...at what point do you close out a cigar?

[El Presidente]

Let us know your tolerance level 

[el_papacito]

I'm going full send on any CC not called JP Caz (those I've pitched several times)...

[LLC]

I’ll give it a massage, maybe try Perfect Draw once or twice if I think it will help, but I don’t have any patience if it takes much effort. 

[inter4alia]

I've saved countless sticks with the pefecdraw so I'll definitely work it over. However, it took me a while to finally learn that not all sticks can, or deserve to, be saved. Think of Kenny Rogers' advice in The Gambler - - sometimes you gotta know when to walk away and when to run. 

[djrey]

I paid good money for my cigar. I’ll make that damn thing perform. Have only pitched one cigar because it was just so damn boring flavor wise and a waste of my time. 

[NSXCIGAR]

Construction wise, as long as it's not affecting enjoyment. PerfecDraw pretty much takes care of draw issues. Underfilling is probably the most frustrating issue followed by the fireproof wrapper. 

[NicPac]

I’m not afraid to pitch a cigar. My time is limited due to being a father of two young boys so when it’s time to smoke I wanna enjoy it. If that means tossing $10-$20 I’m ok with that. But, most cigars I toss are due to taste not construction. And I don’t toss too many. Maybe 1 per 30-50 cigars. 

[karp]

I’ll toss if there are major burn issues or draw issues. Perfect draw helps with most plugged draws but I find it can sometimes gut the cigar if it’s hopeless. Wind tunnels are not worth it. Most of the time I’ll struggle through but like was pointed out above, quality time is more important for me than finishing the smoke to get my $ worth.

[griller]

3 minutes ago, karp said:

I’ll toss if there are major burn issues or draw issues. Perfect draw helps with most plugged draws but I find it can sometimes gut the cigar if it’s hopeless. Wind tunnels are not worth it. Most of the time I’ll struggle through but like was pointed out above, quality time is more important for me than finishing the smoke to get my $ worth.

This is me, too. I value the time, trouble, and expense that goes into procuring a cigar, but I refuse to go to the mat if a basic corrective action doesn't do the trick. I don't fight 'em...

[dobbs]

i agree with @karp and @griller, and i answered "all in" just because i have successfully used the perfect draw many times on tight cigars. that said, not all can be saved and some just taste bad. those get tossed quick.

-dobbs

[Meesterjojo]

Funny I see this thread right after I used a perfect draw then had to chop a bbf in half.

This stick is the absolute worst cuban I've ever had. Trashing it.

[Yigal]

Also depends on the stress level of the day . . .

[NSXCIGAR]

4 hours ago, karp said:

find it can sometimes gut the cigar if it’s hopeless.

You have to be careful with your PerfecDraw technique. If you keep twisting and reaming it it will definitely gut the cigar.

The PD is designed to pull and extract the hard bits and stems. If you twist the crap out of it it just turns all the filler into sawdust. 

I only twist it two or three times to get the barbs all the way in. You want to penetrate, not drill. Then I pull it out as slowly as possible so that it doesn't rip the leaf on the way out but actually pulls it out. If you pull it out too fast it will just shear instead of pull. Believe it or not pulling the leaf out keeps the integrity of the filler while shearing and ripping compromises the integrity. The blockage, although shredded, still remains and may not improve the draw and can affect burning.

On a cigar with a RG 46+ you can avoid going right down the center. I use a scissor cut and try and use the PD in two places 180° apart. I find almost always that the plug isn't in the middle. It's the least compacted part of the cigar anyway and the ligero is usually bunched early in the roll meaning it's probably not bunched incorrectly. And you want to avoid extracting or damaging ligero and seco anyway.

[Chibearsv]

I'll work with it just a little.  If I can't get it on track with a massage or more aggressive cut or one pass of the perfect draw in the first few puffs, trash.  Loose draw doesn't bother me that much until it burns sideways, I'll try to correct it but if it continues, then it's trashed.  I won't negotiate with my cigar.  I'll try to help it a little but ultimately I won't be frustrated with a bad cigar for more than 5 minutes.  

[karp]

4 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I only twist it two or three times to get the barbs all the way in. You want to penetrate, not drill. Then I pull it out as slowly as possible so that it doesn't rip the leaf on the way out but actually pulls it out. If you pull it out too fast it will just shear instead of pull. Believe it or not pulling the leaf out keeps the integrity of the filler while shearing and ripping compromises the integrity. The blockage, although shredded, still remains and may not improve the draw and can affect burning.

Thanks for that info - I've been pulling it out too fast most likely. I'm getting the Perfect draw in OK, but sometimes it can drag out leaf on the way out leaving a "straw". I'll try slower next time and see if it helps.

[joeypots]

I'll give every cigar a good chance but if I've scheduled a smoke and it's a bust I'll pitch it pretty quick. I had one HURR this year that was a tent peg but I can't recall too many others that I had to throw out.

