"What this country needs is a good ten cent cigar" -- Samuel Clemens
I've never been one to follow trends, and though the cigar boom of the 1990's has been long gone, I've taken up the pastime of cigar smoking. Though I quit cigarettes cold turkey (after two accupuncture treatments) at age 28 after some 10 years of smoking, there's something about a good cigar that's very enjoyable. Far less detrimental than cigarettes, cigars actually have proven to be therapeudic, and when consumed at a rate of three per day or under, statistically pose no greater health risk than someone who doesn't smoke at all.
I find smoking when done 'socially', which is to say as something planned, rather than habitual is for me a great relaxant, above and beyond the enjoyment of the time itself. But there's more to cigars than meets the eye, and one shouldn't mistake a White Owl for a Cuaba.
A humidor is typically a wooden box designed to maintain a stable relative humidity to ensure cigars age properly and are at the right moisture level for smoking. Though you could just as easily keep cigars in a tupperware container (known in the parlance as a 'tupperdor'), there's something about a finely crafted box with the appearance of good furniture that adds something to the smoking experience.
What To Look For
Preferred construction for a humidor is a double-wall design, the outer shell being an aesthetically pleasing hardwood or veneer of some sort, the inner wall made from either a wood (often mahogany) or other inert lining like copper, tin or glass. Spanish Cedar (not to be confused with other types of cedars) is also popular for the aromatic benefits it imparts in the cigars, assistance in buffering for humidity (since it absorbs moisture) and an alleged benefit in containing beetle infestations. Joinery of the box should be at least a locking miter of some sort to resist the enormous pressures that are placed on wood from expansion and contraction during humidity changes. Internal space is recommended to have dividers and/or trays to help with arrangement and locating of cigars. Quadrant hinges are preferred for both reliability and rigidity.
Lastly, a humidor should be pleasing to the eye. Like furniture, it should be something that can be passed down from generation to generation. I rather liked the design of this Reed & Barton unit, but given my preference for more contemporary styling, I couldn't fathom for the life of me why a designer would put Colonial style hasps on a box advertised by Reed and Barton as a "contemporary" design:
Tinkering
Not being one to leave well enough alone, I set myself to beginning the work of changing out the handles. Luckily enough, the cedar panels were not glued, so it was a simple matter of sliding them out to expose the screws holding the hasps. My luck being what it is, however, after removing the hasps, there were indentations from the hardware.
*sigh* It's always somethin', ain't it? Undaunted, I took myself to Home Depot and found a set of handles that seemed to reflect the shape and style of the overall presentation and also bought plates to match:
The final view, from the inside:
Brebbia Humidor, Bubinga veneer (shown here with a 'bomb')
