Nice. I just had a friends parents pick him up some glass top cohibas. "Excellent find" I tell him and smile. I am sure they are excellent after sitting for three months in their closet so they could give them to him for his birthday.
Check Yourself Buddy...
- Thread starter SanCristobal
- Start date
Last week I was at a small party and my good friend and I were discussing something cigar related. The host, who I dont know too well, says "Oh, Cigars huh...Let me show you something!" He makes a trip to his room and comes back with a cheap glass top box of cigars and says "I bought them in the Dominican. Im pretty sure they're Cuban!" through the clear top I could see very, VERY cheap looking red and gold bands that seemed to resemble Arturo Fuentes but the lettering was illegible and the font and designs were swollen and blurry. I take the box, flip it over, look at it closely and tell him "These cant be Cuban, the label says manufactured in the Dominican. If they were made in Cuba, They would have a label saying so. Besides, I cant recognize a brand name on these...They're probably just Dominican."
He kinda looked at me like he was confused or surprised that I knew enough about cigars to know the difference. Either way I thik he was disappointed but I dont really care. These didnt even look like acceptable gas station cigars.
-Steven
He kinda looked at me like he was confused or surprised that I knew enough about cigars to know the difference. Either way I thik he was disappointed but I dont really care. These didnt even look like acceptable gas station cigars.
-Steven
WkndSmoker
Short Story
For many years I have bit my lip. I trust in the friends that have given me such cigars, that they are legit, I never go back behind them and check them. The smokers I come across, extend that to crooked B&M's and those who brought them back from a vacation, I just smile and nod. There is enough information out there that a true aficionado knows, and gifts what he knows to be the real thing. I could never call anyone out on having a fake cigar. Most of the times in my case, it is not alot of product, and what they are smoking comes with a story, I cherish that and silenty walk away, if they enjoy it, then they are happy.
Just my opinion, when I purchase, I purchase what I can buy myself, gifts I enjoy as an extension of that persons gratitude, and keep the opinions to my dosier. Being humble is what I have learned makes this hobby great.
Feel free to rant though, we can take it.
Just my opinion, when I purchase, I purchase what I can buy myself, gifts I enjoy as an extension of that persons gratitude, and keep the opinions to my dosier. Being humble is what I have learned makes this hobby great.
Feel free to rant though, we can take it.
I've seen it several times on forums. Guys post up pics and say "Are these fake?" then spend the next 5 pages trying to defend why they are not.
I quit saying anything. People get real defensive when they think they have something special and find out it's "just a cigar". :-}
I quit saying anything. People get real defensive when they think they have something special and find out it's "just a cigar". :-}
Cigary43
Just Another Ashhole
ROFL,,,classic answer, love it.
If they ask you, tell them, if they don't ask, don't tell them. It's just like golf, unless you are Hank Haney I wouldn't recommend telling people what they are doing wrong even if you know them well, if they ask then tell them to find a coach.
I see fake CCs all the time where I am currently. I let anyone who will listen that they are fake and not worth the 15-45 dollars that they pay for them. It is the whole scam of "These 5 dollar ones are fake but these 45 dollar ones are real (as they pull something from under the table)". I have had a couple people yell at me and say that by assuming they are fake they are calling the friend who sold them to him a lier. So then I tell them to enjoy the cow turds and banana leaves and walk off.
I have told people that they possibly have fakes and it never goes well, so I now just smile and say nothing. My wife on the other hand lets them know and they never seem to argue with her, must be the boobs?
mthhurley
BoM December 2011
My wife and I were in Jamaica a couple years ago and this nice gentleman on the beach came by selling cuban Cohiba's in 5 packs out of his back pack and they were only $60!
I declined.
I was smoking at the time and the couple next to us bought the smokes. The guy was celebrating that he got cubans and immediately lit one up. He saw I was smoking and waved me over to tell me he negotiated him down to $40. I looked at them and said "nice smoke! Enjoy".
There was just no good to come of me saying something and ruining his Jamaican beach, cocktail, sun and fun fantasy.
I declined.
I was smoking at the time and the couple next to us bought the smokes. The guy was celebrating that he got cubans and immediately lit one up. He saw I was smoking and waved me over to tell me he negotiated him down to $40. I looked at them and said "nice smoke! Enjoy".
There was just no good to come of me saying something and ruining his Jamaican beach, cocktail, sun and fun fantasy.
Soundwave13
BoM Feb 2010
It rarely does any good to point out the fakes unless someone is planning to buy more or trade them. I try to be humble & I try not to offer up unsolicited advise. A friend was smoking the last Fohiba he picked up on his honeymoon - who am I to tarnish his enjoyment while reflecting on good memories. I just offered him a good stick for his next anniversary.
A pet peeve of my own is some frat boy asking me if I'm smoking a Cuban, as if anything other than cuban is crap - like this little know-it-all would have any idea - he's an expert because he had a 'cuban cigar' while on vacation during spring break? But then I think - I'm being judgmental by doing the very thing that I'm bothered by: He doesn't know me, I don't know him. Who are either of us to judge?
