Just like any hobby you could get into, cigars come with a fair amount of accessories. You can customize your hobby as much as you want to and in just about any direction you want to. In past posts I’ve talked about the various types of lighters and lighting implements you can use to light a cigar properly, the various kinds of cutters available, and even travel accessories. But what if you’re a minimalist and the thought of having a hobby that requires the acquisition of stuff for the sake of stuff just doesn’t appeal to you?
I spent many years being poor. Cigars were an occasional luxury which were either gifted to me or purchased for a special occasion. To be sure, I wasn’t out there buying every brand new cigar accessory that came down the line. I did occasionally spend money on a decent cutter or inexpensive micro torch, but I put a lot of thought into whether I really needed it before I bought it. During this time I figured out there’s a lot of stuff that may be nice to have but it’s just not completely necessary if you don’t want it.
Cutters
Before the last cigar boom in the 1990s I would occasionally see my dad bite the end off of a cigar before lighting it. I have friends who just chew on the end without biting it off before lighting it. Cutting is certainly very common these days, but when you get down to it I’m not sure it’s so much necessary as it is a modern necessity – they sure didn’t have cigar cutters on the frontier. That said, even if you don’t want to purchase a five dollar cigar cutter most shops will have a tabletop cutter available for use when you make a purchase. If you are only going to buy what you will smoke in the next day or so, cutting while you are still in the shop is completely fine.
Lighters
You can get a decent micro torch for around ten bucks, but it’s not completely necessary. Again, if you’re going to purchase a cigar at a shop and smoke it there they will typically have a lighter you can borrow while you are in the store. Many places will also have wooden matches available very inexpensively, or they may even have freebies from manufacturers. If you’re going to buy and smoke one cigar at a time you may not need to invest in all the accessories if keeping track of extra stuff is not your thing.
Other Accessories
Humidors and ash trays and other accessories are nice to have, but again if you’re not going to be buying more than you’re smoking they aren’t completely necessary. I’ve gotten by without a travel humidor for years by just putting my cigars in a zip top bag with a water pillow or Boveda pack. It’s also nice to have a humidor at home for any extras you accumulate (which you will – sisters and brothers of the leaf love to share cigars with each other) but you can generally buy a 25-30 capacity humidor under $50, or you can keep them in a Tupperware container. As for ash trays? Empty cans, flower pots, and stoneware bowls tend to work just fine in a pinch.
Accessories Are Nice To Have But Not Necessary
The only really important thing is that you choose a great cigar – there’s no reason to smoke anything but your favorite. It’s always nice to pick up that Big Lebowski “The Dude” cigar cutter or the fancy new lighter that you know no one else will have. You can still be a minimalist if you only have one perfect cutter and one perfect lighter for you- Prometheus also makes great cutter/lighter combos if you really want to condense it down to one thing. But if you just want to enjoy a cigar once in a while without accumulating more stuff, go forth and be minimalist with my blessing.
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