Silly Question On Tight Draw

[hedgeybaby]

Last night I bought a Vegas Robaina Familiares from 1999. The draw was too tight for my liking. Silly question, but is there anything to look out for when you buy the stick that would indicate a tighter draw. I always feel that I am overstepping the boundaries when I pick up cigars in the shop.

 

[rhcolbert]

Not an overstep at all. You don't have to gorilla squeeze the thing to tell, but roll it with your fingers, should have some give. 

[LordAnubis]

A properly stored cigar should not crack or be damaged if you squeezed. Handling and smell is a good indicator of storage conditions, and quality of the cigar. If anyone doesn't allow me to inspect boxes, or handle the cigars, then i walk away myself.

[garbandz]

a trick I use is to roll the cigar with the flat of my hand ,on a towel on a hard surface like a desk.

works well about half the time.

the other half I use a poker, that works 95% of the time.

[tengel78]

Most of the sticks I've had that have a tight draw are harder than a rock if you squeeze them lightly.  I have a draw tool I use that helps most of the time, if that doesn't work, I usually toss it and try something else since my enjoyment of the cigar and time relaxing is diminished if it isn't smoking right. 

[Baldy]

Cubans from 1999 to 2001 were notorious for construction issues.  That's why Cubans from those years can still be found and found at a decent price. Having said that, cigars is a handmade product and can occur from any brand and vintage, CC or NC.  Sometimes one is just unlucky.

[rhcolbert]

The box of RyJ Beli I've reopened up from 2010 started that way. Thank god it was only 1 thus far. 

I hate when I order a box and the first one is way too tight. I start to go down negative feedback loop town and assume the whole box is likechat and I just wasted a couple hundo. 

[NSXCIGAR]

10 hours ago, hedgeybaby said:

Last night I bought a Vegas Robaina Familiares from 1999. The draw was too tight for my liking. Silly question, but is there anything to look out for when you buy the stick that would indicate a tighter draw. I always feel that I am overstepping the boundaries when I pick up cigars in the shop.

 

I think you just fell victim to the period. As Baldy notes, 1998-2001 was plagued with construction issues with tight draws being probably the most common issue, even among special production.  The draw-checking machines were implemented around late 2001/early 2002 and the problems have mostly been under control since then.

Excellent CA article by Suckling from 2001 I hadn't seen in awhile about the issue:

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/Cigar-Diary-Back-to-the-Drawing-Board_7032

Regarding what to look out for, the draw problems that I have these days are really only correlated to over-filled cigars--cigars that are bulging and/or hard as rocks (tent pegs, as they're referred to). They're pretty easy to spot on a physical inspection, and it's one of the things Rob always looks out for. Interestingly, I find the most commonly over-filled cigar to be the Boil CJ since about 2012.

[ErikB]

In my little universe weight is an indicator


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[Smallclub]

Learn to check the weight of each vitola!  Plugged (overfilled) cigars are not only hard as rock but they weigh too heavy in hand.

[NSXCIGAR]

5 hours ago, Smallclub said:

Learn to check the weight of each vitola!  Plugged (overfilled) cigars are not only hard as rock but they weigh too heavy in hand.

True, but at that point one likely already has the cigars in their possession. And surely it's impractical to break out a scale at the B & M and weigh individual sticks. I think over-filling is pretty easy to spot by feel and look of the cigars in the box.

Buying blind you always run the risk. If one is concerned, buy from a vendor who specifically checks for these flaws like Rob.

[hedgeybaby]

Thank you very much for your help fellas. I wish I had bought from Rob as it pains me paying the vastly inflated prices in London's wonderful cigar shops. Especially as I felt like a slightly upper market hobo sat on a bench in green park   drinking wine from the bottle whilst puffing away from said tight cigar.