HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Got an odd RASS in a trade recently. Cigar on the left is my control sample. The band on top is the control band. Love to hear your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Author Share Posted May 30, 2014 Pictures came out sideways. Control sample is on bottom in the case of the cigar or left in the case of the bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmac77 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Looks like a fake to me. That band should be embossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habana Mike Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 All mine say Habana on the left and Cuba on the right..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmac77 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Prior to 2008 both sides were Habana 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginseng Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Got an odd RASS in a trade recently. Cigar on the left is my control sample. The band on top is the control band. Love to hear your thoughts. Why do you think it's odd? Because it's different from your "reference?" What year is your reference? What year is the "odd" cigar? Aside from the fact that one came from a semi-plain or dressed box and the other came from a cab, what other features do you feel you should be concerned about? The attached image is of a cigar from my 2008 50-SLB code ENE. The band looks exactly like the one that's giving you the willies. "Habana" on both sides of the center. Wilkey PS. They're smoking out of this world so it's quite possible your trading partner did you a solid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Author Share Posted May 30, 2014 The imposter allegedly came from a 2013 box. It was a trade so no box to inspect. Trade was from a friend that didn't intentionally send a fake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmitch Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Looks like an old, authentic cigar to me. Note the patina on the foil. I have some 98's like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginseng Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 The imposter allegedly came from a 2013 box. It was a trade so no box to inspect. Trade was from a friend that didn't intentionally send a fake. What you're calling an imposter looks very much like an authentic RASS that is at least 5 years old. As cmitch observed, no cigar band from 2013 ought to have patina like that. After 10, 15 years. Not 1. Wilkey Note: Improper storage under conditions of excessive humidity and/or elevated temperature can accelerate the development of oxidative patina. The wrapper and construction look to be quite good so I don't suspect it was an abused specimen. But keep in mind, any determination anyone can give you over the internet, by nature, is properly treated with care and a bit of skepticism. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Author Share Posted May 30, 2014 Why do you think it's odd? Because it's different from your "reference?" What year is your reference? What year is the "odd" cigar? Aside from the fact that one came from a semi-plain or dressed box and the other came from a cab, what other features do you feel you should be concerned about? The attached image is of a cigar from my 2008 50-SLB code ENE. The band looks exactly like the one that's giving you the willies. "Habana" on both sides of the center. Wilkey PS. They're smoking out of this world so it's quite possible your trading partner did you a solid. Your pic inspires a little more confidence. My reference came from 2013 box from a reliable source. Hint hint. The other is also allegedly a 2013 but he could be mistaken and it very may be older. My 'suspect' band looks very similar to your pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habana Mike Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Prior to 2008 both sides were Habana You're correct. I just checked, my older ones and CCW both show the H/H vs. H/C bands. I'd just grabbed the first one at hand so saying all was a bad generalization. Mea culpa on that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmac77 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 My only issue would be that your picture shows a lack of any embossing which is normally a telltale sign of a fake band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginseng Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 My only issue would be that your picture shows a lack of any embossing which is normally a telltale sign of a fake band. I wouldn't put much stock in that generalization. By the time Cuba decides to take worn emboss dies out of service, I'd be surprised if anyone could tell what marca it struck if there were no print and the test was made on a plain sheet of paper. You're correct. I just checked, my older ones and CCW both show the H/H vs. H/C bands. I'd just grabbed the first one at hand so saying all was a bad generalization. Mea culpa on that.... No worries. It is easy to get lost in the details, or the boxes. Your pic inspires a little more confidence. My reference came from 2013 box from a reliable source. Hint hint. The other is also allegedly a 2013 but he could be mistaken and it very may be older. My 'suspect' band looks very similar to your pic. I am not the only person to have mixed up cigars. It's not unusual to find several vintages in my ready to smoke cooler and if not careful, a mis-assignment can be made...innocently. Wilkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habana Mike Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I am not the only person to have mixed up cigars. It's not unusual to find several vintages in my ready to smoke cooler and if not careful, a mis-assignment can be made...innocently. Wilkey And if that's the case you probably got the better end of the deal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Author Share Posted May 30, 2014 My trade partner is a great guy. Never done me wrong so no slight to him at all. I've never had what I suspected was a fake so I was really interested in everyone's opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginseng Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 It's all good. Hope I didn't jump on you too much. I apologize for being a big cranky. So many years of people calling "fake" for this, that, or the other takes its toll. I hope the discussion in this thread has given you some context if not confidence. Cheers, Wilkey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Author Share Posted May 30, 2014 Not too hard or cranky at all. There is a lot of wisdom on here and I'm glad to listen. Great thread! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGC Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 With fake bands, the embossing is typically not the dead giveaway... since it can vary widely with older cigars. Usually it's the ink, and sometimes the paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tippexx Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I think faking the old RA bands would be a counterfeiters nightmare ... the coat of arms was always a blob. The cigar looks perfectly OK to me HB. I thinking you got the best end of the trade. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyBoulevard Posted May 30, 2014 Author Share Posted May 30, 2014 That coat of arms was my biggest concern. It looked...well...like a blob. There was no detail, no defined lines. It just looked like crap. After taking a look again after all the comments on this thread I think I most likely just an old RASS. Correct size and shape. As Wilkey pointed out it probably came from a 50 cab due to the lack of slight box press. Triple cap looks good. Good look, feel, and smell. The only thing that threw me was the band. I've only been into cc's for a couple of years so haven't been around long enough to know an old RASS band when I see one. The band lacks good detail and the coat of arms looks TERRIBLE. Also, my trading partner had it labeled as a 2013 and I have a box of 2013 with totally different bands as pictured above. The foot doesn't look like its full of plastic or dog hair so I am going to come to the conclusion this is an old RASS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginseng Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Do let us know if this conclusion changes upon smoking Wilkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randomhero1090 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Band changed in 08. So the cigar has to be 08 or earlier. I've had some 05-08 RASS that were just spectacular. Same can be said for RASCCs from that timeframe. Of all the order bands i've seen, the embossing wasn't very strong. I assume your 13 is from a dress box, and i'd assume the cigar in question is from a cab. Only thing a little shocking to me is the wrapper color. I've never seen really dark RASS earlier than 08. But that certainly doesn't mean that it is a fake. Once you smoke it, you will know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintLuis Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Prior to 2008 both sides were Habana That's right, but they also had a raised/embossed shield, and that one is flat. Also, the OP said it came from a 2013 box. The cigar itself looks okay. I'd say this one is mildly suspicious. Smoke it and tell us! The RA's have such a unique flavor profile, it should be obvious right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyBoulevard Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 I smoke a lot of RASS (2013 mostly) so I should be able to tell when I torch it so we shall see. My 'odd' RASS came from a trade. My trading partner had it marked as a 2013 but I cannot confirm it IS a 2013, its just the only information I have. He is a good guy and solid trading partner so I don't fault him even if it is not genuine. If its not, he didn't do it on purpose. My suspicion is that it is a 2008 or earlier he had marked wrong (at least that is my hope). My control stick is from a box of 25 from a...shall we say...reliable source...and it would appear the 'odd' fellow would have had to have been from a cab but again, can't confirm one way or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk05 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Really fake. I'll take that fake rass off your hands and trade it for a 2013 RASS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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