On a recent visit to my local store, and while perusing online even, I found myself quite appalled. Great Scott! Indubitably. They carry humidors, both electric and wood types, which is to be expected, really. However, they also carry to-go or travel cases, a ton of pretty cool yet plain ashtrays, like this heavy-duty crystal ashtray, cigar needles, lighters, and a shit ton more.

Some of the items may be contingent on what’s available in your area. So, don’t be angry at me if they have less to choose from where you are.

Why are you sharing this?

Source: NewAir / The Home Depot

I’m honestly just a little flabbergasted by it. But what’s really got me in a tizzy is that somewhere local has this gear. Somewhere I can actually browse that I live near. And it’s somewhere that, most likely, a lot of you have access to, as well. Regardless of where you live or what state you’re in.

Our international brothers and sisters of the leaf might have a tough time finding The Home Depot, but I’m sure there are plenty of alternatives. At least, I hope that’s the case.

What’s so great about plain humidors and accessories?

Source: The Home Depot

What you may or may not have realized is that a lot of the offerings are plain, without logos or branding, which makes them excellent candidates for personalization. If you have stickers, wood burners, 3D printers, or any type of engraving and scoring tool, you can personalize the hell out of these things. Put your catchphrase on them: “Chew on that thang!” Put your name on them. Draw your favorite bike or Harley. Create a logo of your own. Go hog wild.

For example, this leather travel humidor has an embedded digital hygrometer, but the front is completely blank. You could etch your name on there or some kind of badass design like a skull. Hell, I might get one and put The BS Lounge logo on there.

And this cordless precision engraver is only $13 with a diamond-tip bit. You can use it, or something like it, to engrave glass, metal, plastic, ceramic, or hard materials.

Most of the items listed are free to ship to a store nearby, or free to deliver to your house. Can’t beat that.

The post Did you know The Home Depot has cigar accessories and cigar gear? I sure didn’t appeared first on The BS Lounge.

But this next brand doesn’t really fit that description. It’s a distinctly European brand, named Lampert Cigars, and while they do have some availability here in the U.S., mostly up north, you can’t really find them, except for online. They’re definitely not in Florida.

Nevertheless, that’s our Friday Brand Feature for this week, so grab a cold beverage, light up a stogie and let’s smoke this thing out. Shall we?

What can you tell us about Lampert Cigars?

Kenney is a pretty big name in the annals of history. Okay, maybe we haven’t done anything remarkable, but we do have a family crest and coat of arms with European roots. That’s what I’m getting at. Really, I’m trying to relate my name to the Lampart name, because the first mentions of it stretch all the way back to the year 1418. You could say the Lamperts have some history and some spark.

According to them, the Lampert family had three distinct lines. “The first line of the LAMPERT family stayed in Liechtenstein, the second line of the family moved to Austria and the third line of the family emigrated to the United States of America.”

But the cigar brand Lampert Cigars was established by Dr. Stefan Lampert in 2017, an attorney by trade. Apparently, the idea to create a self-named cigar brand came to Stefan while he was visiting Thailand. That idea merged with another to deliver custom-made bespoke products — like custom and tailored suits — only in the world of cigars. Thus, Lampert Cigars was officially born, with its first run named My Cigar Lab, which was later renamed to the Oro Line.

Lampert cigars were well-received by connoisseurs and aficionados “everywhere,” which pushed Stefan to take the concept even further. Stefan eventually expanded his influence to other regions, teaming up with cigar makers in Central America, including Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

What about the Lampert cigar labels?

On Lampert’s site, you can clearly see that the cigars are separated into three lines: Lampert 1675, with lines made in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and Lampert 1593 with a single line made in the Dominican Republic. The latter features a single Oscura, Costa Rica has the Ocean Breeze, Oro Line, and Oro Line Small Batch, while Nicaragua produces the Azul, Rojo and Morado. Even without looking at the wrappers the names are fairly close to general descriptions of the blend used.

Morado, for instance, is a medium to full-bodied maduro with a Mexican Negro San Andres wrapper. Lampert describes it as brimming with roasted espresso, dark cocoa, wood, spices and sweetness throughout. Honestly, my mouth is watering just imagining that one.

Ocean Breeze adheres to the Costa Rican philosophy of Pura Vida, sharing joy and happiness with the community. It has an Ecuadorian H. Criollo wrapper with an undisclosed binder and fillers. But the brand says you’ll get flavors of cocoa, nuts like almonds, earth, and leather. Sounds like another banger.

In addition to cigars, the company also sells merchandise and accessories.

Where can you get Lampert cigars?

While most of the top locations to find Lampert brand labels are in Europe, there are some here in the States and in Canada. New York and Massachusetts are top spots here in the US, while Nova Scotia and Ontario have some spots in Canada.

