Cigar Geeks

Members Lounge => Humidors and Storage => Topic started by: ToXs on 08/10/2018 07:32 PM

Title: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: ToXs on 08/10/2018 07:32 PM
Hey guys and girls. First time on this Forum, actually first time on any cigar forum:). So please take it easy if I say something out of turn or ask a newbie question. :) I am not new to cigars, but up to now I have always been lucky enough just to have access to them so I never thought about buying more than a couple or a box. Recently I bit the bullet and invested in some, and an Adorini humidor. Seasoned well, quality made, cigars are stored away, all is good. But now I am hooked. There is something about having access to your own collection. Anyway to cut the story straight to my question:). I have now been seriously thinking about getting a table humidor custom made. After some searching found a couple of guys (strangely they are all in the US, in Europe they don't seem to have wood craftsmen unless it involves your floor ),anyway, do any of you have any experience about getting a humidor custom made? Is getting a high grade mass produced humidor better than having one crafted for you? Any replies would be most welcome, oh and be warned... I will probably ask then even more questions :)

P.S. Now please, if there is something on your desk that's from Daniel Marshal range or Elie Blue or a Solloshi 88 - there is no need to reply to my question, I am happy for you but for me they seem to be way overpriced.

Thank you for reading, and hoping for a reply:)
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: headfirst on 08/11/2018 02:32 AM
I don't have a table humi but as far as mass produced humis go I have a Versailles, Foot Locker, a Cordoba, and some jars and they keep fine as long as I do a little humidity source maintenance about once a month.  I would guess custom would be pretty pricey and I'd rather spend that money on good cigars...so probably a matter of personal preference.
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Chefjohn on 08/11/2018 03:52 AM
Quoteheadfirst - 8/11/2018  3:32 AM

I don't have a table humi but as far as mass produced humis go I have a Versailles, Foot Locker, a Cordoba, and some jars and they keep fine as long as I do a little humidity source maintenance about once a month.  I would guess custom would be pretty pricey and I'd rather spend that money on good cigars...so probably a matter of personal preference.

I agree with Gary. I currently have a Tresure Dome humidor seasoning. I would some day like to get a tower so I can get full boxes but I'm not quite ready for either yet.
Title: RE: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: DonM on 08/11/2018 05:42 AM
Welcome to the Forum!

I know of only 1 person that has had a custom humidor built and he would only say it was quite expensive but worth it.  So, if you are in the situation where you can spend the coin, it would be awesome to have a custom build
 
I am assuming you are in Europe by your post.  Do you have something like Craigs list here in the US?  Just giving you some ideas, a few of us here in the forum have scored really good deals on cabinets / towers by surfing Craigs list locally within the last year.  I got a tower in like new condition, Cigar Oasis Magna, and a Xikar purutemp hygrometer set with 2 sensors for $400.  The gent that had it admitted to having paid over $1K for the humidor alone




Title: RE: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Chefjohn on 08/11/2018 06:13 AM
QuoteDonM - 8/11/2018  6:42 AM

Welcome to the Forum!

I know of only 1 person that has had a custom humidor built and he would only say it was quite expensive but worth it.  So, if you are in the situation where you can spend the coin, it would be awesome to have a custom build
 
I am assuming you are in Europe by your post.  Do you have something like Craigs list here in the US?  Just giving you some ideas, a few of us here in the forum have scored really good deals on cabinets / towers by surfing Craigs list locally within the last year.  I got a tower in like new condition, Cigar Oasis Magna, and a Xikar purutemp hygrometer set with 2 sensors for $400.  The gent that had it admitted to having paid over $1K for the humidor alone

Man I need to find a deal like that. I keep looking.




Title: RE: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: ToXs on 08/11/2018 07:50 AM
Thank you for your reply. I actually think I saw your post when you were initially considering to buy it from CL.   :cool: . And then I saw the photos, looks cool, did the contents come with it ?
Yes I am in Europe and there are similar type of sites I  Ireland like "Done Deal", "Buy and Sell", etc.  The problem with those sales (and they are very rare) is that I am not aware of any dedicated cigar lovers other than my small circle of friends, so when you do see someone selling a humidor online it's either a) has been someone's garage or an attic, so most likely "leaky" as neglected.
Or it's an Alibaba humidor, mass produced, questionable quality  :hityou: . Now don't get me wrong, some factory assembled humidors are excellent as they would have some very strict quality controls like my 150 count Adorini, but we all know we want to have that one humidor which is the pride of you collection, the conversation piece, the story-teller, ah the bragging one. My friend has one but he was gifted it by a person who had to give up cigars. And then I saw this little beauty. So yeah...want a custom made one. You mentioned spend coin,
 :blech: ... let's play a game "how much do you think it would cost?".. let's just be realistic and not "if I won the lotto!"  :party:
Title: RE: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: DonM on 08/11/2018 08:12 AM
I am not sure that you could put a solid number on it without consulting the builder or is it even worth the cost vs a mass produced humidor

Take a look at the cost of Spanish cedar for the lining, it is not cheap.  Then, what wood are you using for the build?  Now, lets talk about the time that the craftsman will have invested in building the humidor, even if they have the knowledge and tools to do the job correctly.  I looked at plans on building one some time ago and it is quite a project done correctly.  

Yes, you would have a piece worthy of bragging rights, but could have bought/smoked some damn fine cigars for the money invested.

I am just fine bragging about my Craigs list find   :biggrin:
Title: RE: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: ToXs on 08/11/2018 01:32 PM
Well here it is :biggrin: Adorini Santiago Deluxe Humidor 150 count but I think that's a bit of a push to fit that many in. Anyway, all set, drink ,check, and where is that fireplace?. Back to researching custom humidors.  

