An independent look at cigars, gear and the culture around them.https://www.cutandsmoke.com/en-UShttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/gifts-for-cigar-lovers/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/gifts-for-cigar-lovers/A holiday gift guide for anyone shopping for someone who enjoys cigars, with cutters, lighters, ashtrays, starter sets and cigar samplers by budget, and what to check before you order.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTgearhttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/understanding-humidor-humidity/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/understanding-humidor-humidity/What relative humidity measures, why published targets differ, and what too wet, too dry and too warm can do to stored cigars.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTstoragehumidityhttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/how-to-choose-your-first-cigar/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/how-to-choose-your-first-cigar/What the guides say about strength, size and wrapper for a first cigar, where they disagree, what a sampler is for, and what to look for before you buy.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTcigarsbasicshttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/cigar-pairings-coffee-spirits-glass/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/cigar-pairings-coffee-spirits-glass/What published guides say about matching body, flavor and contrast with coffee and spirits, what research shows on glass shape and aroma, and where taste takes over.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTpairingscoffeespiritsglasswarehttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/cutting-and-lighting-a-cigar/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/cutting-and-lighting-a-cigar/How cigar cutters and lighting tools work, the trade-offs the sources name for each, and where those sources disagree about what is easy, what is hot and what changes the taste.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTgearcutterslightershttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/understanding-your-hygrometer/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/understanding-your-hygrometer/How analog and digital hygrometers work, why temperature and placement change the reading, and what a salt test can and cannot tell you.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTstoragehumidityhttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/how-to-season-a-new-humidor/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/how-to-season-a-new-humidor/Why a new humidor needs seasoning, how the pack and sponge methods compare, why sources disagree on wiping the wood and what the hygrometer should read, and what to do before you add cigars.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTstoragehumidorshttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/choosing-your-first-humidor/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/choosing-your-first-humidor/How to size a first humidor, why the capacity on the label is only a rough claim, how to check a seal, and what to look for in the lining and the box.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTstoragehumidorshttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/small-desktop-humidors-compared/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/small-desktop-humidors-compared/A side-by-side look at ten small desktop humidors using the sellers’ own listings, with what each label says it holds, how big it is and what’s included.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTstoragehumidorshttps://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/cigar-shapes-glossary/https://www.cutandsmoke.com/journal/cigar-shapes-glossary/What parejo and figurado mean, how length and ring gauge are measured, what common size names usually refer to, and why a name alone does not fix a size.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTcigarsbasics