I recently purchased and stocked up on a bunch of cigar accessories and thought a quick review of each might be beneficial to others out there. I think it is important to point out that these are products I personally use, purchased with my own funds, and at the current time do not sponsor this website or the show in any form. They are just products I feel are good products. So without further ado;
Xikar Ellipse II Triple Torch Lighter
http://xikar.com/
I picked the Xikar Ellipse II based on the recommendation of several friends. After about four weeks of use, I have been impressed with the design, construction, and reliability of this triple flamed lighter. It consistently lights within two attempts regardless of the flame adjustment, the butane tank holds a decent amount of butane and does not require frequent refills, and it is comfortable to hold and use. The lighter is sturdy and well made but small enough to carry in my pocket. Now I just need to buy a second one as a spare.
The Xikar Ellipse II features a protective lid, large adjustment wheel, and fuel gauge. It is available in black, silver, or gun metal. Suggested retail for the lighter in $89.99 but you can often find them for less on the internet. More can be found on the product on the Xikar website.
Vector Quintuplus Premium Butane
http://www.vectorkgm.com/
You cannot talk about torch lighters without mentioning the butane used to refill them. For the last couple of years, I have been using Vector Quintuplus premium butane. Filtered five times, Vector butane has always provided me with a high quality, reliable, low maintenance fuel for my torch lighters. What do you mean by low maintenance, you ask? I have never had an issue with clogging since switching to this butane. I fully recommend you check it out. You can usually find cans for about $10.00 each.
Heartfelt Aluminum Humidifier
http://heartfeltindustries.com
We have talked about Heartfelt Industries humidification beads quite a bit on the show. With the availability of multiple humidification levels, ability to absorb humidity, and the low amount of maintenance required when using them, they are a no brainer. Many may not realize that Heartfelt also sells their beads in containers too. This 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch Heartfelt aluminum rectangle humidifier is designed to fit in the lid of medium/large desktop humidors. It is what I used to replace the crappy plastic sponge that came with both my desktop humidors.
Available in two sizes with the only difference being the thicknesses (1/2 or 7/8 inch) and amount of beads (2 or 4 ounces), these will humidify up to 1080 or 2160 cubic inches respectively. As with all Heartfelt beads, three humidity levels (60, 65, and 70 % Rh) are available.
The Aluminum humidifier features a fine mesh sheet to allow humidity to be released while keeping the beads inside the container after repeated opening of the humidor lid. Adhesive magnet strips for mounting and a fine tip syringe for rehydrating with distilled water is included.
Bovida Humidity Control Packs
http://www.bovedadirect.com/
I recently, grabbed a few Bovida 69% Rh Humidity packs to use while transporting some sticks but also to add some extra "UMPF" in keeping my humidors where they need to be during the dry winter months. The Heartfelt beads do a great job but I find myself re-hydrating much more often during the Winter, and adding a couple of Bovida Humidity packs reduces the frequency of having to check my humidors greatly.
Available in humidity levels of 65, 69, 72, and 75 % Rh, these cost about $4.00-5.00 a bag. Worth every penny IMO.
February 16, 2012
Accessory Roundup
Tim Mugherini Reviews, Stogies 0 Comments
I recently purchased and stocked up on a bunch of cigar accessories and thought a quick review of each might be beneficial to others out there. I think it is important to point out that these are products I personally use, purchased with my own funds, and at the current time do not sponsor this website or the show in any form. They are just products I feel are good products. So without further ado;
Xikar Ellipse II Triple Torch Lighter
http://xikar.com/
I picked the Xikar Ellipse II based on the recommendation of several friends. After about four weeks of use, I have been impressed with the design, construction, and reliability of this triple flamed lighter. It consistently lights within two attempts regardless of the flame adjustment, the butane tank holds a decent amount of butane and does not require frequent refills, and it is comfortable to hold and use. The lighter is sturdy and well made but small enough to carry in my pocket. Now I just need to buy a second one as a spare.
The Xikar Ellipse II features a protective lid, large adjustment wheel, and fuel gauge. It is available in black, silver, or gun metal. Suggested retail for the lighter in $89.99 but you can often find them for less on the internet. More can be found on the product on the Xikar website.
Vector Quintuplus Premium Butane
http://www.vectorkgm.com/
You cannot talk about torch lighters without mentioning the butane used to refill them. For the last couple of years, I have been using Vector Quintuplus premium butane. Filtered five times, Vector butane has always provided me with a high quality, reliable, low maintenance fuel for my torch lighters. What do you mean by low maintenance, you ask? I have never had an issue with clogging since switching to this butane. I fully recommend you check it out. You can usually find cans for about $10.00 each.
Heartfelt Aluminum Humidifier
http://heartfeltindustries.com
We have talked about Heartfelt Industries humidification beads quite a bit on the show. With the availability of multiple humidification levels, ability to absorb humidity, and the low amount of maintenance required when using them, they are a no brainer. Many may not realize that Heartfelt also sells their beads in containers too. This 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch Heartfelt aluminum rectangle humidifier is designed to fit in the lid of medium/large desktop humidors. It is what I used to replace the crappy plastic sponge that came with both my desktop humidors.
Available in two sizes with the only difference being the thicknesses (1/2 or 7/8 inch) and amount of beads (2 or 4 ounces), these will humidify up to 1080 or 2160 cubic inches respectively. As with all Heartfelt beads, three humidity levels (60, 65, and 70 % Rh) are available.
The Aluminum humidifier features a fine mesh sheet to allow humidity to be released while keeping the beads inside the container after repeated opening of the humidor lid. Adhesive magnet strips for mounting and a fine tip syringe for rehydrating with distilled water is included.
Bovida Humidity Control Packs
http://www.bovedadirect.com/
I recently, grabbed a few Bovida 69% Rh Humidity packs to use while transporting some sticks but also to add some extra "UMPF" in keeping my humidors where they need to be during the dry winter months. The Heartfelt beads do a great job but I find myself re-hydrating much more often during the Winter, and adding a couple of Bovida Humidity packs reduces the frequency of having to check my humidors greatly.
Available in humidity levels of 65, 69, 72, and 75 % Rh, these cost about $4.00-5.00 a bag. Worth every penny IMO.
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