Real or fake - The eternal question

[larrysputnik]

ok its your money you do what you want with it, but in my opinion if you are a cigar smoker you have a moral obligation not to buy fakes, you are just encourageing the low lifes who make and sell them to carry on and sell to others, like i said this is my opinion you do what you want

Not to mention you really don't know who you might be funding when you buy those fakes. Some might say you have a moral obligation to society not to buy fakes.

P.S. I hope the fake one you smoke doesn't kill you m8.

[noilifcram]

Yeh why bother coming on and asking if you're going to buy them anyway, despite our advice

I don't want to waste anyone's time, it seems the subject of fakes spurs a lot of conversation!

I was curious to know what was the general opinion on fakes and I learned that you can land pretty much anything between a cheap smoke and an awful experience.

I learned a lot reading through all your posts, especially the ribbon detail (1492 marking) so I can say I didn't wast my time.

I did buy two for $10, they're getting back in shape in my humidor as they have not been kept in enough humidity, I will smoke one and gut the other later this week and report my findings with photos.

Thanks to everyone who respondedm you helped a novice in his quest for cigar wisdom

[noilifcram]

they are fakes my friend. Everyone here knows that real Cohibas come in glass-top boxes.
Good luck !!

haha good one! You can see those popping up on craigslist and kijiji every now and then.

Not to mention you really don't know who you might be funding when you buy those fakes. Some might say you have a moral obligation to society not to buy fakes.

P.S. I hope the fake one you smoke doesn't kill you m8.

Really did that ever happen? That sounds like some sort of urban legend to me. Like the cockroaches / insect in fakes; I mean who would bother doing that?

The guy who sold them to me was just a kid who came back from a vacation in Cuba and probably wanted to recover part of his trip's cost. I told him they were fakes and he didn't argue with me; he just seemed surprised but not shocked by all means.

[monkey66]

another risk with fakes is they probably won't have gone through the freezing process and therefore have a higher risk of tobacco beetle eggs. Personally I would not put them in a humi with any sticks I care about.

[noilifcram]

another risk with fakes is they probably won't have gone through the freezing process and therefore have a higher risk of tobacco beetle eggs. Personally I would not put them in a humi with any sticks I care about.

That's certainly a danger, which is why they're quarantined in a smaller humidor all by themselves.

[noilifcram]

Yikes! Fakes!

Surprise surprise! They were exactly as all of you warned me they would be. Great Cigar Wise Men hear my call for forgiveness, I shall not doubt your words ever again... Until next time I guess


The cigars smells a bit odd, there was that Cuban tobacco smell but tainted with other less noble aromas like manure. It feels soft but firm and surprisingly even.



The label is not too far off from the real thing but the golden rectangle and line is a bit off giving it away. The lettering is embossed but the texture is not exactly right. (comparative photo to come)



After removing the wrapper the cigar showed whole leaves pressed tightly. Promising?



The innards show small bits and pieces of tobacco with only 3 whole leaves. They also look old, maybe even with some moss or fungus. Not good...




Having gone that far I could not finish without lighting the other one...


It lit up and drew quite well, but the taste was awfully like that of a cigarette. I'm not experienced enough to know why but I would guess the origin and absence of aging are responsible for that. I put it out right away, not worth anything and eons away from the Siglo II I had myself Saturday night while mourning my college football team's loss in the Canadian semi-final.

One could say I wasted $10 but the optimist in me will say I had the opportunity to see what a fake looks like hands on and the photograph is satisfied with his stock shots of fake cigars

That forum is really great! I intend to stick around if you guys can do with a skeptic like me

[daverave999]

That forum is really great! I intend to stick around if you guys can do with a skeptic like me

Nice photos. Try being skeptical about the often-faked cigars from someone you've never met trying to sell you something, rather than a forum full of cigar aficionados who you asked for help!

[Deano]

Yeah thanks for the photos, band is pretty fake looking.

[MoaningM]

Noilificram, that's a great post to a newbie like myself, your band I see also has a slight white line around the gold rectangle which is a definite No No!

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Counterfeits/Counterfeit_Page/0,3391,97,00.html

[cj121]

Nice dissection there noili, thanks for making the contribution in raising awareness.

By comparison, here's a Boli BF on the slab

CJ

[rokkitsci]

Poor Boli!

Nice dissection there noili, thanks for making the contribution in raising awareness.

By comparison, here's a Boli BF on the slab

CJ

Of course, you re-rolled this lovely stogie. Right cj?

[Rocco]

nice pictures, you make those Cohibas look good enough to smoke. By the way, you think the Alouettes will win on Sunday?
Have a good day!

[tippexx]

Noilificram, that's a great post to a newbie like myself, your band I see also has a slight white line around the gold rectangle which is a definite No No!

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar...391,97,00.html

That white line is more than a No, No MoaningM. It's a massive printing error given the small size of the band. The white is in fact the paper substrate. Black (solid) and all metalic inks are opaque as are metalic foils, which without tearing one of my bands apart is what I think Cohiba use. The colour sequence would be yellow first, then black for the squares and to overprint Havana, Cuba and lastly the Gold, which in registration should fractionally cross and knock-out the neigbouring colours giving a clean sharp appearance. No machine minder worth his salt would let thoes labels go and nor I doubt would Cohiba QC.

The lettering weight for Havana, Cuba is also wrong. It's too light and comma has become 'lost' floating midway between the two words.

[cj121]

Of course, you re-rolled this lovely stogie. Right cj?

I give it a bloody good go George, and farmed it out in one of the comps I did (but don't tell anyone, ssshhhh)

[neuticles]

anyhting on craigslist smells of dishonesty.

the problem with smokers new to Cubans in the US is they are not
exacly legal so newbies cannot distinguish between fakes and the
real deal. an experienced cuban smoker can- for the most part- tell
instantly by the aroma.

ive been a victim of online pirates and fortunately disputed the credit
card charges and sent them back. I only wish there was a website that
exposed the counterfeit websites as they are rife on the internet.