| The cigar has a lot of history, a lot of | | | | expedited, circumstances. For some women, |
| trivia, and a lot of interesting facts. | | | | diamonds are forever, but for others, |
| However, it's often easy to become so | | | | infinity belongs to the cigar band. |
| consumed with actually smoking the cigar, the | | | | |
| luxury of its aroma, its flavor, its essence, | | | | Cigar Sayings |
| to remember any of the legends and tales | | | | |
| cigars light a match under. But, to miss out | | | | One of the most popular sayings, Close by no |
| on these is to miss out on a lot of the | | | | cigar, is a euphemism for getting near |
| cigar's culture, miss out on its | | | | success, only to have it evade you at the |
| extravagance, and destroy its past. So take a | | | | last moment. Though no one is 100 percent |
| moment every now and again to enjoy some | | | | positive as to the origin of this saying, |
| cigar tidbits...before they go up in smoke. | | | | it's highly speculated that it came from old |
| | | | carnival games and old slot machines. When |
| The First Connoisseurs | | | | first invented, the carnival games wouldn't |
| | | | pay out with plush toys stuffed with |
| While Christopher Columbus, in addition to | | | | Styrofoam and the slot machines wouldn't pay |
| being credited with the discovery of America, | | | | out with hard cash. Instead, the winners |
| is generally allowed to get away with writing | | | | would receive cigars, leaving the loser to, |
| "cigar inventor" on his resume, he wasn't | | | | of course, only take solace in the fact that |
| actually the first person to come up with the | | | | they were close. |
| concept of smoking tobacco. According to | | | | |
| archeological discovery, the inhabitants of | | | | The Zippo Lighter |
| the Caribbean Islands and Mesoamerica smoked | | | | |
| cigars at least as far back as 900 A.D. This | | | | A lighter known for speed, perhaps marketed |
| discovery was made when researchers | | | | to the cigar smoker on the go, the Zippo |
| discovered a ceramic vessel at a Mayan ruin | | | | lighter was invented in 1932 in Bradford, |
| in Guatemala that was decorated with a | | | | Pennsylvania by a man named George G. |
| painting of a cigar-smoking man. This man, | | | | Blaisdell. It was invented not only to light |
| likely diseased, was not available for | | | | a cigar at a more rapid rate, but to provide |
| comment. | | | | cigar smokers with a portable convenience - |
| | | | something that could fit in a pocket, a |
| The Invention of the Cigar Band | | | | briefcase, or a golf bag. It is rumored to |
| | | | have been named "The Zippo" because Blaisdell |
| To the non-smoker, the cigar band may sound | | | | liked how the word "zipper" sounded. |
| like a group of musicians who get together in | | | | |
| a smoky basement, belting out songs about | | | | From Henry Clay to JFK |
| tobacco and singing "The Blues" over the | | | | |
| Cuban Trade Embargo. However, to the cigar | | | | The brand Henry Clay is named for the 19th |
| smoker, the cigar band is an elemental part | | | | century senator from Kentucky. He was known |
| of the cigar, full of color and history. | | | | as an illustrious leader, a statesman and |
| | | | orator who often eased disagreements among |
| The cigar band, or cigar ring, is a circular | | | | fellow leaders. Henry Clay, like the cigars |
| piece of paper that's wrapped around the head | | | | named for him, was renowned with the ability |
| of most cigars. In legend, it's said to have | | | | to evoke a sense of calmness, leading those |
| been invented by either Spanish Nobles or | | | | into the room into a compromised agreement. |
| Catherine the Great, the women who reigned as | | | | In 1957, JFK, a cigar lover himself, named |
| Empress of Russia in the late 1700's and | | | | Henry Clay as one of the top five US Senators |
| early 1800's. The reason for the invention, | | | | in the history of America. |
| as the legend attests, was because these | | | | |
| nobles, fond of cigars, were not fond of the | | | | The Smoking Jacket: Smoking Hot Fashion |
| stains cigars left on their gloves. Thus, | | | | |
| they invented a band where they could place | | | | The smoking jacket, nowadays, is rarely worn, |
| their fingers, keeping them stain free while | | | | with one occasionally popping up in portraits |
| smoking. | | | | hanging above fireplace mantels. But, during |
| | | | Victorian Times, smoking jackets were all the |
| However, other legends state that the | | | | rage. Because people believed that women had |
| invention of the cigar band was the genius of | | | | tender nostrils, and would thus be sensitive |
| Gustave Bock, a Dutch advertising guru. His | | | | to the aroma of tobacco, men often donned a |
| reasoning for the invention was simply to | | | | smoking jacket before lighting up a cigar. |
| help keep the cigar together, binding the | | | | While it initially was worn to appease women, |
| wrapper to the filler in a more cohesive | | | | smoking jackets, made of expensive material, |
| manner. | | | | eventually became a sign of status. |
| | | | |
| Whether invented by European nobility or as a | | | | Cigar tidbits are a dime a dozen; there are |
| promotional tool, the cigar band carries with | | | | enough out there to fill the world's largest |
| it a lot of lore. To start, most cigar bands | | | | ashtray. From lore to factual information, |
| are printed with the name of the brand, the | | | | cigars have been a part of the world for |
| country from which it came, and an indication | | | | longer than most other things: if they could |
| as to whether or not it was hand-rolled. In | | | | talk, they'd probably never shut up, engaging |
| addition, the cigar band is said to have been | | | | smokers with stories and tales. When it comes |
| used in many wedding ceremonies of yore, when | | | | down to it, the cigar is simply |
| the groom could either not afford a wedding | | | | multi-talented; it's rich with the lives of |
| band, misplaced it, or asked for a woman's | | | | the puffers of yore, and enriching the lives |
| hand in marriage under spontaneous, and | | | | of the modern-day smoker. |