I am an equal opportunity cigar smoker for box-pressed and non box-pressed cigars.
Boxpressed: What For?
- Thread starter burleybreath
- Start date
Strike the whining and this forum goes tits-up.
I was attempting humor (always a risky endeavor).
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.
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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.
What would a round box of cigars even look like.
A tube?
Brian has derailed the thread.
A tube?
Brian has derailed the thread.
I think I'll make a pipe with a square chamber.
I like them, particularly for the non-rolling around part. Padron is a favorite.
For the same size vitola, box press gives you more wrapper and less filler.
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.
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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.
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
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.
As someone who works directly with cigar manufacturing, I can clarify a few things from the factory side:
- Box cost: It’s not true that box-pressed cigars are cheaper because of smaller boxes. The size of the box doesn’t drive cost — what matters is the quality of the wood, finish, hinges, and most importantly, the quantity you can order. Box-pressed runs are usually lower volume, so those boxes often end up the same price or even a little more expensive.
- Extra process: To make a box-pressed cigar, you need an additional pressing step after rolling. This takes time and requires specific molds or box-press stations, which means more labor and handling. That alone increases production cost compared to a standard parejo.
- Defects and breakage: Pressing adds risk. If the humidity or timing isn’t right, cigars can crack or lose shape easily. The percentage of defective cigars is higher, and that loss raises overall cost.
- Production scale: Because box-pressed cigars are produced in smaller quantities than regular shapes, factories spend more resources per cigar — slower process, more supervision, and less efficiency. So yes, they’re more expensive to make.
- Market logic: Whether you like them or not, factories don’t produce cigars that don’t sell. If a cigar is box-pressed, it’s because enough people buy and enjoy them to justify the extra cost.
I can't tell a difference. I think the box pressed fit into my fingers better. But I don't give any consideration, when buying, to whether the cigar is BP or not. If I like it, I like it.
When I bought cigars I liked them fine.
I didnt buy a cigar becuase it was box pressed or not.
I do think that well done examples have an elegant look.
I didnt buy a cigar becuase it was box pressed or not.
I do think that well done examples have an elegant look.
