Please Do Not Buy Your Cigar Friends These Gifts

When I was eleven years old, I told my grandmother I liked Garfield comics. When I turned 32, she finally backed off the Garfield gifts.

Friends of cigar smokers can be just as messy when it comes to giving you gifts they think you want.

You try to help people. You drop hints all year. You point at actual cutters and lighters. You even send links. Yet every December, you unwrap something that proves your family is spending way too much time on Etsy or at TJ Max checkout lanes.

So, if you are reading this and trying to decide what to get your cigar-smoking friend, boss, or neighbor – listen closely. Here is what you want to avoid putting under the tree.

The Gas-Station Five Pack

They deserve better than something kept next to beef jerky. These packs often taste like sadness. They are there mainly for the same reason White Castle exists – people didn’t go there to BUY a cigar….they ended up there. Just pick up your bottle of Fireball and go to the nearest cigar store with a good selection, where it has been stored with care.

The Novelty Cutter or Lighter

Anything shaped like a skull, a dragon, or a gear system that claims to “optimize airflow” belongs in a drawer. They need a cutter that cuts…like a good one. They don’t need one that looks like Pokemon or your favorite character from Marvel comics.

No Flask/Cigar Combos

Stop buying cigar/flask combos. Like this one. It just ends up disappointing for everyone. Sure, they look cool. And if your gift is meant to make someone disappointed in the number of cigars they can carry or the amount of alcohol they can carry…then you are spot on with this gift. Oh yeah, and avoid this combo glass as well.

The Table Torch Meant For A Balloon Fest

The flame reaches three feet. It scares pets. It empties a can of butane in two seconds. It also sets off smoke alarms in houses built after 1978. How can this NOT be the perfect gift for that over-the-top cigar smoker that has everything? Stop. Just stop. Besides being potentially dangerous and next year’s gift being a pack of eyebrow pencils, it just looks silly.

Any Desktop Humidor That Came With Cigars

I could be wrong on this one. There are some great humidors out there loaded with high-end cigars – but, no offense, I’m guessing they are A LOT more than you want to spend on your friend that keeps stealing your lighters. That desktop humidor for $19.99 that comes with 20 cigars makes a a great Duraflame fire starter.

Any Multi-Tool With Twenty Attachments

You are not James Bond or Inspector Gadget. Scissors, a corkscrew, a flashlight, a whistle, and a cigar punch the size of a paperclip. These multi-tools make great gag gifts but have no real value in the real world. I haven’t seen a cutter/lighter combo worth carrying in some time. There are lots of them out there. Lighter, with Bluetooth, and a V-cut. Seriously? Who asked for that? Be a grown-up and just carry two different-quality items.

Now what?

Share this article with your family. You could stick it on your social media post (but they are trolling you, and that could end badly). You can send it to your group chat. That said, people will still get these items. Consider it a reminder that gift receipts exist for a reason.

About the Author: Fred Rewey

Fred started smoking cigars in the mid-90s and has been hooked on the lifestyle that came with it ever since. Author of three books, Fred is still waiting for his flying car, which he was promised in childhood, but until then, he enjoys stunt planes, golf, archery, and cooking. PSA: Don't leave your bacon unattended around him!