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Thoughts on Cigar Dividers???

rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
I have been reading many sites about storing your cigars in such maner that each brand not touch each other, so i did some web searches for dividers I did not want the thick type ones that come with humidor, i found some very thin ones on ebay. here http://cgi.ebay.com/CIGAR-DIVIDERS-5-x-2up-x-7-Inch-Premium-Spanish-Cedar-/150447815492?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2307637b44 would like to hear from some experts on their thoughts of if they are a good idea or not...
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Comments

  • xmacroxmacro Posts: 3,402
    ok, two things:
    1) Those ebay cedar strips are way too expensive - don't bother with them
    2)The reason for using dividers is a bit touchy (pun intended) - you wanna separate out certain cigars, but not others. In general, you don't wanna even put infused cigars in the same humidor as your other cigars due to how strong those infused cigars are. Otherwise, just keep your maduro's away from your Connecticuts, otherwise over the course of months/years, the flavors from the maduro may make their way into the connie's - it's not really a big deal unless you leave it like that for a long time or you have a very refined palate.

    So to answer your question, using dividers is a good idea, but don't stress yourself out over it - your sticks will be fine without them if you can't find any
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    xmacro:
    )The reason for using dividers is a bit touchy (pun intended) - you wanna separate out certain cigars, but not others. In general, you don't wanna even put infused cigars in the same humidor as your other cigars due to how strong those infused cigars are. Otherwise, just keep your maduro's away from your Connecticuts, otherwise over the course of months/years, the flavors from the maduro may make their way into the connie's - it's not really a big deal unless you leave it like that for a long time or you have a very refined palate.
    also... if you leave the cellophane on the cigar this is reduced drastically. cellophane lets moisture through, but not liquids. the oils are not going to evaporate, go through two layers of cello (one on each cigar) then condense on the other cigar.

    ...and those dividers take up too much room. i actually took all of mine out so i could cram in 3 more sticks.
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    Yes but I have read many places that cellophane is mostly good for transport and not for sitting long peorids of time. As far as space the ones I found are wafer thin and do not take up any extra space at lease not enough to make a difference. as far as cost I paid good money for some of my cigars so 10 bucks to protect them is a small price to pay..
  • sightunseensightunseen Posts: 2,130 ✭✭
    There should be no problems with storing your sticks in cello for an extended period of time. As Kuzi mentioned, cellophane is a permeable barrier that will allow moisture to go through. The only disadvantage I see is if you are interested in aging your cigars. The cello will slow the moisture exchange between the cigars and the air, which will slow the aging process. Otherwise, I recommend that you save the money you are going to spend on those dividers and use it to buy more cigars.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    sightunseen:
    There should be no problems with storing your sticks in cello for an extended period of time. As Kuzi mentioned, cellophane is a permeable barrier that will allow moisture to go through. The only disadvantage I see is if you are interested in aging your cigars. The cello will slow the moisture exchange between the cigars and the air, which will slow the aging process. Otherwise, I recommend that you save the money you are going to spend on those dividers and use it to buy more cigars.
    exactly. Cellophane is NOT bad for cigars. and if you dig through your humidor at all the cellophane will protect them. at worst, a cigar will take a bit longer to age (maybe 10% - 20% longer). im not sure where you read that cellophane is bad for cigars, but that was poor information. a simple exercise in logic can show you this:
    if cellophane is so bad for cigars, why do hundreds of world renowned cigar companies put their cigars in cellophane? they have no idea how long they will be sitting on the shelf. it could be years. why take the chance (after all that goes into a cigar) of having it ruined by the packaging?
    if you chose to take the cello off at home because you want to age a bit faster, by all means. thats ligit. if you are taking it off because cello is "bad for cigars" then that is a misinformed decision.
    me? i leave the cello on... even in the aging humidor.

