CIGAR MAKING
HAND-MADE CIGARS. MACHINE-MADE CIGARS. CLASSIFICATION OF CIGARS. TERMS
USED IN THE CIGAR TRADE.
CIGAR MAKING
It was inevitable that modern progress should invade and revolutionize the
old and slow methods of cigar making; and so it has. Smoking is a
sentimental occupation and lends itself easily to romantic associations. A
good deal of romance and sentiment still hangs around the hand-made cigar
and cigarette. In an up-to-date cigar factory, however, the whir of
machinery and the precise, regular movements of automatic contrivances
give little scope for sentiment.
Up to 1870 cigars were hand-made. All that was necessary was an
inexpensive board, a cutting knife, and a block of wood with a stationary
knife, known as a "tuck," for measuring and cutting the finished cigar.
About the time stated the "mold" was introduced. The mold is a wooden
block about 18" x 6" x 3", a tool which facilitates the shaping of the
"bunch" or filler part of the cigar and presses it into shape. This mold
is now used in most "hand-made" cigar factories where the labor is
subdivided into "bunch-makers" and "rollers," the latter putting on the
binder and wrapper and finishing the cigar.
It is the introduction of practically automatic machinery, however, which
is revolutionizing the cigar-making business, and slowly but surely
driving the "hand-made" cigar into the position occupied by the
"hand-made" cigarette. And the writer cannot see why this should not be
so. As it has been said, there is much sentiment about hand-made cigars.
But common sense seems to be on the side of the machine. We quite
understand the difficulty of killing old prejudices and time honored
customs; but it is difficult to understand how the flavor or quality of a
cigar filler can be different whether it is pressed into the shape by a
machine or by the hand of a workman; or what the precise improvement is
when a wrapper leaf is put on and licked by a workman rather than by a
clean machine under perfect sanitary conditions. However, sentiment still
persists. Imaginary, or perhaps real, charms are ascribed to the hand-made
goods and the smoker is willing and even wishful to pay a higher price for
his fancy. The result is that the small factory is still predominant. It
depends more on labor than on capital. But the large factories have an
immense production. The condition will be best shown by stating that in
less than 1 per cent of the cigar making establishments of the U. S.
nearly 50 per cent of the entire output is made, or, putting it another
way, nearly three-fourths of all the licensed cigar factories produced
less than one-tenth of the product. Of the 26,000 establishments in the U.
S. only in 2 is the annual output more than 50 million and in 27 the
output runs from 25 to 50 million. Pennsylvania establishments,
principally in Philadelphia, produce 28% of the entire U. S. cigar output;
New York State, principally New York City, comes next with about 20%; and
Ohio, principally Cincinnati, third with about 8%.
For machine-made goods the principal machines used are the bunch rollers
and the suction table. The former rolls the bunch of filler leaves and
presses them into shape. The suction table is used for wrapping the cigar.
The operator places the wrapper leaf on a perforated plate. By pressing a
foot lever a vacuum is created beneath this plate which holds the leaf
smooth and snug against the table. The perforated plate is exactly the
form which the wrapper must be to properly fit the cigar. It is easily cut
around and trimmed to shape. The bunch from the bunch roller is then
quickly encased in the wrapper. Human labor is necessary only to feed the
machines and to spread the wrappers. 25,000 bunches can easily be wrapped
in a week at a cost of $6 to $9 for labor (principally female) and the
upkeep of the machine. This in labor alone would formerly cost as much as
$75.00. In the smaller "hand-made" factories, the method of procedure is
about as follows: The leaf on receipt is opened and moistened. The
"filler" leaf is separated from the wrapper. The filler leaf is made up
into "books," a "book" being a bunch of leaves suitable for one cigar. The
loose books are then allowed to ferment for a week or so when they are
ready for use. The bunchmaker selects and arranges his leaves from each
book, selects his binder and rolls the whole into cigar form. If a mold is
used he puts the bunch in a matrix of the mold and fastens down the cover
until the leaves are pressed into shape. They then go to the wrapper man
and are wrapped either by machine or by hand, according to the class of
goods. The wrapping is begun at the lighting end and finished at the point
which is called the head. After trimming to gauge, the cigar is ready for
inspection and classification according to color, etc., and for banding.
Cigars according to their manufacture are classed for trade purposes in
various ways. The trade nomenclature embraces the following descriptions:
Cigars, little cigars, all-tobacco cigars, stogies and cheroots.
Cigars proper have many subdivisions:
(1) IMPORTED CIGARS. This term is usually confined to cigars made in
Cuba, and does not include Porto Rican or Philippines.
(2) PORTO RICO CIGARS. }
} Used for cigars made in those places.
(3) PHILIPPINE CIGARS. }
(4) CLEAR HAVANAS. This term denotes a cigar made by hand in the U. S.
of Cuban tobacco exclusively and in the same style as in Cuba.
(5) SEED AND HAVANA. Up to about 50 years ago there were no clear
Havanas made in the U. S., the best produced being a combination of
Havana leaf and leaf grown in the states from imported Havana seed.
