Monday, November 29 1999
Q. Have you ever used a poker for a bad burning cigar? If so, do they work well? - Brad
A. Actually, I have one here in the office for emergencies. They do work pretty well, but there is always the risk of pushing the poker through the side of the cigar and what you've got is a mess. You often have to run the rod through the cigar several times, but if you're patient, by turning the poker slowly (like a screwdriver) as you push, and you're very careful, the poker devices will help get the knots out of the cigar. It's very hard to "poke" the cigars straight up the middle because of how the tobacco is packed, so the trick is, once you "feel" you're getting too close to the wall of the cigar, stop.