    as far as the dividers go... you are just wasting your time and money and space with dividers. i had a few in my humidor. the dividers i had were small and didnt take up much room either. however, they limit the way you can stack in there. once i took them out i could arrange the cigars in a more efficient manner, and i gained room for 4 more. this may not seem like much, but when you are at the point of having to smoke a cigar or two just to get the lid closed, the extra space is worth it. (IMHO)
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    Well thanks guys for chimming in but as i stated 10 bucks is nothing to me for alittle protection knowing i have the best possable humidity for my sticks as far as not being able to store them I am not sure if you saw the dividers but they alow me to store them in any configuration as they are only as long as the cigar itself.
  • fla-gypsyfla-gypsy Posts: 3,023 ✭✭
    I never worry about cigars touching each other, I have never noticed any down side to doing it.
  • xmacroxmacro Posts: 3,402
    rruffman:
    Well thanks guys for chimming in but as i stated 10 bucks is nothing to me for alittle protection knowing i have the best possable humidity for my sticks as far as not being able to store them I am not sure if you saw the dividers but they alow me to store them in any configuration as they are only as long as the cigar itself.
    When I said they were expensive, I meant the seller is ripping you off - go shop around for a better price.
    Also, these strips aren't gonna do much for your humidity - dividers just aren't thick enough to do much; if you're worried about maintaining humidity, you're better off buying some beads.
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    Ok but i have did many searches for thin profile dividers as i do not want them to take up alot of space and he is the only one that has them. I got them and they were of very good quality spanish cedar. As far as the humidity I have no problems maintaining the 70% I just wanted to keep my cigars from touching each other and i do not like keeping them in the cellophane. But thanks for the look out..
  • mrpillowmrpillow Posts: 464
    You bought them off Ebay and received them within a matter of hours?
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    Bought them about a week ago.. Asked my question after i bought them...
  • docbp87docbp87 Posts: 3,521
    My humidor is organized to a certain degree by what sort of cigars I have. In other words, my PA Broadleaf Maduros are all together, my Connies are all next to each other, etc. Nothing too over the top though.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i guess it all comes down to this:
    i got into cigars to relax.
    worrying about if they are organized perfectly doesnt fit in with this at all.
    i mean, are you gunna separate every cigar from each other? every blend is different. heck, every wrapper is different. unless you only buy 3 blends and smoke all of one before buying another blend...

    iduno... whatever.
    you do what you gotta do to make you happy.
    but i assure you, it doesnt matter.
  • gdsim1gdsim1 Posts: 213
    kuzi16:
    i guess it all comes down to this:
    i got into cigars to relax.
    worrying about if they are organized perfectly doesnt fit in with this at all.
    i mean, are you gunna separate every cigar from each other? every blend is different. heck, every wrapper is different. unless you only buy 3 blends and smoke all of one before buying another blend...

    iduno... whatever.
    you do what you gotta do to make you happy.
    but i assure you, it doesnt matter.
    LOL Translation: Challenge Yoda's wisdom, DO NOT! :-)

  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    Mine is the same way organized but now i do not have to worry where i place them maduros can be next to connies and be protected.. its worth it for me...
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    rruffman:
    Mine is the same way organized but now i do not have to worry where i place them maduros can be next to connies and be protected.. its worth it for me...
    ...this is why i keep the cellophane on.


    but again... whatever. you do what you gotta do.
  • GadwinDuilGadwinDuil Posts: 474
    I do about the same thing as rruffman - but I have a coolidor and I just separate by the different wrappers and keep them in different cigar boxes inside it. Not really a ton thought or stress into it. Just segregating those different colored 'gars from each other :-P
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    You should try taking a look at the dividers i was speaking of i think they are just whats needed without using cellophane...
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    rruffman:
    You should try taking a look at the dividers i was speaking of i think they are just whats needed without using cellophane...
    i just did and that ebay ad is very misleading. lets break it down:
    cigarsaver :
    Why Cigar Divide is important???

    Cigars when they are touching will impart flavor to each other, the distinct oils that cigars have will begin to blend with each other and thus start tasting like each other or even become bitter. Cigar Divide protects each brand of cigars and keeps them from cross mixture of oils.
    this will only happen after YEARS of sitting next to each other. even after a year or two, unless your name is James Suckling, Hendrik Kelner, Alejandro Robaina, or Little Gomez the chances of you being able to pick up notes of other cigars in one particular cigar are slim. i would be surprised if .01% of all people who are involved in the cigar industry would be able to taste "notes of Camacho Triple Maduro" on their Davidoff Thousand Series and only slightly more would be able to tell that the Davidoff would be "off" (after sitting next to each other for one year)

