Bands On / Bands Off?

[MrMotoyoshi]

The cigar or the band?

I take the band off after smoking 3/4 of the cigar.

[thechasm442]

Band goes off when the cigar is burning close enough to it to heat the glue and make it effortless to remove.

[Lynn]

with my tobacco stained fingers, I tear off that band and lick that cigar from toe to head before I smoke it..

[TreySC]

I usually take it off at some point during the smoke.

[Tombstone]

I like to save my bands so I leave it on till I have to take it off. The heat tends to help loosen them up. Also helps avoid too much damage when you get that over zealous employee who schalacks the band to the wrapper like a toddler with a tub of paste.

[herman]

If the band feels tight or has a solid bond then I take it off before I light up so I don't disturb the ash. If it feels easy to remove I leave it on.

[DrBob]

I leave the band on as long as I can. I like the aesthetics of the band, but more importantly I tend to fiddle with my cigar and the band keeps me from damaging the cigar while smoking it.

[Ropey]

I take it off before I light it.

The idea that the "heat" of the cigar "loosens" the glue is bunk. The vegetable glues used in cigar rolling are "thermogels" -- this means that, as they heat, they harden even more. Which makes sense, because otherwise cigars would all start coming unrolled as they burned.

Look it up if you don't believe me.

[Indyhp]

Cut, remove band, toast, light, smoke.

I take the band off before lighting for two reasons. First, I find it is easier to carefully remove a band that doesn't want to let go if the cigar isn't approaching nub-size and there isn't a smoking fire in my face and 1/2 inch from my fingers. The heat DOES NOT make a stuck band easier to remove.

Second, to me it looks either unpracticed or pretentious to smoke a stogey with the band on. That's just how I feel about it, your mileage may vary.

[Sticky B]

I keep it on for the pretty

I take it off for the taste