When did you have your first cigar....

[tigger]

On a side note, I'm finding the mentioning of fitness interesting. My personal outlook is that physical fitness at the expense of being able

to enjoy simple life pleasures is unhealthy - fitness of the body without fitness of the mind, and for lack of better terms soul or spirit,

is incomplete.

I know an awful lot of people with a variety athletic injuries. I keep telling 'em, if you didn't punish your body that way, you wouldn't hurt yourself.

To Colt's point, balance can be elusive, but the times I've had it to a great degree in my life have been the best times I've had on a multitude of levels.

[mkz]

I also have a son that's 19 yo. Hopeless case. Won't touch nicotine or alcohol.

I dont want to alarm you Kjell, but something is seriously wrong with your son...

Sounds exactly like my cousin. She´s also 19 and doesnt touch the good stuff. I wonder what went wrong?

[kjellfrick]

On a side note, I'm finding the mentioning of fitness interesting. My personal outlook is that physical fitness at the expense of being able

to enjoy simple life pleasures is unhealthy - fitness of the body without fitness of the mind, and for lack of better terms soul or spirit,

is incomplete.

Ah, but there is something absolutely enchanting with being at the very peak of physical fitness. I know, I've been there. Didn't last though... However, balance in live is important, and many discover the importance of the simple things in life eventually. Doesn't necessarily come at the same time in life as fitness, but why should it have to? We all walk different paths.

[Colt45]

Ah, but there is something absolutely enchanting with being at the very peak of physical fitness.

I will counter that being in great health and having a glass of wine and / or a cigar need not be mutually exclusive.

I will also humbly submit that unnecessary self deprivation can be unhealthy for one's overall being.

Just look at Rob and Ken......

:D

[JMH]

Beck " We have all had plenty of cigars on the canoe....secondhand"

Beck "I have to remind dad to take the cigar out of his mouth when he refuels the outboard"

Watch out for her rob

I had my first real cigar (RYJ petit corona) when I was about 16. I don't think that I would ever encourage or suggest that they ever try a cigar, and, if asked, wouldn't give them one before they were 18. However I wouldn't punish them for smoking one before then. Cigarettes are a whole different matter though. I had my first cigarette at about 14, and smoked a bit through school. When I finished year 12 I thought 'I know that I'll want to quit sometime in the future, so why don't I do myself a favour and stop now before I'm addicted, and it's actually hard to quit'. A few of my friends (we're now 22) have tried quitting cigarettes, none of them have lasted for more than a couple of months though which is sad.

[Habanos2000]

I smoked my first cigar 13 years ago when I was 33. A Davidoff Grand Cru #2. I tried cigarettes when I was 12, trying to be mature and soon realized that I was doing quite the opposite. Almost burned down my uncle's barn one time, but that's another story.

I have 2 sons, 14 and 11. To me, enjoying a cigar is more than just smoking. I do look forward to the day when I might have the opportunity to enjoy a cigar with both of them, but only when they're ready for the cigar 'experience' and I don't think a certain age really determines when that is. In my opinion, 18 is way too young. I think the more mature they are the more they will appreciate what a cigar delivers.

[jquest63]

Green light for son when he's 18, he's 10 now, and would like to smoke with him to celebrate. Don't think his mother would agree though.

[Ethernut]

I think my first real cigar was an Arturo Fuente Hemmingway. To be honest, I didn't enjoy it very much.. Had one recently and didn't enjoy it then either..

[kanuna]

I fell your pain at the dinner table Pres...I to stick my foot in my mouth way to many times during conversations with the boy who is 15 & 2/3rds when the wife is around. I would let him at 18, I figure if he is old enough to go to war and die for his country then he is old enough to have a cigar but with me and with him paying for them....LOL My son knows me and his moms past all to well, I do not worry about the cigarrets and I do detour him from it but we have to watch our conversations with his mom around and between us and the fence post here on FOH, I have already let him taste one....don't tell his mother though or I will not be able to purchase cigars for a while due to the fact of paying for my new home that I would be moving to.....lol

One last thing, if it is not me teaching or how do I say, "corrupting him" as the wife would say it, it is his grandfather doing it.....

