I have seen it mentioned is several articles but am not sure of the purpose.

You do this before you cut the head so the wrapper as less chances of being damaged in an unpractical way.

quote:

You do this before you cut the head so the wrapper as less chances of being damaged in an unpractical way.

I have never wet the head of a cigar before cutting and you should only have to worry about marring the cigar if your cutting with a dull cutter or butter knife, in which case, wet or dry your going to ruin the head of the cigar.

Matter of fact I am not sure that moistening the head of the cigar wouldn't make the wrapper more likely to stretch or tear because its more elastic when wet.

I agree with DCSmoker. In all the years I have been smoking I have never wet the head of a cigar before cutting because I would be concerned that the cap would slip.

Use a very sharp cutter that puts pressure on two sides of the cap (Like a Xikar, Palio or cigar scissors) at the same time and you will not have splitting of the cap or unraveling of the wrapper leaf.

I have a Xikar and I still wet the head a little. I don't slobber on it, just slightly humect it. I just see this as extra insurance for the "cut".

I know it's mostly useless -- except, perhaps, for older cigars -- but I do it anyway.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter since I'm gonna put the thing in my mouth to smoke it...

I've cut them wet and dry..i think there are some cigars were you should wet it a bit..like the Tatuaje brown line..the wrapper on these are very thin and i have had it unravel from a dry cut...just my 2 cents...

I always slightly wet it before cutting. Ages ago somebody advised me that after I did a bad cut and since then it's a habit. It has become so instinctive that most of the times I don't remember why I do that. Don't know whether I am more experienced now or it really helps, but now I almost never get unraveling wrapper.

lol - quick story

A guy, who used to be my largest client, was a big time moocher of free golf & cigars. He would bum a cigar on the course, and ALWAYS slobber on the tip. Then, using MY cutter, he would cut away, through slobber & all. My COO and I noticed this and soon I had TWO cutters in my bag, one cheapo that was the slobber cutter and one nice double blade the rest of us used. I just had to be sure to hand him a cigar and HIS cutter at the same time, so he didn't dig through my bag and pull out the clean one.

The moral to the story - no need to wet the tip (of a cigar). The only purpose it serves is to pass a cold or two around.

Wetting is effective with a punch. I wet--and I don't slobber--and I get a good punch.

So, you've got to lick it before you snip it?

That's what that song was about.

jag

Used to be a "hot" cigar bar in town with Hooter's style cigar girls running around. They would make a big deal of simulating a certain sex act to wet the end of the cigar before cutting it for you. Other than that, I have never wet a cigar, and seldom had a problem. Did buy a lot of cigars there though.

quote:

Originally posted by jagmqt:
So, you've got to lick it before you snip it?

That's what that song was about.

jag

I was waiting for someone to go there...lol

Great song...great saying

Mat

quote:

Originally posted by Thepaw60:
Used to be a "hot" cigar bar in town with Hooter's style cigar girls running around. They would make a big deal of simulating a certain sex act to wet the end of the cigar before cutting it for you. Other than that, I have never wet a cigar, and seldom had a problem. Did buy a lot of cigars there though.

Wait Wait...back up the train. The girls would lick the end, then cut it, then hand it to you knowing that you intend on smoking it? I don't know about that...

Mat

Must... visit.. this...magical place.

quote:

Wait Wait...back up the train. The girls would lick the end, then cut it, then hand it to you knowing that you intend on smoking it? I don't know about that...

Yeah I know. What can I say, I was younger then. And it was cheaper than a lap dance and you still got a decent cigar.

if the cigar's cap is dry, then wetting it with some saliva will help it not unwravel...

I'm not talking about drooling all over teh cap.. just slightly wetting the wrapper's cap...

I've heard it recommended for aged cigars.

I guess it debrittlelizes the cap.

So I do it with aged smokes.
I don't make it soggy with saliva. I just wet it for less than a second.

quote:

Originally posted by matty0h_52:

quote:

Originally posted by Thepaw60:
Used to be a "hot" cigar bar in town with Hooter's style cigar girls running around. They would make a big deal of simulating a certain sex act to wet the end of the cigar before cutting it for you. Other than that, I have never wet a cigar, and seldom had a problem. Did buy a lot of cigars there though.

Wait Wait...back up the train. The girls would lick the end, then cut it, then hand it to you knowing that you intend on smoking it? I don't know about that...

Mat

Note to Self:
Never smoke a cigar that some hose bag has performed fellatio on. Buy two and smoke one while watching her perform.

quote:

Originally posted by salibas007:
if the cigar's cap is dry, then wetting it with some saliva will help it not unwravel...

I'm not talking about drooling all over teh cap.. just slightly wetting the wrapper's cap...

quote:

Originally posted by flashman:
I have a Xikar and I still wet the head a little. I don't slobber on it, just slightly humect it. I just see this as extra insurance for the "cut".

I know it's mostly useless -- except, perhaps, for older cigars -- but I do it anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by QM:
I've heard it recommended for aged cigars.

I guess it debrittlelizes the cap.

So I do it with aged smokes.
I don't make it soggy with saliva. I just wet it for less than a second.

I see the Montrealers of this board are a bunch of cigar wetters...