[AF MAN]

How many of you guys clear a plugged stogie by poking it...I do,but I've known some guys who have thrown away premium smokes because they were hard to draw,and they couldn't massage the tight spot out.S%$t I poke the center of the offending Puro with a Stanless Steel rod to improve the draw,why throw away a cigar that costs as much as a 12 pack,or more...hell that's my take on it.What's ya'lls?

 

[smokemifyagotem]

Funny - Ive been going thru this problem recently w/ a batch of smokes. I find that its kind of a trade off when poking them - the draw improves, but the flavor is always a little off from the start. Then they burn hot and usually have to be ditched early.
I guess its better than no smoke at all though...

 

[roadie]

Same here, I recently purchased a box of La Vieja Habana The Early Years and every one so far has been an extremely tight draw.

Funny - Ive been going thru this problem recently w/ a batch of smokes. I find that its kind of a trade off when poking them - the draw improves, but the flavor is always a little off from the start. Then they burn hot and usually have to be ditched early.
I guess its better than no smoke at all though...

 

[CigarHoss]

Perhaps I'm not using the right kind of poker, but I've never had any luck trying to clear a tight smoke.

What I have tried doing is cutting the cigar in half with a double guillotine cutter. Every now and again the plug is isolated to one half or the other and I can smoke the other half without a problem. If that doesn't work...I toss it. My jaws just aren't cut out for that kind of puffing.

CH

 

[dvickery]

the habano gods must smile on me...i have had exactly one plugged cigar ever...have smoked thousands.mind you i always let them sit for at least a year before i try a new box.

derrek

 

[Bruce5]

Plugged cigars - I do any of these three things.
1) Poke 'em if you got 'em.
2) Cut 'em - Usually the plug is closest to the cap, I have cut 1-2 inches
off the top if needed.
3) Chuck 'em and grab a new one, life is too short.

 

[sleepyjim]

I bought a "Drawpoker" from Thompsons and I use it on every smoke, works perfect, I love it.

About 20 bucks or so.


Jim

 

[TheBeast]

I'd hate to jinx myself, but I rarely get a plugged cigar. The few times that I have...I figured I might as well toss it....I have too many perfectly good cigars to be wasting my time and energy on a bad one.JMO

 

[sleepyjim]

Oh dam bow you did it!


Jim

 

[AF MAN]

Funny - Ive been going thru this problem recently w/ a batch of smokes. I find that its kind of a trade off when poking them - the draw improves, but the flavor is always a little off from the start. Then they burn hot and usually have to be ditched early.
I guess its better than no smoke at all though...

I agree the flavor is off a bit,but settles in some,and to solve the tendency for the stick to heat up I just slow down and not hit on it so often.My overly thrifty upbringing makes it hard for me to spend damn good money on a cigar,and throw it away when it can be made to be almost as enjoyable as one that was rolled perfectly,or had no plug.Hell after several glasses of bourbon...your right smokemifyagotem it's better than no smoke at all

 

[hijack]

I've only had one plug on me: it was a stale Punch from the supermarket. Humidor door was open, bad sign.

But, would a piece of a wire clothes hanger work? I think I fall into the 'dammit I'm going to smoke you!' camp (with nicer sticks. )

 

[kamikaiguy]

I bought a 2 pack poker from my local shop. It has a thin and a thicker poker in the kit. I noticed the thicker poker sometimes splits the cigars. Some time it draw to hot and the taste is a little off. Sometime it works ok, but that is the exception.

Now what i have learned is to try the thinner poker first. Usually that works. It alos leaves very little cosequences as well.

 

[Andyman]

I have been plauged with plugged or tight draws this year.. I got so used to it that I almost killed myself on a padron 3000.. I had never seen so much smoke in my life! The other night my nephew came over and I pulled out a couple Leon Jimines robustos' Mine was totally plugged.. He had the best cigar of his life.. He thought it was better than the Montecristo he had had..

 

[AF MAN]

I've only had one plug on me: it was a stale Punch from the supermarket. Humidor door was open, bad sign.

But, would a piece of a wire clothes hanger work? I think I fall into the 'dammit I'm going to smoke you!' camp (with nicer sticks. )

I tried a wire clothes hanger cut to about 7" in length quite sometime ago,but it had a tendancy to flex too much,and would try to come out the side of the cigar,so I thought about it a bit,and decided to try Stainles Steel rod that was as close to the dia.of the clothes hanger as I could find(I don't know what gauge that would be)...my bud had some rod layin around. I found some that was damn close,and cut a 8" piece...it works better than the hanger,but you better be lined up just right or you can ruin the stick anyway...I've been considering buying one of those drawpokers,as they do a better job of keeping the rod in the center of the smoke.I know there are purists,and elitists out there who laugh at the thought of "ruining" a cigar by poking it,but I'm just a "Longhaired Texas *******" who loves his cigars!So to poke,or not to poke...I guess it's all about whether you're willing to put up with a slightly altered smoking experience,or throw $10,$15,or more In the damn trash!
OK I'll get off my :sb now

 

[hijack]

Eh, maybe I'll try coat hanger, but it doesn't sound like too good of an idea.

Instead I'll just give thanks to the Little Man in the Cigar that gives me wonderful smoke and easy draws..

(that used to be a ritual from waterpipe days. hmmm. His name was 'Perochi', he lived in the waterpipe and gave you nice smoke. It was a nice mellow ritual. I think something like that might be needed for stogies..)