This thing has been a beast since I received it. It sleek, always works, holds a good amount of butane and never lets me down, even in the wind. There isn’t too much to say here. Get a lighter that works. The most frustrating thing trying to light up a cigar only to find your lighter isn’t working, or is out of butane. Extra marks to Dupont here as they have a nice side window that crudely shows the butane level in the lighter. Another plus is this was given to me from a dear friend a few years before she passed away.
Cutter:
For the longest time I actually used a simple Palio cutter. It worked, I never had any issues with it, it was lightweight and convenient. A few years ago I finally decided to upgrade. I wanted something that would match the red from my lighter, but wasn’t too into the Dupont cutters. Being a huge fan of gun metal I was immediately drawn to the Xikar XO double bladded cutter and I have not used another cutter since purchasing this one. It never fails. It’s sharp, cuts clean, doesn’t need sharpening, and has a large enough opening for larger ring gauge cigars. I also like how unique the design is. If I had to gripe about anything it’s that sometimes tobacco particles can get lodged within the gears and need to be quickly blown out for full operation.
These are my basic accessories. I may do a future post with other items such as humidor, travel gear, and specialty stuff. I’m just really curious what everyone else uses and how they choose what works best for them. Obviously my items have a bit of an emotional attachment, but they also work flawlessly and I never have to worry about failures. At least not yet.