    there is too much fear in keeping cigars from touching. its pointless.
    if its to keep your cigars organized, fine. but dont sit there and believe that your cigars will be ruined if your maduros spend a week next to some sungrown. ...even out of the cellophane. its just not that big of a deal.
    cigarsaver :
    What about keeping them in the original cellophane?? Cellophane protects cigars from losing too much humidity during transport.
    no. it doesnt. if cellophane had humidity protection properties, we would not need a humidor. very often i will get cigars in the mail that have been in the mail for only a day or so but will arrive either over or under humidified... and they have the cellophane on. Cellophane is a porous material designed to keep out liquids but not humidity.
    cigarsaver :
    Within the humidor, however, the plastic foil is rather counter-productive for the preservation of an optimum humidity level.
    it is not plastic at all. cellophane is made from regenerated cellulose from wood, cotton, hemp, or other sources. this makes it permeable to moisture. not to mention that the cellophane is not sealed at the end. the above statement is uninformed at best and at worst is intentionally misleading to get you to buy a product.
    cigarsaver :
    Cigar Divide when used properly will allow the removal of the cellophane and still protect your investment from cross mixture of taste.
    just trying to sell you $1 worth of material for $7 plus $3 shipping.
    "Cigar Divide" is like a TV on a Honeymoon: unnecessary
    im not telling you this because i have something to sell. i dont care if you get it or not. i am not looking for your money, or respect, or anything at all. i have nothing to offer you and you probably have nothing to offer me. i am just trying to give out solid, reasonable, rational advice so you can make informed decisions. i want you to enjoy your cigars, not live in constant fear that they are somehow ruined.

  • sightunseensightunseen Posts: 2,130 ✭✭
    kuzi16:
    rruffman:
    You should try taking a look at the dividers i was speaking of i think they are just whats needed without using cellophane...
    i just did and that ebay ad is very misleading. lets break it down:
    cigarsaver :
    Why Cigar Divide is important???

    Cigars when they are touching will impart flavor to each other, the distinct oils that cigars have will begin to blend with each other and thus start tasting like each other or even become bitter. Cigar Divide protects each brand of cigars and keeps them from cross mixture of oils.
    this will only happen after YEARS of sitting next to each other. even after a year or two, unless your name is James Suckling, Hendrik Kelner, Alejandro Robaina, or Little Gomez the chances of you being able to pick up notes of other cigars in one particular cigar are slim. i would be surprised if .01% of all people who are involved in the cigar industry would be able to taste "notes of Camacho Triple Maduro" on their Davidoff Thousand Series and only slightly more would be able to tell that the Davidoff would be "off" (after sitting next to each other for one year)

    there is too much fear in keeping cigars from touching. its pointless.
    if its to keep your cigars organized, fine. but dont sit there and believe that your cigars will be ruined if your maduros spend a week next to some sungrown. ...even out of the cellophane. its just not that big of a deal.
    cigarsaver :
    What about keeping them in the original cellophane?? Cellophane protects cigars from losing too much humidity during transport.
    no. it doesnt. if cellophane had humidity protection properties, we would not need a humidor. very often i will get cigars in the mail that have been in the mail for only a day or so but will arrive either over or under humidified... and they have the cellophane on. Cellophane is a porous material designed to keep out liquids but not humidity.
    cigarsaver :
    Within the humidor, however, the plastic foil is rather counter-productive for the preservation of an optimum humidity level.
    it is not plastic at all. cellophane is made from regenerated cellulose from wood, cotton, hemp, or other sources. this makes it permeable to moisture. not to mention that the cellophane is not sealed at the end. the above statement is uninformed at best and at worst is intentionally misleading to get you to buy a product.
    cigarsaver :
    Cigar Divide when used properly will allow the removal of the cellophane and still protect your investment from cross mixture of taste.
    just trying to sell you $1 worth of material for $7 plus $3 shipping.
    "Cigar Divide" is like a TV on a Honeymoon: unnecessary
    im not telling you this because i have something to sell. i dont care if you get it or not. i am not looking for your money, or respect, or anything at all. i have nothing to offer you and you probably have nothing to offer me. i am just trying to give out solid, reasonable, rational advice so you can make informed decisions. i want you to enjoy your cigars, not live in constant fear that they are somehow ruined.

    +1.

    To be honest, I am kind of annoyed at the seller for taking advantage of the misconception of cigars "marrying" and for posting wrong information about the properties of cellophane in order to further his sales pitch. He is essentially selling you scrap wood. If anything, you should go down to your local B&M and ask for old cigar boxes, which you can break down and make your own dividers with.
  • xmacroxmacro Posts: 3,402
    +1 to kuzi - he knocked this one outta the park with that great explanation
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    Kuzi16 I respect your opinion but i don’t think they are mis leading this question What about keeping them in the original cellophane?? Cellophane protects cigars from losing too much humidity during transport. It only says they keep it from losing too much humidity during transport not act as a humidor.

