wrapped or naked

I finally have a decent humidor, properly humidified with a hygrometer. The question is which is the better way to store the cigars' in or out of their wrappers?

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Well, since wrappers are most of the flavor....nyuk nyuk nyuk.Short answer is whatever you prefer. I like to keep them wrapped, if for no other reason then it's extra protection.

Rain:
Well, since wrappers are most of the flavor....nyuk nyuk nyuk.Short answer is whatever you prefer. I like to keep them wrapped, if for no other reason then it's extra protection.

Oh a wise guy, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

I do both, noticed alot more damage when unwrapped from rumaging around the humi, but they look so nice naked. Other than that no difference in smoking. Someone mentioned just cutting the end off the cello, at the foot, leaving the cigar protected, but open.

How bout this. If you have a top shelf in your humi, leave the ones on there, naked. Everyone who is stored down below stays wrapped. That way you get good looks, and good protection.

I know this is an age old debate between cigar aficionados, so I could be wrong. But I like to keep the cello on to act as a little buffer between changes of humidity i.e. if I open the humidor for a while to add sticks, trying to choose a stick, rearranging etc. The humidity can drop pretty quick in there before I close the lid. Or if a Boveda pack dries somewhat before I notice.
Also, like the extra protection of the cello.

I generally keep em the way I get em! But I like new boots idea, of naked on the top!

Left on for protection.

CharlieHeis:
Left on for protection.

Yup.
I am one of those people who can't keep my hands out of the humi.
So handling the ones with cello is far less damaging than handling the ones without. For me anyways.
I try to handle the ones without cello as little as possible.

I store them however they came and I also do as boots said and have the unwrapped on top on the pull out shelf. Since I to like to dig around the humi the unwrapped ones can easily be seen and moved by just removing the tray

0patience:
CharlieHeis:
Left on for protection.
Yup.
I am one of those people who can't keep my hands out of the humi.
So handling the ones with cello is far less damaging than handling the ones without. For me anyways.
I try to handle the ones without cello as little as possible.

+1 I'm a digger always discovering forgotten sticks at the bottom.. celo on.

I too leave them the way they come. If it's a tubo, I open the end.

If it comes without cello, I tend to smoke that one sooner just so I don’t have to worry about it being in my humi. I am also weird in that I won’t let my naked ones touch each other. I am sure Freud would have something to say about that… OK as far as touching another naked cigar, I won’t let two different cigars touch. I do have one humi full of no cello cigars but they are all the same cigar. I am sure MLK would have something to say about this…

Different schools of thought here and I like having my cigars with the cello on because I tend to handle my cigars a lot. Having no protection around them tends to scuff them up and worse have the wrappers start to unravel from being handled so much. For those who are cigar purists I can see the reasoning behind not having cello on them...they do age/rest a bit better being exposed to the natural part of having them in a perfect environment and I notice the difference in taste myself. I have aged cigars that are around 5- 10 years old and having them exposed to the natural cedar inside my humidors is just icing on the cake. If I could....I'd have a big enough humidor or closet where I'd probably keep my cigars au natural with no cello at all but for now...that is just a dream for the future.

I have been wondering this too. i usually keep them wrapped due to the fact that it gives them more protection and when i take one out and am not going to smoke it for a while i put a little tape to seal the wrapper so the humidity doesn't affect it that much.

wow im surprised by the results, this is an age old debate but not much of a debate here, seems everyone that weighed in perfers cello on, i keep mine without cello, once there in my humi i dont really handle them to much so ive never noticed any damage or wrapper issues, i have a small glass top so usually have my mind made up on what to smoke before opening i would advise you to do a 1/2 and 1/2 and then over a period of im sure youll know which you perfer

kos22us:
wow im surprised by the results, this is an age old debate but not much of a debate here, seems everyone that weighed in perfers cello on, i keep mine without cello, once there in my humi i dont really handle them to much so ive never noticed any damage or wrapper issues, i have a small glass top so usually have my mind made up on what to smoke before opening i would advise you to do a 1/2 and 1/2 and then over a period of im sure youll know which you perfer

I used to remove the cello and, I'll admit, it looks better, but I do root through looking for stuff and prefer leaving them on now. I still handle them carefully but I don't have to be so worried this way. Not saying that naked is wrong, just not my preference.