[rjake100]

Speaking of perfecdraw, anyone know why the red cap screws off the sheath?

[inter4alia]

2 hours ago, rjake100 said:

Speaking of perfecdraw, anyone know why the red cap screws off the sheath?

For easy and thorough cleaning has always been my assumption. Also, never tried it but thought maybe it could be used as small punch cutter when unscrewed. Just guessing on all of this. 

[Meesterjojo]

I'm seriously considering setting up a drill bit and a clamp after all the perfect draw accidents I've had. Love it but dang me.

[anthrofighter]

I only pick cigars out that feel super spongy to avoid this issue entirely. I have 6 year old parti Mille Fleurs and pce’s i still won’t smoke because they feel stiff. They will rather soften or I will die with them in my humi.

[BuzzArd]

I rarely toss one.  Maybe have tossed 2-3 in the past 5+ years, and that’s at a 10-12 stick/week rate.   I don’t use a perfect draw. Ever.  If it’s snug it goes in a dry box until it complies.  Eventually it always does.   Run it under the faucet to wet the wrapper once it does draw, head to the porch and enjoy.  Very rare exceptions....

[DeskSmkr]

I'm all in and more. And probably walking right into some double meanings here unintentionally

Cuban crush, perfect poke (s), massage, ash and roll, relight, bite the head, pull out a stem, relight, draw, see if burn is even, pinch/bite in same place and position, draw, check burn, if burn is even, continue applying pinch/bite in same location on same axis. If burn is still uneven, rotate pinch or bite 20, 45, 90 degrees etc trying a few puffs after each. Try pinch/bite up and down cigar too: near head, band, past band, usually finding a soft spot. Between that and the perfect draw, usually success.

There is a line though, once it's crossed I toss. There is no coming back sometimes. Bad taste, persistent tunnel/canoe. When the burn is that bad, the taste follows suit. If I'm not in the mood, not getting good flavor and aroma.

Love the perfect draw. Forget about the online video about running down the center unless it works for you. Think minimal usage of draw tool, at first only to depth of first barb into the head, offset from center in alignment with the foot side that doesn't want to burn, press straight in, rotate 1/4, or up to full rotation, depending on feel, pull straight out gentle smooth and slow.  Test burn but first relight side that wasn't burning, a couple/few puffs later, if not improved enough, use draw tool but insert to second barb, repeat. Often poking in different places a few mm apart along that side that doesn't want to burn. Use it on almost every CC.  Recently hollowed out most of the head of a Laguito No.2 but with a bite or a pinch, smoked well enough and delivered. I can always remove more with the perfect draw, can't put back in.

If it needs a bite/pinch it probably also needs a perfect draw and vice versa.

Sounds tedious but it's easier that smoking a pipe and once the fiddling is done and the pinch or bite is figured it stays for most of the cigar, sometimes around the halfway point burn gets uneven again and the process repeats.

Once fished out a 2.5 inch stem from a robusto, to the silent surprise of my friend smoking his lonsdale, his eyes gave it away, nothing was said and the smoking continued.

[Bijan]

11 minutes ago, BuzzArd said:

I rarely toss one.  Maybe have tossed 2-3 in the past 5+ years, and that’s at a 10-12 stick/week rate.   I don’t use a perfect draw. Ever.  If it’s snug it goes in a dry box until it complies.  Eventually it always does.   Run it under the faucet to wet the wrapper once it does draw, head to the porch and enjoy.  Very rare exceptions....

What's the humidity in the dry box. I think ambient is pretty dry your way? Ever have the cigar end up suffering from being too dry? Or do you dry box at 50% or something like that?

[DanWil84]

I'm not to long in the game to be able to judge this, but I'm not tossing a cigar fast. I've sometimes been fighting a cigar, but most were ROTT with cracked or split wrappers due to smoking to hot for the internal humidity (steam). If I store them long enough in "smoking humidor" at 58-60rh to get them "dry" they always smoke good. I've tossed a cigar once, a NC (AJ Fernandez New World Connecticut wrapped cigar) which got me nic sick while these cigars are not known for nic power. Maybe a bunch of ligero in it.

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[BuzzArd]

On 8/3/2021 at 10:00 PM, Bijan said:

What's the humidity in the dry box. I think ambient is pretty dry your way? Ever have the cigar end up suffering from being too dry? Or do you dry box at 50% or something like that?

Honestly, it really varies.  Right now at a ridiculously high 27% rh (I’m dripping sweat doing literally nothing...) I still take the same approach if it’s a more normal 9%...  If it’s too dry after I forget about it for a couple of weeks (on the back porch in the sun) I wet the wrapper as in the Monte 4 experiment done by @El Presidente and the boys a few years ago once the stick actually draws.   Have yet to have a disappointment.