A pet peeve of my own is some frat boy asking me if I'm smoking a Cuban, as if anything other than cuban is crap - like this little know-it-all would have any idea - he's an expert because he had a 'cuban cigar' while on vacation during spring break? But then I think - I'm being judgmental by doing the very thing that I'm bothered by: He doesn't know me, I don't know him. Who are either of us to judge?
WkndSmoker
Short Story
As an afterthought I do get a giggle when they see cigars in my humidor that have habano on the band, like the nub habano and ask if that is cuban, we all have to start somewhere.
Here is the problem I have with this and it all comes down to human nature and the reaction that you think you'll get for giving "your pearls of wisdom" might just end up getting you the "fuck you" look! Unless you're skilled (which I am not) in asking a lot of questions you will NOT be able to get through to MOST people. They don't view you as an EXPERT you are a total stranger trying to sway them into NOT believing in what they already think they know. This is what I know about MOST people: "If YOU say they will defend it, BUT if you can get them to say it THEY will own it!" People will always defend there position whether or not it's right or wrong and they will either dismiss and ignore you until you go away or argue with you until you go away... BUT if you can talk and ask many open ended questions and share some affinities/experiences with them then you have more of a chance to get them to believe in YOUR position. Unfortunately this is a lot of work to tell someone they are smoking/purchasing fake ass CC's right? Is this really worth your time? Or are you just trying to seem like a know it all? Me personally it's not worth the time especially if it's going to possibly upset someone. If they enjoy what they're smoking then let them be, if they insist on you smoking them just say that you do far to much research on the origin of your cigars because you want to know that you're actually smoking tobacco and NOT some cuban ass hair and just leave it alone. If they persist because then it leaves the door open to ask for vendor information and then you can start using your expertise.
Haha here it is. I love these videos. ESPLENDIDADOS, HECTOR BANO!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cURQqVmWCm4&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- Havana Cohiba[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH7Zsi9hioM&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- Hvana cohiba 2[/ame]
At first I thought: "well, you're just saving that person from being suckered into fohibas again!" However, after reflecting upon what some awesome contributors have said in this thread, I have come away with a different understanding. A lot of people smoking fohibas are, more often than not, inexperienced with cigars. Therefore, they are not smoking the fohibas because they're looking for an awesome cigar, they're smoking them simply because they're under the impression that it's a rare, illegal, legit cuban. They could probably smoke a Bucanero Red followed by an Opus X (even with the band) and not be able to tell the difference. They are smoking the fohibas for the experience and the ablility to tell their buddies that they smoked a "real cuban!" So, I suppose I've learned from this thread! Although I would have offer quick advice to help a person out in the past, I know now that they don't really care whether it's real or not, they just want to believe it's real. I relate this to someone asking how you're doing: they probably could care less how you're doing, they just want to have a quick and easy conversation when you tell them you're doing great!
In short, most people smoking fohibas don't really want to know if it's real, they want to think it's real and live in that moment.
From now on I'll smile, nodd, give 'em a pat on the shoulder and exit stage left...
Thanks for the thread, I've benefited from this!
In short, most people smoking fohibas don't really want to know if it's real, they want to think it's real and live in that moment.
From now on I'll smile, nodd, give 'em a pat on the shoulder and exit stage left...
Thanks for the thread, I've benefited from this!
btw, I feel bad for the dude in the video... so influenced by those on the internet whom he doesn't know... If he did purchase those at $20 a pop, why waste em smoking three sheets to the wind? Oh well, you can lead a hose to water....
well, I think I've done a bang-up job of making myself out to be a jerk.
I understand the whole 'typical american ignorant to the cuban black market who's had a few mojitos and just wants to enjoy himself' mentality, and I honestly don't think I've ever consulted the unwanting and unfamilier, but still, I think informing people is necessary... especially in a cigar bar clogged with people who also know and are having a good laugh at your unknowing expense...
I understand the whole 'typical american ignorant to the cuban black market who's had a few mojitos and just wants to enjoy himself' mentality, and I honestly don't think I've ever consulted the unwanting and unfamilier, but still, I think informing people is necessary... especially in a cigar bar clogged with people who also know and are having a good laugh at your unknowing expense...
If I had any feelling that someone, who did not know they had fakes, was going to sell or trade those cigars. I would tell him. I'm not that worried about hurting your feelings. If you're a big enough boy to light a cigar, then you're a big enough boy to get some bad news. Now if some dude, wants to buy a 5 pack while eating lobster in Puerto Nuevo, and he's all excited about it, then I feel ignorance IS Bliss.
well said.
I think the fact that they're so prevelant in our culture is reason enough to justify pointing out fakes to the unknowing.
In the past when a certian person has gone out of their way to smuggle me back a fake, then it's the thought that counts, and I thank them and leave it at that...
I agree, We had a brother here, who was gifted a box of fohibas. In the effort to keep the trades and bombs here, free of them I stepped up and told him to do some more research, but that it did not look good. Anyway he did the research and kept them for himself. I smoked one, and it smoked well, but it was not a Cohiba.
