Ask any cigar lover how they handle the last inch or so of a cigar and they’re likely to have some homegrown methods involving roach clips, awls, toothpicks and anything and everything else that might be at hand while enjoying one of their favorite smokes. Ask again if they’re satisfied with their solution and some might be complacent using a charred barbecue skewer, but others are ready for a new way to hold on to those last moments. Enter Chuck Leaf and Carlito’s Stogie Nubber. Chuck had a variety of ways to nub a cigar including some of the aforementioned techniques. Then one day a moment of innovation occurred, while working on his custom bass fishing rod business he nubbed a cigar with a homemade tool he had on his workbench. At this point it didn’t seem different than any other nubbing device, until he needed to sit down at the computer. Without thinking about it he placed the tool and the still burning nubbed cigar down on his desk, and the tool and cigar together stood upright. No need to have the nub rolling around in an ashtray, or laying on a desk or table and risk burning any furniture. It was at this moment the journey to creating The Stogie Nubber had begun.

Appearance: The glistening brushed aluminum catches your eye when you take it out of the cello. No sign of oils or veins… wait, this isn’t a cigar. Looking at the Stogie Nubber you can see that it is mostly constructed from a single block of aluminum. This simplicity of the design is a HUGE feature because there are no parts that are going to break or wear down. There are no hinges, grips, clips, springs or other pieces that could lose their usefulness. The only “moving” part on the Nubber is the screw-top that once removed reveals the spike that is soon to impale another cigar. The total height of the Nubber is around three inches and the base is one inch in diameter. This size makes it highly portable and very natural to hold.

First Use: My first attempt with the Nubber was on a Tatuaje Havana VI at Castro’s Backroom in Manchester NH. About half-way through the cigar I was ready to unleash the Nubber and put it to the test of not only holding my cigar, but to general acceptance from the other “aficionados” present. First, before I could pierce the cigar, everyone needed to get a look at the nubber from all angles and after a brief description of its inception, everyone was on board with this being a great tool for enjoying the last inch. The real moment of truth came after I slowly pierced the Tatuaje, brought it back to my mouth for a couple puffs and then put it down on the table. Success! We had a freestanding cigar free from any perils that lurk in the ashtray. As the ash on my cigar started to get close to the Nubber, I easily removed the Nubber and respiked the cigar further down. I repeated this “remove-respike” process until the cigar couldn’t smoke anymore. Unfortunately it wasn’t at the end of the cigar, the cigar quit just into the true nubbing territory. I couldn’t keep it lit to save my life. Whether I was able to fully enjoy the purpose of the Stogie Nubber or not, it was still a successful test run.

Further Use: With the impending approach of Spring (yes, we know it’s already been Spring for 3 weeks, but this is New England), we really had a chance to put the Stogie Nubber through its paces. On the west-facing side of the CigarsEveryday New Hampshire Satellite Office is a little slice of heaven we like to call “Weirdbeard’s Top Shelf Lounge” (long story). This very location is where much of the research for BOTL articles takes place. During the “Spring Opener”, we had the opportunity to fire-up a few worthy sticks as a sacrifice to the all-powerful gods of the New England Smoking Season. First up was an impressive Partagas Lusitania from that little island off the coast of Florida. Despite its generous length, which afforded for an extravagant smoking duration, we found it difficult to lay this puppy to rest. The “Top Shelf Lounge” being appointed with all the necessary amenities for maximizing the enjoyment of our passion/profession (profassion?), Stogie Nubbers weren’t far from reach. One of the most ingenius elements of Chuck’s design is the threaded spike upon which one impales the nub. As opposed to merely stabbing your delicately wrapped cigar with a sharp object, as we neanderthals have been doing until the invention of this awesome piece of equipment, the threads on the Stogie Nubber’s spike allow one to gently screw the nub down to the hilt. This provides not only for the preservation of the wrapper, but also for an air-tight seal. Securely fastened, the “Lucy” was able to release every last bit of its wonderful essence.

We continued our relentless test of the Stogie Nubber with another cigar of Cubanese descent (there is no embargo against products from Cubanesia. We at BOTL adhere strictly to our American economic foreign policy)- the Bolivar Belicoso Fino. This cigar is an excellent example of some of the fine leaf coming out of that afformentioned island, and thus it was made to work all the way down to the last bit of nubular goodness. The conical end of a figurado presents a particularly difficult problem when nubbing a cigar. It rolls around more easily and is difficult to pick up. Carlito’s Stogie Nubber solves this problem handily. The facility of the Stogie Nubber as a rest and not just a handle can not be overestimated. As you can see, our conclusive tests prove the Stogie Nubber’s effectiveness on cigars of any origin. Amazing.

Fire. The wheel. Written language. Euclidian geometry and Newtonian physics. These are the inventions that have made civilization on this planet possible. There are many who would argue that the technological boom that has been ever accelerating since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution has put an end to the evolution of Homo Sapiens. I would argue that Carlito’s Stogie Nubber is proof to the contrary. Yes, my friends, our species continues to advance. Let no man, henceforth, be abandonned to the desolation of fear caused by previously unsmokeable nubs. Let no one among you be damned to the wringing hands and furrowed brow of doubt. Just as man was given dominion over the birds and beasts, he now has mastery of the final inch of a fine cigar. I’ll close with a deadly-serious warning to all cigars: be prepared to give up the ghost.

Stogie Nubber Official Website

-Mike Everyday & AnejoMofo