[Smooth]

I was 16 and would happily smoke a cigar with my son at the same age on special occasions...

My father and I smoked a RYJ churchill each by the pool late at night on his 46th birthday. The conversation and bonding that night created the catalyst for our current level of open-ness and was a great foundation for our relationship as I was transitioning from boy to man.

We shared the most amazing night and I even had my first glass of red wine. It was simply magical and taught me that smoking a cigar with good company was a celebration and a privilege to be savored. From that day onwards I used to celebrate an occasion or even a weekend with my good mates, a cigar and some wine. Which looking back on it now, kept me away from drugs completely, away from binge drinking completely and as I was spending alot of time at Crown Casino's cigar bar (RIP Fidels, and yes I was underage) with friends and men much older than myself I gained wisdom, learned a ton about business/life and created moral and ethical standards that far outweighed the fact I was smoking and drinking underage. Not to mention kept me out of much much trouble.

My advice to all of you with offspring around 16 years old would be this: Have a cigar with them, share a moment, share a single glass of wine. Because these days, with their exposure to very 'adult' (to put it politely) materials and experiences kids have access to from the age of 10 onwards, it will pay massive dividends in their future and your relationship.

I wouldnt change my first CC experience for the world.

[Buch0]

Great post Smooth!

[Kangaroo495]

On a side note, I'm finding the mentioning of fitness interesting. My personal outlook is that physical fitness at the expense of being able

to enjoy simple life pleasures is unhealthy - fitness of the body without fitness of the mind, and for lack of better terms soul or spirit,

is incomplete.

Amen.

I smoke, drink, smoke cigarettes, drink litres of coffee - and you should see my rippling biceps!

...ahem..

BTW, why are blokes these days so hung up about how they look??? I reckon it should be the other way around - chicks should start worrying about how they look...

[dicko]

On a side note, I'm finding the mentioning of fitness interesting. My personal outlook is that physical fitness at the expense of being able

to enjoy simple life pleasures is unhealthy - fitness of the body without fitness of the mind, and for lack of better terms soul or spirit,

is incomplete.

I like to keep fit. I also like a cigar or two most weeks (and a drink!). I've also paid the price for going over the top with training and running my immune system down and getting sick or injured. Similarly, at times I've gone a month or two being really slack and drinking too much and noticed the effect on my body. You're 100% right, pleasures must be indulged in on occasion to relax and enjoy. A good amount of fitness each week and eating/drinking properly is al part of a balance which is hard to, but can be acheived

[scinmyheart]

I smoked a Swisher Sweet in our house when I was 15 or so in the early 70's while my parents were out for the afternoon...they came home about 3 hours later asking who smoked the cigar in the house...stupidass me says I don't know what they're talking about...they just played it off saying that they hoped whoever broke in was not still in the house while waiting for me to come clean...about 2 days later they found "my stash" (my pack of Swisher Sweets), and Daddy said that he hoped that I would at least wait til I was 18 to smoke (they both smoked cigarettes)...glad they didn't find my "other stash" (that came later)

didn't pick up "real cigars" until about 10 years ago in my early 40's...and Cubans about 5 years ago

*Edit: I have no children to entice...why would I want to waste my cigar dollars on children?

[thechenman]

Great thread RA. I've really enjoyed reading about all of your expriences. For me cigarettes came before cigars. I began smoking cigarettes at 18 yo. Dunhills (Red Box) primarily, although sometimes Marlboro Lights when Dunhill's weren't available. I smoked cigarettes all through college, but eventually gave it up at 24 yo. Oddly enough...it wasn't hard for me to quit at all. I figured it might be tough as I had friends back then struggling to quit. For me I just stopped one day and never picked up another. As an aside, my wife smokes Marlboro Lights and has done so since she was in college. She has quit from time to time, usually for a year or two, and the 2x she was pregnant and breast feeding, but she keeps coming back to it. I think a good part of it is mental, not just the physical dependence on nicotine.