Please keep your insights coming. Any input is knowledge that I did not have yesterday  :shades:
Title: RE: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Brlesq on 08/11/2018 08:13 PM
QuoteToXs - 8/10/2018  8:32 PM
Is getting a high grade mass produced humidor better than having one crafted for you?

Absolutely no difference as far as keeping your cigars in good condition.  In fact, many of our members use "coolidors" which work just fine. The only difference will be aesthetics, if that is important to you.  Most of us prefer to invest our money in good cigars rather then the the storage box.  I have a custom humidor (made by a generous member here years ago), many mass-produced humidors, an end table humidor and a tower.  No complaints with any of them so long as they hold the humidity and you maintain them properly.

Title: RE: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Chefjohn on 08/11/2018 09:07 PM
QuoteBrlesq - 8/11/2018  9:13 PM

QuoteToXs - 8/10/2018  8:32 PM
Is getting a high grade mass produced humidor better than having one crafted for you?

Absolutely no difference as far as keeping your cigars in good condition.  In fact, many of our members use "coolidors" which work just fine. The only difference will be aesthetics, if that is important to you.  Most of us prefer to invest our money in good cigars rather then the the storage box.  I have a custom humidor (made by a generous member here years ago), many mass-produced humidors, an end table humidor and a tower.  No complaints with any of them so long as they hold the humidity and you maintain them properly.


I agree with Bruce. I have been using a Tupperdor that has done real well for me but recently bought a 200 count humidor I couldn't turn down. Bottom line is exactly as Bruce said that that any storage vessel that holds the humidity is a good one.
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: c9belayer on 08/13/2018 03:08 PM
Several years ago I made 5 custom desktop humidors very similar to the Daniel Marshall ones. See: http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=42126.0 Materials for each box averaged $178 (retail - I have no wholesale license dammit) and labor for each one averaged 27 hours. Do the math. Bespoke will _always_ be more expensive than production work, by a lot. Don't get me wrong, I dearly love the 2 I have left, but I really recommend CraigsList and tupperdors for a few years until you really know what you want/need. Oh, and enjoy the ride!
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: c9belayer on 08/13/2018 03:13 PM
Also keep in mind that cigar counts are (usually) measured using Coronas (EDIT: and without dividers!). The ones I built are advertised as 50-count, but really only hold about 38 sticks of all sizes comfortably. Your mileage, of course, may vary.
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Chefjohn on 08/13/2018 03:18 PM
Those are gorgeous.
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Cfickter on 08/13/2018 03:39 PM
I feel you jump into custom only because you are looking for something unique or special, perhaps a special capacity, made from a certain wood, match something else in the room?
Other than that I don't feel the custom humi's offer any better protection for your cigars.  But if the other items are important to you then go for it.
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Chefjohn on 08/13/2018 03:43 PM
I went with a wood humidor because she who must be obeyed did not want a bunch of Tuperdors around.
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: klamm143 on 08/13/2018 09:36 PM
I like all shapes - sizes - styles - colors - price ranges - etc..........................as long as they are FULL.
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: WatchmanUSA on 08/13/2018 11:21 PM
For custom work take a look at Ammodors: http://www.ammodors.com/shop/custom-cigar-humidors/
They make humidors out of military surplus Ammo cans and Ammo crates.  

Then look at Waxing Moon: http://www.waxingmoonhumidors.com/custom-humidors
Ed makes good stuff.

Don't forget about Winedors: http://www.wineadors.com/gallery.html
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: PETE314 on 08/14/2018 01:08 PM
Another option outside of a full custom humidor is a custom conversion.  I have converted a small wine cooler http://www.cigargeeks.com/index.php?topic=14807.0   this is a very easy mod that most people can do regardless of size of the wine cooler...Some can get really fancy with custom drawers built etc..  Other conversions of course are more reliant on the skill of the builder...But one not as crazy of a build is a cabinet conversion.  I know here we have plenty of home builders and cabinet companies that end up with extra unused stock.  You can find real deals on a cabinet for your needs.  Some may have a slight cosmetic scratch and are unusable for their needs...some are perfect and just extra stock.  These are not overly difficult to line in Spanish cedar or Brazilian mahogany. These 2 woods are closely related.  The Spanish Cedar works a little better against bugs as it is a little more aromatic(and more expensive)...In any case IF you want to attempt yourself...you should be able to be able to get your hands on either of these woods to line your cabinet.  then you just work towards a good seal.  Google is a good friend for learning how to do some of these conversions...If you don't want to attempt yourself...the amount of custom work is severely lessened and as such your costs go down...
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: c9belayer on 08/14/2018 01:13 PM
You can also convert armoires and other secondhand furniture. Just add a layer of 1/4" - 1/2" Spanish Cedar on the inside, door seals, a fan, and some humidification.
There's a guy on YouTube that did this to a closet off his smoking room... now THAT'S a dream setup!
Title: RE: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Chefjohn on 08/15/2018 02:17 PM
Finished setting my humidor up today.

(https://thumb.ibb.co/cOipy9/990287_F6_821_E_41_EA_9102_1_E2_F2124_B289.jpg) (https://ibb.co/cOipy9)

(https://thumb.ibb.co/hhyNJ9/B5_C4_FAA0_B2_BA_4296_A90_E_D744_EFF222_B1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hhyNJ9)
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: c9belayer on 08/17/2018 04:56 PM
Off to a great start! Very nice, ChefJohn!
Title: Re: Custom VS Factory humidor
Post by: Chefjohn on 08/17/2018 05:37 PM
Thank you. The Camachos, which have been on my list to try, and the Joyas I won from Cigar Page.