Cigars have been around for more than 600 years. The Cuban Taíno people were puffing on long cylindrical packages of tobacco long before European colonizers snuffed out the smoke sesh. In the intervening years, tobacco would become a global obsession, giving rise to dedicated artisans, thriving cottage industries and die-hard cigar bloggers.
Why do we bring up the history of cigars? Because it reminds us of how deeply ingrained we are in the cigar-smoking culture. People have had hundreds of years to consider questions like the one we pose in this article’s title. Countless aficionados have argued about the best way to do this or the proper way to do that. And they’ve handed that wisdom down through the generations—for better or worse.
Some of the cigar dogma is perfectly sensible. For centuries, cigar lovers have aged and stored sticks in solid wood humidors—the melding aroma of tobacco and Spanish cedar is alive and well today. Other tenets, like how to hold a cigar or how not to hold a cigar, might sound trivial to modern cigar smokers.
Still, that’s our topic of conversation in the article. To be clear, we’re like Switzerland in this debate: neutral but interested. We celebrate the fundamental right, shared by all cigar lovers, to do things your way. But we also understand the relative merits of holding cigars in certain ways.
Below, you’ll learn a few commonly accepted techniques for holding a cigar.
The Minimalist Method: The Pinch
The pinch is precisely how it sounds. The cigar smoker holds a cigar propped neatly between the thumb and index finger. Call it the minimalist’s way of holding a cigar.
For this technique to work properly, you have to hone in on the right spot. Because there are only two points of contact with the cigar (a thumb underneath, a finger up top), finding the center of gravity is vital. Otherwise, the cigar will droop. Naturally, this center of gravity changes as the cigar burns and becomes shorter. So, the minimalist pinch method requires the user to recalculate every once in a while.
The only other thing to remember—and consider this blanket advice for all subsequent methods—is to pinch lightly. That cigar was handmade, so it’s best to treat it with a delicate touch. For an example of the pinch in action, check out this video of noted cigar lover George Burns as he puffs away during a Johnny Carson interview.
The Power Stance: The Pen
Imagine you’re holding a pen—something increasingly rare in the age of digital communication. Your forefinger and thumb form an O-shape around the cylinder as the fore part of the pen rests on your middle finger. (Or at least, that’s how we hold pens.)
Now, swap the pen for a nice Corona or Churchill. Done right, this is a powerful way to grip a cigar. We can’t entirely put our finger on it, but something about “the pen” conveys strength. It’s practically perfect for leaning back in a leathery chair and contemplating the fate of the world.
To elevate your power stance as you smoke, peruse our article on how to light a cigar. If you can pull off “the pen” and light correctly, you’ll look like you’ve been doing this for decades.
The Supportive Grip: The Flute
Now imagine holding a different object this time—a flute. You prop the bottom with your thumb as your other fingers (pinky optional) maneuver the tone holes on top. This is roughly what “the flute” looks like (a term we just invented but believe aptly describes the technique).
The Controversial Hold: The Scissor
The most common way to hold a cigarette is perched between the middle and index finger, as though you’re making a scissor with your fingers. Perhaps cigar smokers want to distance themselves from cigarette smokers, because this is a controversial technique.
Some cigar enthusiasts consider it bad form. Meanwhile, you’ll find ample examples of noted cigar lovers using the technique, as evidenced by this Cigar World article on celebrity cigar smokers (Sylvester Stallone, in particular, makes the technique look cool). Our opinion: give it a try and see if you like it.
The scissor hold should not be confused with actual cigar scissors, a popular type of cutter. However, if you’re interested in cutting, we can direct you to Boveda’s authoritative resource on how to cut a cigar properly.
Is It Ok to Hold a Hold a Cigar in Your Mouth?
Yes. To add to their enjoyment, nearly every cigar maker or roller will hold a stick in their mouth and chew on the head of their cigar. Try it, you might like it. (When in Estelí, El Paso or Elmira, do as other cigar smokers do.) Sometimes you’ll have to hold a cigar in your mouth—as you pour a drink or zip up your travel cigar case—which is also perfectly acceptable.
Again, you do you. Just remember, keep your purchases healthy and hydrated with Boveda’s cigar humidifier packs—no one wants to hold a spongy or dried out cigar—and follow the best practices for cutting and lighting.
In conclusion, you have several options for gripping your cigar. Do they change what cigars taste like? No. Do they help you balance the cigar effectively, convey certain attitudes and treat the product with respect? Yes. Most people will cycle through all of the methods above, but some cigar smokers pick a technique and run with it.
As with anything, try them out, see what you like and choose what feels most comfortable. This is cigar smoking, after all—not tea with the royals.
