Well, we finally did it. After talking about starting a podcast for months, Mark and I sat down and recorded our first official episode of the Smoke and Steel podcast. It was completely impromptu – but sometimes the best conversations happen when you’re not overthinking it.
How We Met: The Sir Stogies Story
Mark and I have been friends for about five or six years now, and it all started at a little cigar shop called Sir Stogies in Gilbertsville. The shop was owned by Tim Miller and his wife Sandy, and let me tell you, Tim built something special there. He did all the work himself – the wood paneling, coffered ceilings, even refinished the floors. It had this old-world feel that you just don’t see in most cigar shops today.
What made Sir Stogies unique was the community Tim fostered. People didn’t just come in to buy cigars and leave; they came because they were afraid they’d miss something. Mark became such a regular that I don’t think there was ever a time I walked in that he wasn’t either already there or showing up shortly after. It was that kind of place where total strangers could sit down and talk for three hours over a couple of cigars.
Finding Friendship Through Cigars
One thing Mark mentioned that really resonated with me was why he started going to cigar shops in the first place. He was around 50 and realized he only had one or two close friends – he wanted more. The timing coincided with his stepfather passing away, and when his stepbrother came up to visit, they needed somewhere to get cigars to honor their tradition of smoking together.
I can relate to that completely. When you have kids, you tend to drift away from your old friends, and suddenly you’re craving adult conversation that doesn’t involve cartoons. Cigar shops are perfect for this because they attract people from all walks of life. One day you’re talking to a janitor, the next day it’s a judge or a cop. It’s a mixing bowl of personalities that makes for incredibly interesting conversations.
Mark’s Cigar Journey: From Flavored to Padron
Mark’s path into premium cigars is pretty typical for someone who started later in life. He began with flavored cigars – vanilla-flavored stuff, Tatiana cigars – when he’d get together with family. But everything changed when he tried his first Padron at the shop. He described looking at it in awe while he smoked it, realizing he’d never had that level of quality before.
These days, Mark gravitates toward a mix of cigars depending on what deals he can find. Padrons are great but not wallet-friendly, so he also enjoys cigars like Man-O-Ware Habanos – inexpensive but flavorful. It’s the eternal cigar smoker’s dilemma: wanting to smoke the good stuff but not wanting to break the bank doing it.
Current Favorites and Budget Smoking
We spent some time talking about our current preferences. I tend to gravitate toward specific manufacturers – for the longest time it was Oliva everything, and lately I’ve been really into AJ Fernandez cigars. Mark mentioned he likes a lot of the same stuff I do, which probably isn’t surprising given how much time we’ve spent talking cigars over the years.
The conversation naturally turned to price points, which is always a sensitive topic when loved ones might be listening. I find myself wanting to stay in the sub-$10 range most of the time, around $7-9 per cigar. The landscape has really changed with online buying versus brick and mortar shops. You can get much better bang for your buck online, though I still appreciate the premium you pay for the local shop experience.
Wrapping Up Episode One
This first episode was really just us shooting the breeze and getting comfortable with the format. We had some technical hiccups – lawnmowers, camera sync issues, the usual first-episode chaos – but it felt good to finally get this thing started. Mark was a great sport about the whole impromptu nature of it.
We’re planning to have our whole crew together for episode two. It hhould make for some interesting stories and perspectives.
If you enjoyed this first episode and want to hear more, make sure to subscribe to the Smoke and Steel podcast. We’re just getting started, and I think it’s going to be a fun ride.
What did you think of our first episode? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more episodes of Smoke and Steel!