Hence the term which ordinarily means an American made cigar, the
filler being wholly or partly of Cuban tobacco and the wrapper, a
domestic or Sumatran leaf.
(6) DOMESTIC CIGARS. This term is used for cigars made in the U. S. in
contra-distinction to imported cigars.
(7) NICKEL GOODS. Ordinary 5c cigars made either entirely, of domestic
tobacco or with a Sumatran wrapper, and usually made partly or wholly
by machine. It also usually includes "segundos" or "seconds," i. e.,
cigars of a better type made to sell at higher prices but which on
account of some defect are rejected on inspection. Sometimes clear
Havanas made of scrap filler and inferior wrapper are included. These
cigars have a vast variety of designations and make up the general
stock of most cigar stores. The cost of production does not usually
exceed $20.00 per thousand and they sell to dealers at from $25.00 to
$30.00.
(8) STOGIES, TOBIES, ETC. CHEROOTS. Cigar shaped rolls of cheap
domestic tobacco made quickly by machine, and of various sizes.
Cheroots are open at both ends. The filler of stogies is usually a
western grown leaf of full size, but rough quality. They are
manufactured principally in Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh,
Wheeling, etc.
One of the large tobacco companies operates about 25 large cigar factories
in various centers of the U. S. Here are made all classes of domestic
cigars, but all are made under the same conditions of sanitation, economic
handling and strict supervision. The leaf is prepared, selected,
fermented, blended, etc., in the company's own special leaf houses and is
despatched to the various factories as needed. All the better class of
domestic cigars are hand-made, machinery being used in making the cheaper
grades. There are special factories for the making of "little cigars," of
which a vast number are made on account of their popularity. These include
the package goods and those put up in cardboard boxes of which such brands
as "Virginia Cheroots" and "Royal Bengals" are types. By the terms "little
cigar" the trade recognizes all cigars under the regular standard size and
which weigh less than 3 pounds per thousand. In some "little cigar"
factories these little cigars are not made from inferior leaf. They are
made usually from the small leaves of the tobacco intended for higher
priced goods, but which on account of faulty size cannot be used. The leaf
is, however, cured and prepared in exactly the same way. In addition the
"scrap" or waste portions of the high priced leaf is used for fillers for
little cigars. The little cigars of this type are usually of first-rate
quality and on account of their small cost give excellent value to the
smoker.
CIGARS. MISCELLANEOUS
There are a good many terms used in the cigar trade to denote color, size,
quality, etc., which smokers should know the meaning of. Most of these
terms are Spanish, because the cigar trade was for a long time confined to
Cuba.
_Terms used to denote the quality of cigar leaf_
DESECHO. The finest quality; the top leaves of plant; best because they
have received most sunshine and dew.
DESECHITO. Good leaves but inferior to desecho.
LIBRA. Good leaves but small in size; the smaller top and bottom leaves.
INJURIADO. Injured leaves; root leaves soil stained and injured by
insects.
_Terms used to denote color_
Note: The color term refers to the wrapper only. Many smokers judge the
mildness or strength of a cigar by its outside color. This is a fallacy.
The wrapper constitutes only about 2 per cent of the cigar weight.
Moreover color is no criterion of strength. The darkest cigar may be and
usually is very mild. The color is due (1) to the soil, (2) to the age of
the plant when cut, and (3) to the length of time of curing and
fermentation. As a general rule the lighter the color the more inferior
and immature is the tobacco. Cigar smokers should remember this.
CLARO or CLARA. Very light colored. The lightest shade known in selected
leaves.
COLORADO. Red; medium in color.
COLORADO CLARA. Light Brown.
COLORADO MADURO. Dark Brown.
MADURO. Ripe; very dark, almost black in color.
_Terms used to denote size and shape_
CONCHAS. Shell; cigars so marked are 4-1/4" long.
CONCHA FINA. A first quality Concha.
CONCHA ESPECIAL. Finely finished and somewhat larger than a Concha.
LONDRES. London. Specially made for the London market and on account of
its shape and length.
REGALIAS. A cigar of a finer grade of tobacco than is used in Londres or
Conchas.
DAMAS. Ladies; small cigar about 3" long.
PANATELAS. A long thin cigar that has been heavily pressed.
NON PLUS ULTRA. A large handsome cigar made from the finest tobacco.
ESCEPCIONALES. Exceptionally large sized cigar.
OPERA. A small after-dinner cigar about 3-1/4" long.
PRINCESSES. Like the Opera, but thinner.
COQUETTAS. Flirt; 3-1/2" long.
BREVAS. A short, thick cigar.
NOBLESSE. The largest and most expensive cigars.
In addition to the above there is a multitude of trade names, such as Club
House, Hoffman House, Rothschilds, Invincibles, Perfectos, etc., etc. Some
of these terms merely denote particular brands put out by certain makers
and to distinguish their products. The Spanish terms refer to the cigar
itself and not to the maker. They may be used by any maker, and no longer
refer to any standard of excellence.
(_See references end of Chapter XV_)