| ette smokers usually puff away during breaks at | | | | routine, served as the unofficial face of cigar |
| work, drives to the grocery store, or yard work at | | | | smokers. While that face has become much more |
| home. Whereas cigarette smoking is typically a | | | | diverse in recent times, the essence of cigar smoking |
| pastime, cigar smoking is a culture. People usually | | | | has remained unchanged. Cigars are often linked to |
| smoke cigars during special occasions, whether it is to | | | | celebrations of good luck and little triumphs. While |
| celebrate a first child, seal a business deal, or enjoy a | | | | they have historically been considered as a rich |
| night of poker with one's buddies. Further proof of | | | | person's pastime, cigars have increasingly become |
| how firmly entrenched cigar smoking is in the | | | | more common in modern culture. Also, you have |
| American culture is the fact that Red Auerbach | | | | probably heard of the phrase, "close, but no cigar." |
| lighted a ceremonial cigar after his Boston Celtics won | | | | Do you know where this expression comes from? |
| yet another basketball championship. Then, there's | | | | The origin of the saying is the practice of saving a |
| the wide circulation of cigar magazines like "Cigar | | | | cigar as a good luck charm, in hopes of winning a bet |
| Aficionado" in newsstands. These periodicals include | | | | made. |
| features such as cigar ratings, international | | | | Cigar Characters |
| tobacconists, and cigar-friendly restaurants. | | | | Other cigar legends involve people rather than |
| Considering how popular cigar smoking is, it is, thus, | | | | activities. For example, English King Edward VII loved |
| only fitting to pay homage to cigar cutters in much | | | | smoking cigars despite opposition from his mother. |
| the same way tobacco aficionados pay their | | | | One story reveals that after his mother passed |
| respects to the almighty Cuban. After all, cigar | | | | away, King Edward regally announced to his male |
| smoking begins with a cigar cutter's snip of the | | | | guests, "Gentleman, you may smoke." It should be |
| tobacco product. | | | | noted that they probably used knives rather than |
| Cigar Hall of Fame | | | | cigar cutters. In King Edward's honor, an American |
| One reason cigar smoking has become more popular | | | | brand of cigars was named after him. |
| than ever could be the possibility that compared to | | | | Another cigar legend is shown in the American sitcom |
| cigarette smoking, cigar smoking is less dangerous to | | | | show "Seinfeld." A character, Kramer, is frequently |
| one's health. The reason is that when one smokes | | | | shown smoking a cigar. In the 1992 movie "Scent of |
| cigar, one does not inhale its smoke. Perhaps this | | | | a Woman," Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade orders his |
| explains how comedian George Burns, a lifetime cigar | | | | assistant to purchase a particular brand of cigars, |
| smoker, reached the ripe old age of 100 years! Other | | | | which he knows will be hard as nails to find. |
| famous personalities who have become icons due in | | | | Making the Cut |
| part to their cigar smoking include: | | | | The variety of cigar cutters available creates a |
| * Larger-than-life British leader Winston Churchill, after | | | | legend of its own. Cigar cutters vary in size and color, |
| whom a cigar size was named. | | | | ranging from portable to desktop, and from red to |
| * Austrian Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, who often | | | | blue. Other cutters have multiple functions, and are |
| smoked during sessions with his patients. | | | | paired with other tools such as key rings, portable |
| * American author Mark Twain, who claimed that he | | | | knife sets, or money clips. When choosing cigar |
| smoked whenever he was awake. | | | | cutters, it is wise to first consider your needs. |
| * Comedy actor Groucho Marx, who often smoked a | | | | In many respects, cigars have become as common in |
| short, thick cigar. | | | | modern culture as the Internet and reality TV. |
| Cigars Have a Past (And a Future) | | | | Choosing the right cigar cutters further adds to the |
| Comedian George Burns, who used cigars to time his | | | | style and experience of cigar smoking. |