We know, we know. Most cigar blogs have an etiquette or cigar 101 section. For that reason, we initially planned not to tackle etiquette subjects on The Cigar Life, but we get asked some of these questions regularly, so we felt it was time to address some of them. On these cigar etiquette topics, we appreciate and encourage other points of view from all Cigar Lifers. So lets get started.

One of the questions we get asked a lot is whether you should remove the band when smoking the cigar. There are a few theories about the evolution of the cigar band. They were originally put on cigars for identification and as a place to hold the cigar so the natural oils from your hands would not damage the cigar when handling. Of course, the manufacturer of the cigar would love for you to keep the band on and proudly boast the brand you are smoking, but whether you keep it on or remove it comes down to personal preference. Do whatever enhances your own cigar experience.

There are lots of cool bands out there, but over the past few years they seem to keep getting bigger and bigger and take up more real estate on your cigar, giving you less to actually smoke. If I’m enjoying a cigar, which I usually am, there is still a lot of cigar to smoke when I get to the band. And when I spend my hard earned money on a premium cigar, I want to get the most out of it, so I remove the bands.

If you’re like me and want to remove the band, I advise never to do it before you light up your cigar. When the band was put on the cigar, the glue used to adhere it may have gotten on the cigar.  Thus, removing the band before lighting could damage the wrapper and ruin your smoking experience. No one wants that. Instead, light your cigar and enjoy it for a little while. The simple act of smoking your cigar will warm the glue, making it easier to remove the band later. If you smoke your cigar for a bit, the band should just peel off without much resistance.

Recently, it’s been trendy for manufactures to put a band around the foot of the cigar, like on Omar Ortez Original cigars, instead of or in addition to a band around the body. A band at the foot should easily slide off the end of the cigar but if it does not, remove it carefully. At least if you damage the wrapper at the foot of the cigar, that part will be smoked soon enough so there is less of a chance that it will ruin your cigar smoking experience.

That’s all for now. Happy smoking!