Boxpressed: What For?

[cshubhra]

I am an equal opportunity cigar smoker for box-pressed and non box-pressed cigars.

 

[burleybreath]

We sure love complaining about options.

Strike the whining and this forum goes tits-up.

 

[brian64]

The square bottle of Jack Daniels was supposedly to protect it during shipping, and more bottles per wagon.

Let’s say it’s 1888, and you have a cigar factory. There’s no cellophane to wrap the product. There’s likely no cardboard, just cedar boxes.

If the rollers press the product into rectangular boxes there’s more pounds per wagon load to the railroad or the docks.

If you use circles for boxes and/or cigars there’s more shipping loss, because they roll around.

I was attempting humor (always a risky endeavor).

 

[anotherbob]

Strike the whining and this forum goes tits-up.

You just revealed my diabolical plan. I also told some unnamed brand to buy another brand and then lied that they sell like two or three tins of those blends. Why cause I am not doing much and it's one way to feel important. Ruin things people like.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Box pressed isn't used to save money. It's a more time consuming process, with extra steps. They do it to make the cigars more fancy.

For example... They box press the Drew Estate Javas so they can justify charging so much for a giant Black & Mild.

 

[Briarcutter]

If you use circles for boxes and/or cigars there’s more shipping loss, because they roll around.

That's why tank cars were developed, round boxes.

 

[anotherbob]

Box pressed isn't used to save money. It's a more time consuming process, with extra steps. They do it to make the cigars more fancy.

For example... They box press the Drew Estate Javas so they can justify charging so much for a giant Black & Mild.

Are you saying that D.E. javas are wrapped in what I suspect is actually kiwi fruit skin? Cause if they are that sounds great.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

What would a round box of cigars even look like.

A tube?

Brian has derailed the thread.

 

[Briarcutter]

I think I'll make a pipe with a square chamber.

 

[fireground_piper]

I like them, particularly for the non-rolling around part. Padron is a favorite.

 

[geoffs]

For the same size vitola, box press gives you more wrapper and less filler.

 

[pantsBoots]

I just think they wanted to save money and use smaller boxes. They sure weren't rolled square! I'm not saying there aren't any, but I've not seen a box pressed Cuban, or cello wrapped for that matter.

All Cubans in dress boxes are box pressed, unless they are in tubos. It's not the same look as the sharp, Padron 90* angle, but it's there. They will lose the boxpress a bit if you remove them from dress boxes and age in humidors, though they never get back to being fully round. All Cubans in wooden cabinet boxes, I believe, are round. Partagas Chicos and the other "minis" are cello-wrapped, as were most of the other machine mades, most of which have been discontinued over the years.

 

[Briarcutter]

All Cubans in dress boxes are box pressed, unless they are in tubos. It's not the same look as the sharp, Padron 90* angle, but it's there. They will lose the boxpress a bit if you remove them from dress boxes and age in humidors, though they never get back to being fully round. All Cubans in wooden cabinet boxes, I believe, are round. Partagas Chicos and the other "minis" are cello-wrapped, as were most of the other machine mades, most of which have been discontinued over the years.

Yes, how silly of me. Not smoked any in a while. One of my fav is Partigas Petit Coronas Especiales, which are box pressed, don't know what I was thinking They don't seem as square as some of the others though.I mostly smoked D-4's and 50 cabs.

 

[pantsBoots]

I’ve never bought one. I don’t have a reason not to like them, other than I usually just buy the ones I’ve been suggested.

Do they burn evenly?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If I had my choice, I'd take round every time, but like stated above, I can't get my beloved Padron 1964 in rounds.

Also, it takes no extra time to box press cigars - they are still moist enough when placed into boxes so they can squish into the rectangular shape. With Cubans, rounds take longer because they're either being put into a tubo before being put into a box, or put into a cabinet which requires wax paper and a ribbon, plus if you've ever taken a 25 or 50 bundle out of a cab to remove the ribbon or inspect them, you know that they're stupid hard to fit back into the box again.

BTW, my favorite box pressed cigar after the Padron 1964 was the short-lived Santos de Miami line from the La Tradicion Cubana people. A Dominican puro that had that old Havana feel, the corners were comically sharp. The burn was not what I'd call "dead nuts" even as the corners burned slightly slower. They did not need a lot of relights. Golly, I hope they make these again.

 

[pantsBoots]

Yes, how silly of me. Not smoked any in a while. One of my fav is Partigas Petit Coronas Especiales, which are box pressed, don't know what I was thinking They don't seem as square as some of the others though.

Definitely not. Everything is so rushed in Cuba and everyone is so underpaid, they're just kind of slapped in the box and sent out the door. Plus, the density of the filler influences how much they press on their neighbor, changing how boxpressed they are.