FOH Stance on Draw Tools

[SamuraiJack]

I am thinking of picking up something to help salvage sticks that I would normally toss due to tight draw. In these economic times tossing a $10+ stick is feeling less awesome.

Whats your take on them, FOH members? Any recommendations?

[smokem]

Some swear they are the best, others state it changes the profile. I use an ice pick that I have on the rare occassion that the draw is too hard. I haven't noticed a flavor change, but regardless, if the draw is very tight I rather have a relaxing smoke than chuck the stick or have the experience like sucking a marble through a straw for 30 or more minutes.

[Colt45]

I've used a kabob skewer and even a power drill with a fine bit in the past. I never found it to change flavor, but more often than

not, it would cause wrapper cracking. I rarely do it any more.

[Mel]

This thread should be paired with the one about how to uncook a beef steak that is over done. I have use many tools ans methods of attempting ti cure poorly made cigars and few work very well. If I was lucky then I found I could suffer through the cigar and try to convince myself that the $10 was well spent. Most of the time my disapointment/aggrivation was permanent and I did not really enjoy the experience. Be honest and admit the cigar is not what you wanted. I now toss them right off the bat, choose a great cigars and enjoy. To each his own mate try all the methods and remember what a cigar is for, you too get to decide that.

[Van55]

My own experience with draw pokers is that they are ordinarily a waste of time. They will not open up a cigar that's too tightly rolled. If there's an actual plug (which is fairly rare in my experience) a poker can fix that.

I have on a few occasions impaled a tight cigar with a draw poker and left the impaled cigar in my dry box for a few days. This sometimes has been effective -- but dry boxing might have done the trick even without the poker.

[Rogers72]

I've tried several different things as well but usually end up damaging the wrapper and making things worse. I have found that some dryboxing usually does the trick. I will take a prelight draw and if it is too tight, i will put it someplace dry for anywhere from several hours to several days depending on how bad it is. I have also found that a punch type cut works better for tight cigars.

[Ginseng]

I've gotta agree with Van on this. I hate to throw out a good cigar, but then a plugged or way too tight cigar is not a "good cigar" in my estimation. I encounter these sufficiently rarely such that I have no guilt at all about pitching a stuck stick.

Wilkey

[Jokermann]

I use my power drill with a small bit. I think this works because it actually removes some tobacco. I found a really thin drill bit and is pretty long (about 6"), that does wonders to plugged sticks. I have not had to waste one in the longest time because of this.

I even glued a cohiba band to my drill...

[Mel]

I use my power drill with a small bit. I think this works because it actually removes some tobacco. I found a really thin drill bit and is pretty long (about 6"), that does wonders to plugged sticks. I have not had to waste one in the longest time because of this.

I even glued a cohiba band to my drill...

When I do get serious about saving a cigar that has some special reason t warrent such heroic efforts I will use the drill also. I think it is necesary to remove excess tobacco.

[El Presidente]

I don't bother with a draw poker. I will often cut below the offending section and smoke the remainder but I will not use a draw poker because in

the end it leaves you disatisfied.

If you are suffering from a plug or poor draw:

inspect the cigar. Is there a section that is harder than the others? If so......massage it. Any better? If No then cut below the plug area if the remaining smoke makes it worthwhile. If not........chuck the cigar away and forget about it.

[tapewormboy]

I've tried all sorts of tools to try and open up draws. None really work. The drill bit doesn't work for me since all it does is leave a ton of powdered tobacco in the cigar that gets inhaled. Not a fun time.

[Ginseng]

Rob's post reminded me that I used to resort to cutting off chunks of the cigar until it's possible to smoke or until there's not enough to bother with. I've had to do this with quite a few from a 2001 box of HU Sir Winstons. I tried to smoke sections that were as short as 1.5 inches or about 4 cm. I gotta tell you, there's nothing more pathetic than handling 3 or 4 chunks of what would otherwise be a great cigar trying to get some satisfaction.

Wilkey

[anacostiakat]

I agree with Mel and some others on this. Basically a waste of time. Nothing wrong with trying to salvage something an investment. But more often than not, a waste. . .

[shortsqueeze]

Chuck it. Life is too short.

[n2advnture]

I use one and find it extremely helpful! It has to be the right one though.

Given the expense of some of these smokes, I'll put in a little effort to fix it. If it's a cheapo smoke, I'll toss it.

[Fatshotbud]

I just place the ones with bad draw into my "throw down humidor" - The one left out for company too cheap to ever bring their own cigars to smoke

[DocRKS]

Before they 'called it a day' - I procured a beautifully encased poker made by the Petroglyph folks. The poker was inserted into a Torpedo shaped cigar and attached to the foot which was made to look like a very well formed cigar ash and when you needed to use the poker - you un-screwed it out of the 'cigar' shaped holder.. The wood I selected for the device was ' Musical Instrument Grade' and I sent them a label from a Siglo VI to use as the band for the 'cigar/poker'. The threads on this device were very cleverly engineered so that the hole obtained when twisting into the cigar was actually kept open and further widened when you twisted the device out... Yes - it is truly a thing of beauty.....

Having said that - it doesn't solve the problem most of the time... I most often have used the method described by Rob above.... Feel for the bad spot - try to work it out - if not possible - take my finest cigar scissors or Swiss Army Knife cigar cutter and lop off the offending piece and try to salvage the rest.

Thankfully - when dealing with reputable vendors such as our Host here who do inspect the box prior to shipping - the amount of times I have had to resort to so draconian a measure have been very few and far between..

[Thomas]

I cut the offending corona right in half and have 2 less than par smokes instead of one I cant even smoke

[Spartan]

I toss em out. I hate fighting with a cigar, ruins the whole experience.

[Mel]

I toss em out. I hate fighting with a cigar, ruins the whole experience.

Pefectly said.