Journal

It is a nice afternoon out here in South Central PA and I intend to spend it outside. I have a couple small things to do in the yard, then I need to install frets in a neck. I decided to bring the work outside. Since I will be installing frets with a hammer, I need a solid and flat (mostly) surface to work off of. I need to prep a big piece (about 8” x 8” x 36”) White Ash with a plane. A big piece of Ash, and a couple saw horses will make a perfect outdoor work...

There are a ton of great cigars out on the market at varying price points. Much like everything, cigar price plays a huge role in what you buy, what you smoke, and the perception of quality. There is no “wrong” price point out there because if consumers are regularly purchasing it, then it must be priced fairly. However, as with anything, higher prices often come with the expectation of higher quality. There are multiple things that factor into the price of a cigar such as the amount of tobacco, the type and age of the tobacco, the factory, the branding,...

This time of year is always busy as we gear up for garden season, but this year is already starting off a bit busier. We elected to redo all our raised garden beds this year. We are not adding any new ones, but we are rebuilding them larger this go around. I landed some White Oak boards for a fair price, so we are working on getting them put together. I grabbed a cigar from a company that is completely new to me - Ohana Nui Cigars. Ohana Nui Cigars is the combination of Ohana Cigars and 262 Cigars. This...

I have been in need of an ⅛” chisel for some time now, and I recently have been making more of an effort to support small businesses. So I made the decision to have the chisel custom made by a somewhat local knifemaker. He did a great job (@bingamanknifeworks) on the chisel and now I have some time to make a quick handle for it out of some scrap walnut. I don’t have a ton of time, but I felt like doing a review, so I grabbed the newly released Le Careme Limited Edition Pastelitos from Crowned Heads Cigars.  Country...

Much consideration in cigar selection involves expectations. Often us cigar smokers are in the mood for a particular type of cigar (mild or strong, dark or light, etc) when it comes to time to smoke. The more cigars you smoke, the better you become at grabbing the “right” cigar for the occasion. It is not uncommon to have specific cigars you are familiar with on hand for specific moods, however, it is also normal practice to smoke something new-to-you that, with some educated assumption, should be inline with what you are looking for in terms of flavor, body, and strength. ...