Cigars are a different story. I would not give them up for the world. I just enjoy them to damn much, but not in an addictive fashion. My first cigar was a Macanudo when I was 21 yo. Like several others here, I really didn't enjoy the experience. However, it did start me on the road of becoming an occassional cigar smoker at poker nights, BBQs, special occassions etc. What really got me into the Cuban Cigar scene was a childhood friend of mine who introduced to to Havanas that he brought back with him from Shanghai. My life changed after that. Without easy access to Cuban cigars is started with the usual DR and NC cigars, but then I found Czar and everything changed for the better.

Would I share cigars with my son (7 yo) and daughter (1 yo). Sure, but I would not until they were at least 18 yo. I would not gift it I would nor present it to them, I would not ask them to join me. I figure that this is a decision that I would leave up to them. If they ask, then I would be happy to share my smokes with them. I am a big believer of not pushing things on my kids, but to let them choose their own paths for school, career, extracurricular activities, etc. I will guide them, but not push. Just my $0.02. That said though, personally, I would love it if they would both one day join me in something I derive so much pleasure from. Cigars are so much better when shared. IMHO...

[kal]

July 1969 , I was 16 and travelling alone for the first time . Had three hours of transit time in Paris Orly , so I bought a Canon for $99 and a box of Montecristo 1 for $21 .

A few minutes later I smoked my first cigar at the bar with a few bottles of Kronenberg.

Will never forget that day.

[Mr. Japan]

I was old when I smoked my first cigar (2000) but I always say to my son's that they can smoke whenever they are ready to understand what they put in their mouth.

So far first son smokes few cigarettes a day and I always complain saying that he can take cigars from the humidor if leaves that ****. But he say's that cigar smoking is for people over 30 ;-(

It seems that he still does not understand ;-)

[BigGuns]

I was 16 and smoked some wonderfully delightful (or so I thought at the time) Macanudos with my friends. We smoked all kinds of ish off and on back then - Espanola and Don Tomas were popular, as I recall.

As for my son, on his 18th birthday, I hope to smoke a PSP2 with him that I bought from the PSP a couple months ago. The box code matches his birth mo/yr. Might be a little harsh for his 1st, but hell, go big or go home, son...

[aavkk]

My eldest has smoked once, liked it but will not try again. He aspires to be the most fit man on earth so I kind of understands him. You can't get fit by spending large portions of your life sitting in easy chairs smoking and drinking. Content, yes but not fit.

Finally a topic on FOH has come up that I have some experience with. Kjell, I'm gonna have to disagree with you completely on this one. Of course "fitness" is not easily defined and many health professionals havent the slightest clue what it means (because Ive never met one that practiced what they preach). Would you consider Lance Armstrong fit? I would argue he is but in a very limited capacity. Fitness is the ability to demonstrate cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, accuracy, power and balance. Achieving high levels of competency in all of these areas would allow you to excel at every imaginable task. I've been smoking 3-4 cigars a week for the past 3 years and have achieved a pretty solid foundation in all of these areas (5:45 mile (cardio/resp end, stamina), 57 second 400M (cardio/resp end, stamina, flexibility and power), 405 deadlift (flexibility, strength, and power), 195 lb clean and jerk (strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, accuracy, power and balance), and 9 hand stand push-ups (strength, coordination, accuracy, and balance). Sure none of these marks are world class but I train for a healthy balance in all of the above principles. The modalities above demostrate each of those principles. I guarantee that I will smoke Lance Armstrong on all of the above except maybe the mile run. On the flip side he would wipe the floor with me anything cycling related but I'm ok with that. Smoking cigars provides me mental clarity and relaxation and anyone that trains and pushes themselves knows that rest, sleep, and nutrition are crucial. Smoking cigars adds to my rest. Sorry for being long winded but these are 2 of my most passionate hobbies.

