Cigars Buying Guide Cigars Buying Guide Cigars were found to be used by the Indians in South and Central America by Columbus and explorers that followed him. Representation of cigar smoking date from the 10th century and earlier. Cigars are measured by their length and diameter. Short cigars are under 5 in., medium are from 5 in. Skinny cigars have ring gauge below 40, medium is 40 to 48, and fat is over 48.
Most cigars have a traditional round shape.
Those that don't are known as Figurados and can have shapes like Torpedo, Bellicos, Pyramid, Perfecto, or Culebras. The main color classifications of cigars are light, medium, dark, very dark, and exceptionally dark. Very dark and exceptionally dark cigar colors aren't very popular in the United States. Good quality cigars should be sorted according to their shades into uniform-shaded boxes. Cigars should be kept in a rather dry and warm atmosphere.