lanikai

as it has been done before by others .. spain will have very good quality however they are notorious for conterfiet also.. you would have to be certain that they are habanos sa certified.. the box codes and even tax stamps are brilliant as are their boxes... have had rookies at this get burned a lot from sites in spain... i cannot divulge how i obtain my sticks... but you can not go to Habanos "SA" directly unless you have a source in Cuba.. but if you live in EU you have very good quality already ... the only advantage (and a big one) to going out of country is to avoid the taxes and duties which can be very costly. Hong Kong is duty free.. however the habanos site mentioned is good but not as good as you would like.. although their smaller gauges are not bad.. when ordering unbanded sticks the paper work is done to avoid costly taxes but now customs is scrutinizing paper work more ... I am familiar with the canary islands pitch.. ahhhhh... A group was popped in florida 2 years ago .. millions in conterfiet Cohibas.. glass tops..cohib never made glass top boxes.. they racked in millions off this scam

I have a very good contact in Geneva.. his boxes are incredible ... some of them NNSC code... 1997 ie. Bolivar PC 1997 vintage.. for less than you would pay online for 07 box code.. would not advise shipping to the US though... it will get confinscated.. andre will replace it or refund.. but not worth getting red flagged by customs ...he still emails me with availability .. and i drool over the box code and prices but can do nothing.. his quality is outstanding

you are probably right . as i don't smoke these vitolas.. they are way too mild for me.. if someone sends some to me .. i feel bad.. but i give them away .. it would be a waste to just leave them lying around.... the milder sticks do well in France for the lighter palates.. or so I'm told

if you are in the US .. be careful of cigarsof habanos.. they send through regular mail with fake paper work.. a lot of people recieve letters from not customs but from the Justice department.. this is the downfall of getting unbanded sticks in the US mail.. the main concern is the paper work... justice tracked the paper work sent from different addresses but having the same sender.. they label thier card board boxes .. cigars from the philippines.. "cigars of Mindinao" and their quality is very lacking .. it is authentic cubans for cheap but there are different grades ..ie. the best grades are reserved for England "EMS" will be marked on the box or tube...Honk Kong.. as you have a lot of vintage collectors there.. Min Ron Nee.. author of the book .. encyclopedia of Post Revolutionary cigars... (that's his pen name.. by far the number one expert on cuban cigars).. i got his book smuggled out of Canada ...150 usd .. it is the best reference book for current and vintage discontinued vitolas Geneva.. very ..very good quality.. singapore and Canada.. these regions have some of the best grades of cubans... ia am expecting a 50 cab of Por Laranaga petite corona... exellent very full bodied smoke ... hard to come by . very small factory..

I don't order via web site.. my contacts are through refferal only.. they belong to the Habanos SA consortium and travel to Cuba to select the vitolas I think the one who started the thread is buying from habanosdirect.. to much (this is funny) counterfiet sticks out there.. the tax band on the box is even authentic.. down to the triple capped foot.. and when and if i ever buy a fresh box say 06 or 07 they will not be touched for at least another year at the earliest but more like two.. All my cohibas are at least 4 years old... they are lacking flavour and body when fresh but after a couple .. three years are like the older tobaco .. before the desease and hurricane wiped out the crops and made them hybrid desease resistant seed which are milder in body than the pre 99 leaf.. the monte #2 for example is a pure waste IMHO if smoked fresh.. and if the sticks go through a "sick period" disspelling ammonia then it could take a year to get them right again.. had 2 cabs of 50 count punch punch go sick at the same time.. but now they are superb.. also had a cab of punch super selection #2(discontinued) go sick and this was after 4 or 5 years box code.(.the older code).. they were tastless for a year and now they are superb.. I will post pics of my Cuaba diademes and salamones.. when fresh they smel like cut grass .. and after 2 years start turning an incredible reddish colour and at 5 (minimum for smoking) are like red dirt in colour.. many people try them and say they aren't any good but they are smoking them way too young.. Cubans unlike any other tobaco in the world (nicaragua comes close) has conogenes (oils) that get better with time as long as they are humidified correctly and become stronger with age.. it's the bonding of the simple molecules in some instances.. Cubans are like wine .. there are some vitolas that are surreal at 25 to 30 years .. and others that start going flat after 10... as long as the oils are kept humidified the sticks will keep maturing.. so I constantly monitor all my humidors and chests... sometimes needing to extract moisture forom the sticks too.. hawaii is very humid and the ocean is close by so i have to be careful of salt air too. when I have say 1997 vintage sticks they sometimes get so tight in the ligero.. i have to over humidify them and roll them with the palm of my hand on a table as they would in the factory to loosen the stick so it can draw.. when i do this the box could take up to a year to get "right " again naturally... but it is worth it.. I have 1997 La Gloria Cubana (cuban) lonsdales that would blow your fu**ing eyes out . they are like from the old stock of tobaco before the new generation of seeds were developed... the bands are cool cause they are so aged.. the next time i take them out to check on their condition i will post pics..and the next time i take out the La Corona Pre-embarged stick (machine rolled) I will post a pic,.. don't like to expose that to oxygen too often.. I "imagine" it may have been bought in the Hotel that Al Capone built.. when the Mob flourished in Havana... i like nostalgia.. And i will post pics of the Davidoff number 1.. extinct now, Davidoff was kicked out of cuba .. i believe he didn't want to join in with habanos SA .. which is the govt. .. they sell for 100 usd per stick.. it was gifted to me.. i don't like davidoff way too mild like Fonseca and the rest of the milder cubans..but again I keep it as art sake. hows this for a nub job.. sooo good .. San Cristobal La F. ......2 year old.. still a lot of good aging to go .. but very flavoursome

For you Ryyannon .. there is a special blend, rolled with the aged and cured leaf of HEMLOCK ... you can even use it for your afternoon tea... won't even charge you for it.. Aloha Ke Akua May you and yours have a Blessed and Joyous Holiday Season And a Very healthy and Prosperous New Year.. Mele Kalikimaka .. Hauole Maka Hiki Hoe.... Lani

You are dead on in the observation that the markers "are pasted on" after recieving my 3717 the 3 and 6 markers popped off the dial exposing an indent in the dial and protruding fit to the indent on the makers underside.. it is pasted and snapped on i guess.. my collector took care of the problem.. and although i read your post as just an observation i as u still love this replication

I think this may be better served in the Collector's review section ????

YES W.. my collector has given a heads up on this one

Very nice collection!! nice pics also!! LIVE STRONG AND WEAR THEM WELL

yes, refer to this thread i posted earlier to clarify the difference in dials from the sticks to the numerals.. it does replicate to the genuines.. difference in concentric rings in sub dials and stick dial concentric rings and size of font in subs http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=61077

looks fantastic avitt.. i like the finish.. how hard is the surface? does it hold up to scratches ? Edit: sorry .. as you stated it is harder than PVD

the blue dial with black sub dials is a special edition.. however that is not the model I have ordered.. this is the Genuine (pic) and the replication hopefully is spot on.. (Italiano sent link for the pic.. thanks IT).. i will be recieving a spare numeral dial.. it has been advised that the stick dial is the better of the 2 for this colour.. but i will post pics of the numeral dial also

Wow and i thought it was going to be a mellow sunday... the SOSF would get my "vote" for "best rep out of the box" but "rep of the year' is subjective to everyones own preference.. but i would lean towards this rep definately no matter the cost of the genuine.. that should not come into play at all IMHO.. and the concentric rings in the BCE .. there is a difference in the stick dial and the numeral dial.. the replicated versions are spot on to the genuine.. as far as the research i've done and posted findings on.... the stick dial has subtle rings on the dial and not the subs and the numeral dial has very pronounce rings in the subs but not the rest of the dial Can't wait to see what 2008 will bring...

got tired of spending the money at the watchsmith just to adjust the pin.. got tired of needles ticking in my fingers got tired of putting scatches in the braceket.. got the plier pin pusher on ebay "turtle creations" ... this think has the Tag crono.. pins comeing out like butter!! You can even order extra pins.. @ 2.75.. the plier with pushers was about 24 usd. not a bad price .. 2 wathces pay for the cost

Can anyone recommend a decent mild "starter" cigar that's not going to blow my head off? Start off with a dominican or Honduran.. for Cuban... Fonseca should be mild.. as your palate becomes accustomed you may want more full bodied smokes

too much for not even aged

@TT... some show and tell bra.... the Robaina box has not been opened in a year.. the Edicion limitada last opened to air about 6 months ago .. some very light Plume developing already the tubes are from boxes that have been discontinued .. long ago the Trinidad fundadores are from the "initial" release.. these will not be smoked for at least another 5 plus years, the reason being I have 5 year olds and seems a watse to not keep aging these .. the cohiba EL's need at least 3 or 4 more years. got enough to rotate... you already know the history behind the Trinidad ... used only for diplomatic gifts.. and only came in the Fundadores vitola before public release Robaina really needs minimum 5 years to be acceptable... if you ever get to try the Monte Especialle 1 .. it will not dissapoint... fullest bodied Monte.. needs at least 5 years though..(don't ask about that one.. their my babies.. ) .. Cohibas aren't my Favs.. kind of mild.. but with some good age they are very good.. a bit overrated though still go for the Parti's and RA's and SLR's for full flavour.. but can't wait to try the Maduro's after another year of aging Notice the sheen from the oils mixing.. you cannot beat good aging [attac ment=18538:IMG_1940.JPG] [attac ment=18536:IMG_1943.JPG] Life is Definately GOOD

Haven't forgotten u TT.. your sticks are packed ... but no way am i even attempting to get in that "night club like" line.. don't know the door man.. don't have 2 hours to killat the post office......... yikes, gotta wait until after the holiday postal rush to send buddy...

too many favorites to count.. some include (all aged at least 3 - 5 years) many are box code NNSU.. NNSC... 98.. 97 Ramon Allones Gigantes ... Special Select... etc. Partagas Lusitanias.. shorts and some discontinued .. and all gauges Punch double Coronas Punch Churchills... Punch Punch and discontined gauges Hoyo de Monteray Double Coronas.. peite Corona.. and the rest SLR Double Coronas.. and all gauges Bolivar Churchills.. and the rest H. Uppmann Monarcas (tubos) and Sir Winston .. Monarcas and SW to close to tell Cohiba ... all gauges Discontinued.. RA Lonsdales SLR Lonsdales La Gloria Cubana .. ALL GAUGES Montes... all gauges .. most full bodied is the Especialles... some are EMS selections... recent release.. Petite Edmundo Trinadad .. 1st release Fundadores(gold Band).. collectors edition..and all gauges .. new 07 Maduro release pre embargoed .. oils still good .. will never smoke them just to view fom time to time San Cristobol ... El Morros .. El P> and the rest.. Great for aging new brand 2000 specially rolled pyramids .. Cohiba, Partagas, Hoyo, Romeo Julieta Romeo Julieta.. tubos and the rest Cuaba .. All (just aging for now).. Divinos 1997 discontinued Robaina.. All and all of them are superlative Aged Opus X.. rivals Hanbanos believe it or not ... aged 8 years.. total pure white ash.. no gray at all Probably forgot another chest that is aging... chest holds 50 boxes each don't boast of how many Reps i have collected .. but as far as Habanos... this has been a long journey and collecting aged and aging myself has made me very proud of what i have collected..thus i will boast on this thread morning smoke? peitites.. shorts.. Lunch? anything that is 1 to 1 1/2 hours.... late early evening... depending on what i eat.. but the DC's or Churchill .. some really potent Lonsdales as these are more bodied than some of the bigger gauges Gotta love Life

ordered ultimate that matched genuine dial .. stick markers ss sent out today.... but again probably won't arrive until after nextweekend ,... I'm sure things will be backed up a bit.. let's see ....

1665 MBW GW.... TTK

mine will arrive probably after the holiday .. i know it will be delayed big time after xmas closing of post office.. holed on and i will post pics.. Lani

clenbuterol gets my vote.. T3 .. ahh man this is just like watches their all my favorites .. what's the stack MT?

there is something brand new out that does not retain water and burns body fat, told about it yesterday.. it is a precursor .. and promotes very lean mass... going to see about it now.. will get back,, @Ry .. but remember what ever supplement you take you still have to work out with a passion for results to be seen. many people think they can take creatine (for example) and bulk up .. not true.. you have to work out much harder than normal to see ultimate results.. MT I'm sure is aware of that. .. what ever supplement .. it's the "singer not the song" In other words you get back exactly what you put into your training. I was a personal trainer for years.. now just help for the joy of it.. start slowly and build up .. it is a life style change .. that is actually what getting in shape is ..not just excersize and just an add on. GH levels .. unless u are taking HGH, spikes during workouts and then when sleeping.. HGH keeps GH levels red lined 24/7