Ever since tobacco was exported all over the world, it has become a popular leisure product for many. It has given birth to different types of cigars with various characteristics, whether it be the size, shape or the techniques - to put it simply, there are Cuban Cigars to suit every person. One of the ways you can choose between cigars is the way it has been made. In general, there are two ways to make a cigar - machine-made or handmade. In our Cuban Cigar Shop, we predominantly sell handmade cigars from Havana, but it is also worth knowing the differences between the two.
First and foremost, all cigars were traditionally handmade, until ‘Oscar Hammerstein’ patented the cigar rolling machine in the 19th century. Thanks to this invention, cigars could be made quickly and with less money.
“HANDMADE CIGARS ARE USUALLY MORE EXPENSIVE”
Though the type of binder and filler can determine the price, handmade cigars are found to be more expensive than machine-made cigars. Machine-made cigars are generally cheaper because of the automatic process it undergoes, making it quick and cheap to produce a box. However, when it comes to handmade cigars, dedicated torcedores have to cut, bunch and bind the cigar together.
“MACHINE-MADE CIGARS AREN’T PURE TOBACCO”
Handmade cigars are made of pure tobacco, everything from the binder, filler and wrapper. Whereas, manufactured cigars will often have chemicals, paper and preservatives to ensure that the tobacco can withstand the machine processes. Because of these differences, handmade cigars are considered to be of higher quality compared to the manufactured stogies. When tasting both of these types, you will find that the handmade cigars taste way better as it isn’t contaminated with additional chemicals. Though handmade cigars may have a better aroma and flavour, there are still many aficionados who enjoy machine-made cigars.
“THE FILLERS ARE DIFFERENT”
One clear way of distinguishing a handmade and machine-made cigar is through the type of filler they use. Simply, handmade cigars use long-filler leaves whilst machine-made cigars use short-filler leaves. The long-filler leaves of handmade cigars extend throughout the entire length of the stick, but sometimes, you may find some more affordable cigars that combine the use of different sizes of fillers. And for machine-made cigars, they use short-fillers, as well as scraps, and stems to create the final product.
“THE WRAPPER AND BINDER”
Even the way the cigars adhere together is different. To create the binder, machine-made cigars use natural glue while handmade cigars use coarse tobacco. Furthermore, when it comes to the wrapper, it is very easy to identify the difference, as machine-made cigars appear to be duller as it has been mixed with other chemicals.
“WHICH IS BETTER?”
Without a doubt, handmade cigars are more premium and thoughtfully-made, their quality generally exceeds their machine-made counterparts. However, the decision of which to choose over the other depends entirely on the person. You need to ask yourself; “what can you afford?”, “what is your taste?” and “how often do you smoke.” Because, if you are a frequent smoker, and you don’t have a particularly large budget to purchase cigars, it may be better for you to opt for machine-made cigars. They don’t taste entirely bad and is just enough to satisfy your tobacco craving. But, if you do have the money to get your hands on handmade cigars, we suggest you do so!
So aficionados, now you know the difference between machine-made and handmade cigars. We have a wide range of cigars for sale online - so stock up while you're here! If you want to learn more about the world of Habanos, check out our Cuban cigar blog: