Your Cigar Lighter

Got something a little nicer than a Bic? Get a gift that you don't quite know what to do with now that you own it?

Butane lighters, if you're going to use a lighter, are preferred among cigar smokers to get your stick going. Why? They provide a lot of heat that's focused and they stay lit as long as you like, so that you can light your cigar without burning your fingers, as with matches, (even stick matches). That said, you still want a butane lighter that is a "jet" type, rather than a Bic-type. Jet-type butane lighters mix air with the escaping butane to produce a small, intense blue flame not unlike the larger blue flame you might be familiar with in a propane torch. The jet-type butane lighters are preferable to a Bic-type of flame, because they are hotter and more direct. Bic type lighters have a cooler, wavering flame that is more suited to lighting cigarettes than a cigar.

Butane, jet lighters usually have one, two, or three jets that are good for lighting cigars. Any of them are suitable for lighting cigars, or in the case of the 3-jet models, for sweat soldering copper pipe in your garage. Because all of them burn evenly you can light your cigar evenly without burning partly up the side of your cigar. They're also pretty much wind-proof.

When you light a fresh stick, hold it in one hand, your butane lighter in the other, and heat just the end of your cigar, making circular motions with the flame until the entire head of the cigar is evenly heated and charred. Then, put your cigar in your mouth, and repeat the process with the flame pointed at the end of the cigar while you gently draw and fully ignite the tobacco. Be certain that your lighter's flame adjustment is set low enough so that you don't light your lips, nose, or moustache should the flame momentarily shoot past the end of the cigar. Once you're satisfied that your cigar is burning evenly, remove it from between your lips, inspect the end, and gently blow on the glowing "cherry" to make sure it's lit evenly around the end of the cigar.

Another advantage to a jet-type butane lighter is if your cigar happens to burn unevenly, (it happens), it's very easy to "even it up" with a butane lighter...much easier than with a match or a Bic-type lighter.

Filling your butane lighter: Hold the lighter upside down, and insert the nozzle of the can of butane fuel into the little bitty hole in the bottom of the lighter. Press against the spring in the fill hole of the lighter and hold for about 2-3 seconds. Make sure no gas is "hissing" out around the nozzle while you do this. Repeat this once or twice, and your lighter should be completely filled. The cold butane may prevent your lighter from igniting the first couple of times you try it once it's filled, so let your lighter rest for a few seconds, to warm up again, and it should light just fine.

Trouble shooting your lighter: If your lighter won't light, and you KNOW it's full of fuel, try the following:
- Make sure it's "sparking" when you try to light it.
- Clean the jets with an old tooth brush.
- "Bleed" the fuel that's in the lighter and refill it. Holding the lighter right-side up, press on the spring-loaded fill hole with a small tipped instrument of some kind. Keep pressing until it stops hissing at you.
- Refill your lighter with properly refined butane fuel. No, butane is not just butane. There are different grades. We've found in the shop that Xikar butane has less chance of eventually clogging the jets of your lighter.
- If your lighter still won't light, all is not lost. Depending on your lighter, it MAY have a warranty. Xikar lighters come with an unconditional warranty. Even if you didn't buy it from us, bring your Xikar lighter to us and we'll send it back to the company for you. They WILL fix or replace it.

What Do I Do With My New Cigars and Humidor

So, Christmas has come and gone, and a kindly friend or relative gave you some cigars, or a humidor, or both. What do you do with them now? You're not a regular cigar smoker, so you want to learn how to take the best care of your new acquisitions. Here's a list of do's and don't's that will help:

With your cigars,
"DO"
- keep them in their little wrappers, (if they came wrapped)
- keep them in your new, (or old), humidor
- inspect your cigars occasionally, (make sure the wrappers are intact and they're still humidified)
- share your cigars with friends who show an interest in them, (nothing adds to a cigar like good company to share the smoking experience)
- smoke them yourself, (don't keep them forever, waiting for just the right moment to smoke them. You have 'em, enjoy 'em.)

"DON'T"
- leave your cigars lying around, (they WILL dry out, even on a rainy, humid day)
- store your cigars in the refrigerator, (a refrigerator's job is to suck the moisture OUT of things)
- smoke 1/2 of a cigar, put it down, then come back to it later, (cigars NEVER taste as good after they've been sitting around and are then re-lit)
- share just your crappy cigars with friends, (share the wealth, and let others enjoy what you enjoy.)

With your humidor:

"DO"
- break it in properly, (see a previous blog post about the "Care and Feeding of Your Humidor)
- put it somewhere where you have easy access to your smokes
- check the humidity regularly, (even when you think the ambient humidity is keeping your cigars fresh)
- use humidor fluid, (propylene glycol), distilled water, or proper humidifying gel crystals
- keep your humidor at the proper temperature and humidity--approximately 70 degrees F, and 68%-72% humidity--a little variation either side of these numbers WON'T destroy your stogies)
- check your cigars as well as your humidity, (to be certain your smokes are staying fresh)
- stock some premium, top-shelf sticks in your humidor that you know are always waiting for you

"DON'T"
- leave your humidor open to the air any longer than necessary, (especially in the dry summer months)
- let your humidor get overly warm, cool, dry, or moist, (see above suggestions)
- use tap water, (sediments have a tendency to gum up your humidifying brick over time)
- use anything to humidify your cigars unless you are CERTAIN it's the proper thing to use.

All that said, with a little care and attention, your cigars will remain fresh and smoke-able. It does take a little attention, but like any other hobby or endeavor, practice will make it second nature, and you'll know that you can always go to your humidor and be greeted by fresh cigars.

FRIDAY NIGHTS DOWN AT THE LOUNGE

What are you doing on Friday nights?

Down at the cigar lounge, we're trying to have some sort of event every Friday night. Last Friday we had a barbecue and movie. You missed it? Well, next Friday, when you come to downtown Vacaville for the Creekwalk music series, you should stop in to the cigar lounge and see what's happening.

Maybe it'll be a wine-tasting evening, where you can sample some new wine and a cigar or two. Maybe it'll be a barbecue and a movie again. Maybe it'll be a cigar event, where you can meet a representative of a cigar company and take advantage of great cigar deals. Or, maybe it'll be an evening of meeting other cigar aficionados and enjoying a leisurely time of chatting, trying some new cigars, and end up adding our lounge as one more stop on your regular Friday night itinerary.

Hope to see you here.

What's new at PF Cigars?

What's new at PF Cigars? Rather, that's Piano Fuerte Cigar Lounge. You may have noticed the new signage...window decal and awning. If not, stop by 333 Merchant / Ste. C and check it out. Besides the signs, we're also doing a bit of remodeling on the inside.

The humidor has been reworked, remodeled, and redone, and by the time you read this, it should be finished. And, lurking inside the walls of our remodeled humidor are loads of cigars.

We not only carry our own line of special blends with the Piano Fuerte label, but we have an extensive selection of premium cigars from major manufacturers.

Our ROCKY PATEL event of last Saturday was successful, and we want to thank all of our friends and customers who stopped by to enjoy a cigar, some snacks, and a whole lot of conversation. A pleasant by-product of that event is that overflow of ROCKY PATEL cigars that we have in our cigar humidor...Rocky Patel Vintage 1990, 1992, 1999, Olde World Reserve, Edge, Renaissance.

If you're looking for great cigars and a great place to smoke the, stop by and visit. Nothing's finer than enjoying a cigar with folks who stop by.