Taking the cello off is like declining insurance on your cell phone. It's like taking your rookie Dan Marino card out of the protective cover.It's great...until it's not. Or if you're like my wife and drop your phone twice is a day. I don't lose sleep over sticks without cello, but to outright take it off...that's just not cool.

kos22us:
wow im surprised by the results, this is an age old debate but not much of a debate here, seems everyone that weighed in perfers cello on, i keep mine without cello, once there in my humi i dont really handle them to much so ive never noticed any damage or wrapper issues, i have a small glass top so usually have my mind made up on what to smoke before opening i would advise you to do a 1/2 and 1/2 and then over a period of im sure youll know which you perfer

I would try to leave them off if I could avoid handling them until I'm ready to smoke them. But for now they don't go naked unless they come naked. Even if I bomb or trade or pass naked sticks I usually find some used cello and slip them on. For me it's about reducing the damage to the wrappers plus I'm not convinced that it makes that big of a difference. At least not when weighing it against the potential damage.

kos22us:
i keep mine without cello, once there in my humi i dont really handle them to much so ive never noticed any damage or wrapper issues, i have a small glass top so usually have my mind made up on what to smoke before opening

Some of us aren't as disciplined and spend quite some time trying to figure out what we're in the mood for.
And when you have a large selection to choose from, then not handling them is hard to do.
Personally, I've lost cigars in my tower, so rooting around is the only way to find it.
I'm not disciplined enough to organize my cigars in the cabinet to where I know where they are or where they should be. Those cigars without cello are probably the only ones that have a specific place. I have one shelf sectioned off for those without cello.
The rest have cello.

And one would be surprised at how easily it is to damage cigars without cello.

I keep the cello on mainly to prevent cigar beetles...that scares the CRAP outa me! I had a friend who used to keep cello off...not anymore...ew.

ejasenovic:
I keep the cello on mainly to prevent cigar beetles...that scares the CRAP outa me! I had a friend who used to keep cello off...not anymore...ew.

You may already know this but, cello will slow them down but will not stop them. If they find no naked cigar to eat first, they will chew right through cello to get what they want.

Bob Luken:
ejasenovic:
I keep the cello on mainly to prevent cigar beetles...that scares the CRAP outa me! I had a friend who used to keep cello off...not anymore...ew.
You may already know this but, cello will slow them down but will not stop them. If they find no naked cigar to eat first, they will chew right through cello to get what they want.

True! But won't it also keep the scent somewhat contained?

nope.
cellophane is a porous material.
all kinds of stuff gets through it.
it really is only for protection from human handling.

Cigars - Wrapped
Chicks - Naked

thanks, would love a reply regarding humidity: here in the mountains of western Colorado the humidity is in the single digits, very dry, so I tend to store my sticks w/o cello so they can actually get some humidity, otherwise they tend to be drier, more brittle and unwrap easily. Anyone else from a very dry climate wish to comment?

in a very dry climate, does it keep out the humidity that the cigars need? also, if i don't fondle my sticks too much, is there a drawback to cello free?

Mr. Holden:
i don't fondle my sticks too much

Hang around here and you will be fondling your sticks I assure you. Think the cello keeps it more stable to changes in humidity but doesn't inhibit it. Used to unwrap all my cigars and had no problems really, just a few cracked wrappers. Now I've been keeping them wrapped still no problems and still seeing some cracked wrappers. But I do like to fondle. Haven't really noticed a difference in flavor or burn. Usually unwrap a few and dry box them before I smoke them if I pick one that is wrapped. Most of my aged ones are naked, but some are wrapped too. Like the idea of naked on the top.

Granted I've only been at this 5 months or so, but I started out thinking naked. As my involvement in this forum increased, the space in my humi decreased so I got a cooler. Now, I keep them in the cello. It's permeable and gives them a modicum of protection. I've had to toss a few premium smokes due to damage already. Hoping I never have to again!

The3Stogies:
Mr. Holden:
i don't fondle my sticks too much

Hang around here and you will be fondling your sticks I assure you.
Like the idea of naked on the top.

You all realize how badly that all sounds?
Either that or it's just my warped mind working overtime. ROFL!

0patience:
The3Stogies:
Mr. Holden:
i don't fondle my sticks too much

Hang around here and you will be fondling your sticks I assure you.
Like the idea of naked on the top.
You all realize how badly that all sounds?
Either that or it's just my warped mind working overtime. ROFL!

I was just trying to explain that you should fondle your stick gently if it is wrapped or un-wrapped. That's all, really

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