It's true that some things just get better with time. Pain, wine and yes Cigars also are enhanced by the ageing process. A well aged cigar displays subtleties in flavour, the mellowness. It's the reason why some people will pay high sums to enjoy a vintage cigar that has been aged in the right way. But don't worry, you won't necessarily need to hand over all your cash to enjoy the flavour and complexity of a well aged cigar, with a little care, the right tools and some patience, you can get started ageing your own cigars at home.

First of all, as with all good recipes, high quality ingredients are needed in order to achieve a high quality finished item. Therefore it is necessary to spend a little more on buying a quality cigar to start with. If you buy a cheap cigar, your enjoyment after a year of ageing (which is about the minimum time you need to allow) wont be realised as ageing a cheap cigar will not enhance the cigar very much at all. It's true that if you find a high quality cigar that is perhaps too strong for you, then this is probably a good candidate for ageing.

You will be ageing your cigar for about a year, but in order to do so, you need to buy a good quality cigar humidor. The humidor is needed so that you can store the cigar(s) in a suitable and stable environment. Storing the cigars using the 70-70 rule is best. That is at a constant humidity of 70% and a temperature of 70 degrees fahrenheit.

Buy a good quality cigar humidor that will keep your ageing cigars in a stable environment. If you don't and the cigar humidor doesn't maintain temperature and humidity, it can cause the contents to dry out or become moldy, thus destroying it. Either way you will lose the contents over time and be very disappointed.

When buying your cigar humidor, try to buy one with a cedar lining. The oils in the wood are aromatic and these mix with the oils in the tobacco over time. Ideally the space in the humidor should be about twice the volume of the cigars that it holds. Getting the mix right will help the ageing of your cigar will result in a quality cigar once the process is finished, one that you can enjoy, and one that won't cost you the earth.

Find out more about quality new and used antique cigar humidors and other smoking accessories.

Browsing the web, a few years ago, I found this article on some splashy celebrity site about Sienna Miller, the movie star. She's standing against a wall, smiling broadly while smoking a cigar. What struck me about the picture was how cheeky she looked. Like a naughty girl flaunting her wicked ways. I was so struck in fact, that I went out to buy my first cigar. And what was a random chance meeting of me and a picture of a movie star on her break, turned into an interesting and fun hobby. While I never smoked the actual cigar I became fascinated with the product and its accessories and I began collecting cigar cutters. Its an odd hobby for a woman, not quite as odd as smoking cigars, but still odd.

Its much easier to collect cigar cutters when you aren't using them for their purpose. My cutters dangle carelessly from my keyring and I often have people stop and ask me if I smoke cigars. I've found out most of my information from random strangers who want to tell me what they think of whichever cigar cutter I might be dangling that particular day. I surprise some by saying that I'm just a collector of cutters and not an actual smoker of the cigars. Apparently its very important to choose the proper cigar cutter. An improper cigar cut will ruin the cigar by cutting it incorrectly or cutting off too much.

I've since become more informed about cigar cutters and their function. For example the first time I saw a double edged cigar cutter, I thought it was some strange device used for arcane purposes. It did, in fact, look like little finger cuffs! I've learned there are many different types of cigar cutters but they generally serve 3 functions: cut across (straight cigar cutters), slice small cross sections and (v-shaped), cut exact (scissor cigar cutters). The blades even have a menacing sounding name: guillotines.

While I search for beauty and quirkiness in my cutters, that may not be useful to someone who wants to smoke an actual cigar. What is useful to know about cutters can be summed up in a few words. Choose what is best for the type of cigar and cigar smoker you are. Double bladed, single bladed, antique or scissor cutters, its your choice. Just try not to use your teeth.

Cigar afficionado's swear that like a fine wine, a quality cigar gets better if it has been aged using a process that is simple, providing you start with the right ingredients. People pay lots of money for a quality aged cigar, but you don't have to fork out lots of cash in order to have a semblence of what they enjoy. As long as you start with a good quality cigar and a good cigar humidor, you too can age your cigars from your own home.

Start with a quality cigar if you are going to age them yourself. If you use a cheap cigar, you will probably be disappointed with the end result and the time will have been wasted. It takes about a year for the ageing process to complete. This is probably the minimum time you should allow. A rule of thumb when choosing is to find one that you find too strong or odourous, and this will probably be a good candidate.

Buy a good quality cigar humidor for the purpose of ageing your cigars. The cigar humidor is used to store the cigars at a constant tempertature and humidity. There is a 70-70 rule, which translates to 70 percent humifity and 70 degrees farenheit. You use a cigar humidor because it's sealed and provides a stable environment for it's precious cargo.

Buy a good quality cigar humidor that will keep your ageing cigars in a stable environment. If you don't and the cigar humidor doesn't maintain temperature and humidity, it can cause the contents to dry out or become moldy, thus destroying it. Either way you will lose the contents over time and be very disappointed.

Many people many want to buy a cheap cigar humidor, although this is fine, we suggest that when chosing the best cigar humidor you check for a used one, rather than a cheap new one. The emphasis is on quality. A good quality used cigar humidor will maintain the environment you want. Try to buy one with a cedar lining. It's an aromatic wood, whose aromas and oils mis well over time with that of the tobacco itself. That mix will give you a great final result and an aged cigar you can enjoy.