I’m smoking a Country Man robusto and thinking about what WK asked about yesterday, the state of the machine made industry. National is gone, Graves is gone, Topper as a machine made is gone. FX Smith remains and carries the ball for Graves. Bill Finck hollered “Uncle” and moved lock, stock, and rolling machines to the Dominican Republic. Swisher keeps on doing what they have always done with the Swisher Sweet and King Edward brands. This Country Man I’m smoking was made by Good Times, a machine made and RYO company in Tampa.
Tampa was and must still be the cigar capital of the world. One company that is still rocking along is JC Newman. They make several machine made lines including Black Jack and Mexican Segundos. I’ve never had a Mexican Segundo but I bet they’re good. I found this recent video of the Newman rolling machines in action.
This article is nearly ten years old but I bet not much has changed. Maybe the machine made industry has leveled off for a while.
https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article ... ding-9286
What Machine Made Cigar Are You Smoking Today? WMMCAYST™
- Kevin Keith
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FJB
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Black Jack is a good cigar. I haven't had one in awhile. You've got me thinking.....
- Fr_Tom
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Back when they were cheap, I used to smoke Black Jack Rigoletto by the box. They were my favorite cheap "drugstore" cigar.Whalehead King wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 5:01 pm Black Jack is a good cigar. I haven't had one in awhile. You've got me thinking.....
"Prov'dence don't fire no blank ca'tridges, boys" Roughing It, Mark Twain
Old Ted Award - 2017
Old Ted Award - 2017
Haven't been able to smoke much in the way of MMC's with driving the Side Hustle Shuttle.
There's Game sticks in every gas station, though. I think I'll treat myself and loiter under a streetlight tonight.
There's Game sticks in every gas station, though. I think I'll treat myself and loiter under a streetlight tonight.
Underwater Basketweaver.
Baskets of basket pipes.
Baskets of basket pipes.
I've been smoking "CI Knock-Offs" recently. They taste like fancier handrolled cigars and they claim to be handmade. Hands were involved in the process, I'm sure, but I detect a Lieberman machine in their construction. These cigars are full of flavor, whether they match the name brand, I can't tell you, but their make-up is a bit looser and flimsier than a top-dollar handmade, which leads me to believe the rolling gears and rubber assistance of the Lieberman is involved. Still, like any good machine made cigar, they burn evenly and they are firm enough in the hand to make enjoying one worthwhile.
Right now, I'm enjoying a CI Knock-Off Coffee, which I assume is a knock off of a Drew Estate Java. They don't say on the package what the cigars are an imitation of, leading me to scratch my head to figure out what I ordered. No worries. They're usually good.
Is a CI Knock-Off flavored like coffee as good as a pineapple flavored Game cigar I can buy at a gas station? It's a notch above Game, and not just because I prefer the taste of coffee over pineapple, which I don't.
Right now, I'm enjoying a CI Knock-Off Coffee, which I assume is a knock off of a Drew Estate Java. They don't say on the package what the cigars are an imitation of, leading me to scratch my head to figure out what I ordered. No worries. They're usually good.
Is a CI Knock-Off flavored like coffee as good as a pineapple flavored Game cigar I can buy at a gas station? It's a notch above Game, and not just because I prefer the taste of coffee over pineapple, which I don't.
It's move in weekend at the University of Vermont. Stoner capital of the northeast.
There are no Game cigars in stock at the gas station where I took my smoke break from driving Uber.
Or Dutch Masters of any flavor.
Not much of a smoke break.
There are no Game cigars in stock at the gas station where I took my smoke break from driving Uber.
Or Dutch Masters of any flavor.
Not much of a smoke break.
Underwater Basketweaver.
Baskets of basket pipes.
Baskets of basket pipes.
- Kevin Keith
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Not much of a Stoner Capital, either.
FJB
Vote Trump 2024!
Vote Trump 2024!
Au contrair.
They are sold out
Underwater Basketweaver.
Baskets of basket pipes.
Baskets of basket pipes.