[kjellfrick]

Finally a topic on FOH has come up that I have some experience with. Kjell, I'm gonna have to disagree with you completely on this one. Of course "fitness" is not easily defined and many health professionals havent the slightest clue what it means (because Ive never met one that practiced what they preach). Would you consider Lance Armstrong fit? I would argue he is but in a very limited capacity. Fitness is the ability to demonstrate cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, accuracy, power and balance. Achieving high levels of competency in all of these areas would allow you to excel at every imaginable task. I've been smoking 3-4 cigars a week for the past 3 years and have achieved a pretty solid foundation in all of these areas (5:45 mile (cardio/resp end, stamina), 57 second 400M (cardio/resp end, stamina, flexibility and power), 405 deadlift (flexibility, strength, and power), 195 lb clean and jerk (strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, accuracy, power and balance), and 9 hand stand push-ups (strength, coordination, accuracy, and balance). Sure none of these marks are world class but I train for a healthy balance in all of the above principles. The modalities above demostrate each of those principles. I guarantee that I will smoke Lance Armstrong on all of the above except maybe the mile run. On the flip side he would wipe the floor with me anything cycling related but I'm ok with that. Smoking cigars provides me mental clarity and relaxation and anyone that trains and pushes themselves knows that rest, sleep, and nutrition are crucial. Smoking cigars adds to my rest. Sorry for being long winded but these are 2 of my most passionate hobbies.

I am not disagreeeing with you, I know exactly where you come from and I've been there myself. Anyone who has spent 5 years of hard training in a sport or other physical exercise probably does. I said I kind of understand my son, but that doesn't mean I think he's making the right decision. Your description of physical fitness is spot on, btw.

I think you are making too much of a point from your own admirable example. Of course exceptions to my "couch potato" hypothesis exist but I think that in general cigar smokers have left the arena of hard training. I know I have...just can't get started again. Tried it when I was 49 but injuries take to long to heal nowadays so I quit again. Anyway, I was expressing myself too categorically..I should have said "it's harder to get fit by spending" etc...

Keep up the training! I'm sitting here in the sofa, smoking a cigar and cheering you on! Wish I could join you!

[aavkk]

Keep up the training! I'm sitting here in the sofa, smoking a cigar and cheering you on! Wish I could join you!

Kjell, I must admit that I never thought the topic of fitness would come up on this board. I am glad that it did though because I really feel that cigars help me from an overall wellness perspective. Its certainly an argument for the mental benefits and not physical, Im not crazy. I know that many who read my initial post will just say "what a know it all *******" but the fact is that I feel like a million bucks and I work my ass off for it. I know how hard it is to start up again after a long break but just convince yourself to do it for 2 weeks and I guarantee you wont stop, especially if you were once at an elite level.

O and sorry for the threadjack Rob!

[Colt45]

I'm sitting here in the sofa, smoking a cigar and cheering you on! Wish I could join you!

And looking good in that silk smoking jacket.

(crap, did I say that out loud? )

[jgmiller829]

Smoking cigars for my Dad has always been more about quantity rather than quality. So whenever he took me out golfing, he'd bring 7 cigars. Growing up, his smoking always bothered me because of the health effects. However, I always admired the perfume of the smoke and finally took him up on the offer on the golf course when I was 17. What can I say, as you get older your attitude changes and perhaps you get more realistic. He's not really the most responsible Dad (he had me drink my first whole beer when I was 5 lol), but his carefree attitude is refreshing and I always enjoy sharing a smoke with him now. My Mom absolutely hates it and thats something to consider too, but I'd let your sons make the decision for themselves when they wanna start, however, I wouldn't recommend anything before 16. Good luck...

[Jimmy2]

Started when i was 13/14 yrs old (1983/84) also drinking wine in my uncles back room in his garage ..LOL

Me in late 1983 !!! a Rebel !! LOL

[habanablue]

Had my fist 'cigar' a Hav A Tampa on NYE when I was 17. first 'real cigar' was when I was 21.

With my son now 6 months old, I'm always asking him if he would like to join me for a cigar but the response I get is mostly drool and a cheeky smile. I think when he can appreciate them is when I would like to have one with him. late teens?

Don't want DOCS knocking on my door!