    This question within the humidor, however, the plastic foil is rather counter-productive for the preservation of an optimum humidity level.
    It is not plastic at all. Cellophane is made from regenerated cellulose from wood, cotton, hemp, or other sources. This makes it permeable to moisture. Not to mention that the cellophane is not sealed at the end.

    once again they are only saying that the wrapper is "counter-productive" if one is trying to receive "optimum humidity" and i think anyone can easily say that something i.e. a cigar in its wrapper will not receive the exact same humidity as one not in its wrapper. with that said some people who buy 20 and 30 dollar sticks may prefer to insure their cigars are at their "optimum humidity" maybe it’s not necessary and maybe it is i don’t think it has been proven yet as the debate of weather to keep cellophane on or not still stands to this day there is a post on this forum talking about the very same thing and some cigar manufacturers say remove them and some say its ok to leave them on. last thing as far as the cost 7 bucks is nothing for some dividers that will last me years even if they only cost them 1 for the material they were of very good quality Spanish cedar and professionally cut, besides how much cost in material you think a 7 or 10 dollar cigar has??? I don’t think it’s a fear thing for most people i just think they want to get the most out of their cigars as far as taste go.
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    I don't think I saw anywhere in his posting about the properties of cellophane because he used the word " the plastic foil" doesn’t bother me I know what he is talking about and do not care about that he use the word "plastic" it was I who choose to seek thin dividers and not because of his post, and for all others who may have purchased them it was more likely them who choose to buy them for their own reasons not because of his post. Most of the information in his post i have read elsewhere as well so as I stated before I don't think it has been proven and until someone does prove or dis-prove this long debated subject. We should only state our opinions as what we do and stop trying to dis-prove others. Dividers were made for a reason or you would not get them in your humidor...
  • xmacroxmacro Posts: 3,402
    rruffman, there's no such thing as "optimum humidity" - it's just a marketing ploy for people to spend their money on. The truth is that the right humidity levels depends on your preference - anywhere between 65-70% is the general preference, but there are those who prefer dryer or more moist. I don't know how much you spent on these, but IMO, it was a waste; but then again, everyone here has bought something they thought was useful for their cigars, only to find out later it was uselss (when I started out, I bought $50 worth of 50/50 propolene glycol mix/water because I thought the puck was the best way to go - turns out it was a total waste. Just live and learn).

    But getting back to your post - it's your humidor, so you can do what you want with it, but do you really think it's wise to take an ebay seller's word over these forum-goers who have no financial interest in your humidor? I don't wanna overstate this, but a lot of the guys on these boards know more about cigars than your local B&M owner - I wouldn't go brushing off their advice so lightly.

    I'm saying this without any malice or bad intent, so please don't think I mean any disrespect when I say - you're a newbie to cigars, you don't know what you like yet. Your palate is unrefined and there's no chance you'll be able to taste any difference - to say you're "getting the most out of your cigars" isn't accurate when your palate is so young. Remember those names Kuzi dropped? Those are the top blenders, they're all legends in the cigar industry - and even they can't tell the difference between cigars that've been stored together - there's no way you're going to be able to tell the difference.

    So please, don't be so quick to brush off excellent advice when it's offered - the advice on this forum is provided by amateurs (compared to the blenders), but these guys are very passionate about cigars, and know more than most B&M owners do when it comes to their passion.

    Lastly, read the cellophane post again - the ones who keep their cello on do so to protect the cigars from their hands when they root around their humi, not from other cigars or from other cigar oils.
  • sirfoster83sirfoster83 Posts: 783
    gdsim1:
    kuzi16:
    i guess it all comes down to this:
    i got into cigars to relax.
    worrying about if they are organized perfectly doesnt fit in with this at all.
    i mean, are you gunna separate every cigar from each other? every blend is different. heck, every wrapper is different. unless you only buy 3 blends and smoke all of one before buying another blend...

    iduno... whatever.
    you do what you gotta do to make you happy.
    but i assure you, it doesnt matter.
    LOL Translation: Challenge Yoda's wisdom, DO NOT! :-)

    Really starting to buy into this Yoda analogy. Kuzi you are a very wise BOTL, I always enjoy reading your posts. Always seem to learn something.

    Maybe its just me but if I was that worried about it, I would just buy another small humidor and totally segregate the sticks.

    THANKFULLY I really haven't given it much thought. Nor have any plans to.

