Premium Cigar Leather Cases and Accessories
There are a lot of cigar accessories on the market to help take your cigar smoking experience to the next level, in theory, or maybe you prefer to keep your premium cigar experience as simple as possible (the way of most cigar aficionados). My personal preference is the later, to keep the experience as simple as possible. Less is more for most things, and especially when making your time smoking a cigar as enjoyable as possible.
My preferred cigar accessory bundle is comprised of three ingredients: 1 guillotine cigar cutter, 1 butane cigar torch lighter, and 1 hand-cut cigar match. Oh, and everything is carried in a leather cigar case.
Let's discuss each cigar accessory in more detail.
Guillotine Cigar Cutter
The most common cigar cutter is a guillotine cigar cutter. They are simple to make and even simpler to use. They come in many shapes and sizes.
Additionally you can spend as much or as little as you would like! You can opt for something cheaply made and pay a few dollars (and probably ruin your cigar) or opt for something that is a few hundred dollars and look good while getting the perfect cut.
Or, you can just figure out what works best for you. Again, understand that the blades of the cigar cutter are not intended to cut through the entire width of the cigar! The cigar cutter is only removing a small amount of material at the tip of the end of the cigar to allow for the perfect draw. You are not chopping through the cigar.
Find the perfect guillotine cutter that works for you and stick to it. Some guillotine cigar cutters are small, perfect for smaller hands, some are larger, etc. Find what is comfortable. Experiment. Enjoy the process!
Hand-cut Cigar Match
A hand-cut cigar match is the best way to first light your cigar. As mentioned above, using a match helps to promote the relaxing nature and intent of a enjoying a premium cigar in the first place. Premium cigars are not smoked in a hurry, they are savored. We find a comfortable position in our chair and we sit for an hour or so, solving the world’s problems one puff at a time.
Take your time when lighting your cigar. Time was taken to make it, don’t forget that. This is not something mass produced. The cigar you are holding was crafted by hand and required significant time to go from seed to smoke.
Relax. Use a hand-cut cigar match to light your cigar. Strike it, watch the flame go down, allow your mind to settle, toast the foot, achieve the perfect even light, and relax.
Not just any cigar match will do. You want it to be long, I find 3.25 inches to 4 inches to be perfect. And you also want it to be thick. Standard cigar matches are just long versions of a “standard” kitchen match.
The hand-cut cigar matches from A. M. Aiken are 3-times thicker than a standard cigar match. This ensures they will not break in half when striking and they will burn for up to 60 seconds, allowing you ample time to light your cigar.
The cigar wooden matches for sale from A. M. Aiken are:
- hand-cut using my favorite backsaw,
- then whittled to shape for a unique look.
- No two are alike, and each one is made by hand, just like your premium cigars!
Butane Cigar Torch Lighter
Finally, it is good to have a butane lighter on hand, just in case. If you are smoking outside it may be difficult to keep the cigar match lit long enough to light your cigar if it is windy. And as you smoke your cigar, there may be instances when a quick touch-up is need to help correct an uneven burn or if it needs to be relit completely.
In these cases a butane cigar torch lighter is perfect. Similar to the cigar cutter, you can spend as much or as little as you would like. And they come in many shapes, sizes, materials, colors, and so on. The options are seemingly endless.
Personally, I prefer a cigar lighter that is on the small side, and as such it will typically only ever have one flame. Some torch lighters will have more than one flame, which is fine, but is over-kill for how I use the lighter. Again, if you are lighting your cigar with a cigar match, then the butane lighter is of secondary concern.
Spend anywhere between $10 and $20 and you’ll have one that is reliable and should last a few years before needing to be replaced. Spend a little more, closer to $60 or so and you can probably get one that has a lifetime warranty (cigar lighters Zikar is a personal favorite in this price range).
As with cigar cutters mentioned above, experiment with cigar lighters. Find one that works for you, is comfortable to hold and meets your expectations for how you intend to use it. Most of all, enjoy the process!
Cigar Case Leather
While there are not a lot of required cigar accessories, the few that we have discussed so far are enough where a nice place to store them is appropriate. Leather cigar pouches from A. M. Aiken were designed specifically for this purpose. All the cigar cases I make were made for myself first based on how I enjoy cigars and then perfected from there to meet the needs of a wider audience.
Each cigar case is made of leather, 100% vegetable tanned leather that is free of chemicals, and is assembled by hand by me in Harrisburg Pennsylvania United States of America. I offer many sizes for the many circumstances where cigars may be called for. Whether you are simply heading out to your deck, a tailgate, or to a nice rooftop somewhere, there is a leather cigar case for you.
Most of the cigar travel cases will help to carry your cigar accessories with you in addition to your cigars, while some focus only on carrying your cigars. You can browse all my leather cigar cases and accessories here.
Make it an Aaron - Cigar gift sets
Whether you are buying a leather cigar case for yourself or you are planning to give one as a gift, most of my cigar cases have the option to “Make it an Aaron”. This configuration will add the following items to your cigar case order:
- 18 4" hand-cut cigar matches with a leather cigar match pouch (the pouch has a striker on the back for lighting)
- a stainless steel guillotine cigar cutter
- a butane lighter
I call it “Make it an Aaron” because it is the way that I enjoy my cigar experience. I cut the cigar with a simple guillotine cutter, I light the cigar with one of my hand-cut cigar matches, and then I use the butane cigar lighter torch for any touchups to the cigar as-needed to keep it burning evenly or if I need to relight it completely.
“Make it an Aaron” turns the cigar case into the perfect getting started cigar kit or gift for that cigar lover in your life, maybe even making it a cigar Christmas gift bundle. Or something nice for yourself :-)