COMPARED TO THE fairer sex, men typically have far fewer personal accessories (although, having written this list, I acknowledge that men too have plenty). Watches, of course—vintage, neo-vintage, pre-owned and brand spanking new; cufflinks, with the caveat that one must regularly don French-cuff shirts (I might have one or two still lurking about my closet, but in general I find them cumbersome); an elegant pocketknife—still handy in this day and age; and a fine fountain pen (I lean toward Montegrappa and Omas, and Montblanc is a perennial—like a pocketknife, still useful in these digital times).
The cigar lover’s assortment of accoutrements expands greatly. Lighters and cutters top the list, and then there’s the cigar case, my favorite piece of portable puro paraphernalia and the only one of the top three I actively collect. (Though less so these days. Honestly, it got out of hand.)
I can’t remember the first “good” cigar case I acquired. It was likely a discounted Davidoff from my days working at the Beverly Hills flagship. But I do recall the first one I coveted and purchased: an Elie Bleu pocket humidor, which, sadly, is no longer produced. This squared etui à cigares was leather-wrapped with a plastic-walled interior and a designated slot for a custom humidification element. It came in an array of vivid colors; mine was orange. Several years later I lost it in a cab after a debaucherous night out.
It did have one conspicuous design failing: It could accommodate just two cigars. I was taught that a gentleman should always carry a “three-finger” case: a cigar for oneself, one to give and one to trade. Although the Elie Bleu lacked in this regard, it was the first cigar case I thought of with a collector’s mindset.
Cigar cases have been around in their present form, relatively speaking, since la fin de siècle (circa 1895) and are typically crafted from one of two materials: molded coated canvas (with leather trim; think Goyard, Louis Vuitton, Pinel et Pinel and Fauré Le Page) or full-grain, vegetable- and oak bark–tanned leathers. Some are offered in exotic skins as well: crocodile, alligator, ostrich. (Davidoff made a wonderful lizard case in the 1980s and early ’90s.) Others are accented with silver or crafted outright by talented silversmiths.
The best cigar carry-alls, unsurprisingly, come from famed luxury maisons such as Hermès, Vuitton, Gucci, Goyard and Asprey—all of which have offered cases in their signature styles, colors and monogram patterns—as well as exquisite boutique makers such as Falloncuir and Bosquet Paris, the latter of which currently makes the best cigar cases, in my opinion.
Davidoff, Arturo Fuente/OpusX and many of the Habanos S.A. marcas, S.T. Dupont and the aforementioned Elie Bleu all offer cases of their own. Dunhill used to—it no longer does so, but new old stock is plentiful and easily sourced.
The cigar cases, lighters and cutter in this still-life Ian Spanier shot for CIGARS: A Biography are from my personal collection. Again, I might have a problem. Regardless, a case is a wonderful appurtenance for the dignified cigar enthusiast.
still life by Ian Spanier for CIGARS A Biography