    I have started storing in cello now due to a previous post. I think its just ensuring the best possible care of the wrapper.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    rruffman:
    Kuzi16 I respect your opinion but i don’t think they are mis leading this question What about keeping them in the original cellophane?? Cellophane protects cigars from losing too much humidity during transport. It only says they keep it from losing too much humidity during transport not act as a humidor.
    cellophane doesnt even do that. it is very porous and is not sealed on the end. there is no way it can hold humidity at all.
    rruffman:
    once again they are only saying that the wrapper is "counter-productive" if one is trying to receive "optimum humidity" and i think anyone can easily say that something i.e. a cigar in its wrapper will not receive the exact same humidity as one not in its wrapper. with that said some people who buy 20 and 30 dollar sticks may prefer to insure their cigars are at their "optimum humidity" maybe it’s not necessary and maybe it is i don’t think it has been proven yet as the debate of weather to keep cellophane on or not still stands to this day there is a post on this forum talking about the very same thing and some cigar manufacturers say remove them and some say its ok to leave them on.
    i have been with this forum from the get go. i have read every cello vs. noncello thread. optimum humidity has never come up. cigars touching from year to year has. marrying has. how cellophane impacts age has. the general thought on the forum at large is that cello is a personal choice. cellophane will not prevent nor promote humidity within a humidor.

    i buy $20 and $30 sticks. and i prefer to keep the cello on so i dont damage the wrapper when i go through the humidor. my cigars are humidified correctly. they smoke nicely. they taste great. taking them out of the cello will let them age faster. it will give them less protection. this is a trade off i have chosen. it will not effect the humidity within the cigar.
    rruffman:
    last thing as far as the cost 7 bucks is nothing for some dividers that will last me years even if they only cost them 1 for the material they were of very good quality Spanish cedar and professionally cut, besides how much cost in material you think a 7 or 10 dollar cigar has???
    considering the hundreds of hands that the cigar passes through, and amount of time spent on the tobacco, the effort put in from seed to sale... id say a good amount of cost. i am amazed that we can get them for $7- $10.
    cost isnt the issue all the time. making a decision that is based in reality, not a sales pitch is a better value.
    rruffman:
    I don’t think it’s a fear thing for most people i just think they want to get the most out of their cigars as far as taste go.
    i agree with that. and this is one area that just makes very little, if any difference especially to anyone but the most refined palates on the planet. I assure you, i am not one of the most refined palates on the planet.
    and if youve started smoking cigars only recently, i can only guess that you are not either.
    believe what you want, but when someone is trying to sell you something, they will tell you just about anything to get you to buy it. this is all i have to say on the matter.

  • gdsim1gdsim1 Posts: 213
    sirfoster83:
    gdsim1:
    kuzi16:
    i guess it all comes down to this:
    i got into cigars to relax.
    worrying about if they are organized perfectly doesnt fit in with this at all.
    i mean, are you gunna separate every cigar from each other? every blend is different. heck, every wrapper is different. unless you only buy 3 blends and smoke all of one before buying another blend...

    iduno... whatever.
    you do what you gotta do to make you happy.
    but i assure you, it doesnt matter.
    LOL Translation: Challenge Yoda's wisdom, DO NOT! :-)

    Really starting to buy into this Yoda analogy. Kuzi you are a very wise BOTL, I always enjoy reading your posts. Always seem to learn something.

    Maybe its just me but if I was that worried about it, I would just buy another small humidor and totally segregate the sticks.

    THANKFULLY I really haven't given it much thought. Nor have any plans to.

    I have started storing in cello now due to a previous post. I think its just ensuring the best possible care of the wrapper.
    When YODA needs cigar knowledge, seek KUZI he does! :-)
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    Hey Kuzi16

    my comments are not to knock you or your knowledge of cigars the point i am trying to make is ones experence of a cigar might not be the same as the next persons as no one is the same and all have very different thought patterns what one thinks is what one experiences and often what one could possible taste. I can give you a perfect example 2 people drink the same bottle of beer one drinks it from the bottle and one drinks it from a glass both will say that it taste better from their drinking source this is all because of what they believe and what their brain tells them, both could be right based on what is the best for them and if one should decide to pay for that peace of mind then so be it...
  • mrpillowmrpillow Posts: 464
    Taste is a matter of opinion. The physical composition and properties of cellophane are science ;)
  • rruffmanrruffman Posts: 16
    mrpillow:
    Taste is a matter of opinion. The physical composition and properties of cellophane are science ;)
    My comment are related as one will say there is no difference in taste with or without cellophane and one will say taste is better without cellophane and i don't think one has to have some special pallet to taste the difference because it’s all about what one believes.
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