Product: Henry’s Cigar Draw Correction Tools.

Type: Cigar poker

Contact: Steve at neef.norris@netscape.com

Reviewer: Doc

OVERALL SCORE: 93.3 – STOGIE FRESH GOLD STAR RATING

BACKGROUND: How many times have you starting out smoking a stogie only to have to pitch it because it was plugged tighter than a toilet after a hard… rain. Tossing a stogie is a waste of good tobacco, not to mention a waste of cash.

Awhile back, a friend brought out a couple of nice cigars and, as sometimes happens, we had some tight draws. In the past, our solution would be to continue sucking on our cigars until our cheek muscles cramped, or, give up, toss them, and pull out another stogie.

Fortunately for the cigar smokers of the world, there lives in the environs of middle Michigan, an eccentric 80-year-old, who loves to fish, drives a '66 Buick and just happens to craft a damn fine set of cigar pokers.

Henry, known to his friends as a “curmudgeon of sorts,” doesn’t have much tolerance for hi-tech gizmos. His tools are not mass-produced; no two sets are exactly alike. They are handcrafted of wood and steel and are striking in their simplicity. Not known for understatement or self-effacing crap, Henry simply states his business philosophy: “And if a guy don't have the time and sense to use my tools, he likely don't have the time or sense to smoke a cigar!!" 

I like that. There’s something refreshing about a mission statement that cuts to the chase.

SET UP AND USE: [Score: 90] The tools come in a set of two: one 5-inch and one 7 ¾-inch tool.  The shafts of the tools are etched at 1-inch intervals so you can see how deep you are probing. The tools are packed in clear, protective tubing.

I set out to master the use of the tools by first reading the instructions. I found the instructions clear and helpful, as well as interesting (i.e., the story about Henry and his tools). After looking over the tools and reading the concise instructions, I came up with three simple rules for set up and use:

RULE #1: You have to practice with the tools. Period. They can be a salvation, but if you try to hurry the process or if you have not practiced, you can ruin a cigar. Case in point, my friend was using the tools for only the second time, got in a bit of a hurry and punched a hole right through the sidewall of his cigar. Luckily, I had my cigar patch kit on hand to stem that flow.

RULE #2: You have to practice with the tools. Before I started using the tools on my prized stogies, I took some practice pokes on a couple of dog rockets. I punched several holes in each, just getting a feel for the tool. Even after plenty of practice, I recommend that you take your time, backing the tool up, if necessary, and carefully working it through the cigar.

RULE #3: You have to practice with the tools. Really this is the only possible flaw in the product design: It’s not idiot-proof. You can really mangle a cigar if you are not careful. The tools are flexible, the cigars are flexible… you get the idea. Mastery can only come with plenty of practice.

FUNCTION: [Score: 95] After taking plenty of practice pokes and feeling that I knew what I was doing, pretty much, I pulled out the first likely candidate for de-plugging, a torpedo from Costa Rica. I bought a box of these cigars last summer in Costa Rica and, to my dismay; almost all of them were plugged. I used the poker successfully to unplug both cigars. Though I was able to smoke the cigars, and though the draw improved, the cigars didn’t burn well. The moral of this lesson: a successful poke will not improve a poorly constructed cigar and, in the end, it still might not be smokable. This was not the fault of the poker, however.

I had completely different experiences with two Bolivar Royal Coronas. These cigars had too much tobacco rolled into them, but were otherwise well constructed. The first Boli was plugged, the second was just “tight.” The poker opened these cigars up beautifully and they smoked perfectly. Two saved smokes, not to mention saved cash.

The very feature that makes these handy can also cause problems. Henry’s tools do not have a guide like other pokers, but this is not really a disadvantage. These tools allow you to "freehand" your punch through your cigar. This flexibility makes the poker more versatile and allows you to make multiple holes in a cigar, if required, and also allows you to "steer" a path through your cigar.

I am convinced that what makes these pokers work so well is the diameter of the steel and the chiseled tip. The angling of the tip not only makes it easier to work the poker through the cigar, but acts like a Roto-Rooter tool to carve out a space within the cigar. I have used other pokers in the past that were shaped like an ice pick, these often resulted in expanding the cigar and the wrapper until the wrapper split. This did not happen with Henry’s tool. Plus, in my opinion, the diameter of the steel is just perfect for unplugging cigars. If the poker diameter is too big, it will push the cigar contents out toward the periphery and split the wrapper, if too small, the hole will cave in on itself as the tobacco “springs back.”

Perhaps I am not the first to say so, but I would like to see a travel pouch for these little skewers. A leather zip up or a pouch with a Velcro closure would be an ideal match for the pokers and allow them to be easily carried. Kind of like the thief who pulls out a little satchel of lock-picks from his pocket. (I watch too many movies.)

In summary, though the pokers will not create a good smoke out of a poorly constructed cigar, they can salvage to perfection a cigar that is plugged, but is otherwise well constructed. Too, they will improve the draw in ANY cigar and as a result, I see myself using these to improve the draw on cigars that are not plugged, yet have a tight draw.

Henry’s tools are not for everyone. If you have enough money to simply toss a $10 cigar because it’s plugged, then you probably have enough money to light a $10 cigar with a $10 bill and will probably need an accountant more than a cigar tool.

VALUE: [Score: 95] At less than $10, you can easily pay for the tools by unplugging one stogie. These are a bargain. Get them before the secret gets out.

OVERALL SCORE: 93.3 = GOLD STAR RATING