Expert: James Yee - 6/23/2009

Question
Hello, I recently got a cigar box, not a humidor, just the box the cigars come in, its all wood, and it closes with a latch. I put a Craftsman Bench humidifier in it and saturated it with distilled water.  I'm using this as my makeshift humidor.  I have no Hygrometer but i do have a little thermometer in there, it stays right around 72 degrees.  Is this a bad idea to store my cigars?  I Only keep about 3-8 cigars at a time, and i usually smoke them within a week of buying them. I have no way of knowing the RH but the cigars aren't appearing to dry out. some of them, the smaller ones, do seem a little more spongy than normal.  Like I asked before, do you think this will be safe for my cigars as a short term storage?

Answer
Hi Andrew,

It's perfectly fine to use a cedar cigar box for cigar storage as long as it has a proper humidification device and hygrometer.  You should invest in a hygrometer so you know what the RH is inside the box.  With cigar storage, over-humidification can be a big problem (more so than under-humidification) so you need to make sure your cigars are not at risk.  Prolonged humidity levels over 75% can cause soggy cigars and even cigar mold to appear.  Hygrometers are fairly inexpensive and you can buy them as most cigar stores for as low as $5.

Eventually, you should consider upgrading to a proper humidor as a humidor has a better seal and construction than a cigar box.  A cigar box is fine for short-term storage but when your cigar collection expands, you'll need a proper humidor.  A good startup humidor can start around $100 at most cigar stores.

Hopes this helps.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I will be happy to help.

Regards,
James