You can always check out the where to buy page on the brand’s official site. I have not had the pleasure or opportunity to try Lampert cigars yet. But from what I’ve heard from others, and read in online discourse, I will jump at the chance when it comes.

You can also find Lampert cigars available through select online retailers.

The post Friday Brand Feature: Lampert Cigars appeared first on The BS Lounge.

We already explored Moniup and Upallant in a head-to-head previously. This go-round we’re focusing solely on Upallant. An accessible, varied seller of cigar gear including lighters, cutters, and beyond. You’ll find most of the brand’s stuff on Amazon.

If you haven’t already, grab yourself a cold, delicious beverage, light up a stogie with me and let’s explore.

What can you tell us about Upallant?

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

You might have heard of this brand before, or come across reviews from the cigar community. Upallant seems to have made a big push to get these lighters into the hands of people that would love using them, and that has been largely successful.

As far as the brand, it’s a non-descript seller on Amazon and other marketplaces, offering premium-quality lighters at more accessible prices. Companies like ST. Dupont slap unique finishes, designs and sometimes rare gems on lighters and charge upwards of $10,000. Upallant went a different direction. They offer unique finishes and designs, but also multi-functional features. For example, a lot of Upallant lighters include a built-in cigar holder. Usually, they also incorporate a tool or two.

If you’re not opposed to a wood grain finish, gold accents, mesh, honeycomb designs or carbon fiber styles, you’ll feel right at home with Upallant’s gear. I own the five-in-one torch lighter, have been using it for quite a while, and love to carry it with me out of the house.

I have also interacted with the Upallant team on social media several times. Not that it makes a difference, but they seem like great people.

What about the Upallant cigar accessories?

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge

A majority of Upallant’s offerings are firey. In other words, they’re torch lighters with single, dual or multi flame options. You’ll also find additional accessories like a travel humidor, bundles with stands and draw enhancers, and a few outliers. This particular torch lighter from the brand is electric and can be charged via USB-C — it uses butane, too.

You get the point, unique and varied. But also, incredibly useful. Take this gold and black stylish four-in-one torch lighter. It produces a single, reliable jet flame. But it also has a built-in cigar punch, a cigar holder, and an integrated draw enhancer — cigar needle.

The lighter I own has five functions and I love bringing it with me to events, lounges, and when I visit friends or family. Not only does it incorporate tools, so I don’t have to bring other cutters and such, but it’s a fantastic stand-in for when I do forget essentials. The stylish finish always seems to be a good conversation starter, and that’s before anyone spots me using the built-in tools. More importantly, I’ve had to use that built in draw enhancer more than I care to admit down here in Florida, so it’s become a staple of my collection. I still haven’t gotten around to grabbing a Cigar Dagger. I know, I know, shame on me.

But still, the Upallant lighter has been super useful and they’re always priced phenomenally. I got mine for under $30, and yes, I paid for mine, I wasn’t sent mine for free. That didn’t stop the friendly team from trying.

Where can I find Upallant gear online?

At the risk of rewarding our corporate overlords, Amazon is the best place to go to find Upallant gear. I only own the five-in-one currently, and I don’t like to go around recommending gear I haven’t tried. However, judging by my experience, and many of the reviews I’ve come across online, you’re in good hands with Upallant.

The support team is responsive, and as I’ve said, in my dealings, they’ve always been friendly. There’s not much more you could ask for on that front.

The post Friday Brand Feature: Upallant appeared first on The BS Lounge.

Now, right up front you’ll notice some of their lighter designs are in line with other brands. For example, the model JetLine dubs the R-100, I have from Vertigo — a subsidiary of Lotus. The same factories make some of these accessories, and different brands add their names. There’s nothing particularly wrong with that if the lighter is reliable. We’ll get to why I’m calling out JetLine, specifically, in a bit, but I do have a couple of their lighters.

What or who is JetLine?

Source: JetLine Lighters / Amazon

Information about the brand is pretty sparse. According to the site, JetLine has been around since 1991, and if their claims are true, they were the “world’s first” creator of the quadruple flame lighter. Quadruple is four. That’s ridiculous in my opinion, but to each their own. Apparently, JetLine also created the “world’s first” sextuple flame lighter. I’m sure four to six flames look badass, but talk about torching the shit out of your cigar, am I right?

But the prevailing theme across all the brands products is that they are stylish and accessible. “Affordable, durable, and reliable,” as described on the JetLine front page.

Their inventory isn’t exclusively lighters, however. JetLine also offers cutters, Zippo-style lighters, and a few unique designs — the Regal has a built-in cigar stand on top. It also has a serrated poker — cigar needle — and punch cutter. Sometimes, multi-functional accessories are the way to go. You can toss just one device in your go-bag or carrying pouch and that’s all you need to take to your lounge, shop, or wherever you’re going.

You can find JetLine products on both its official site and through other retailers like Amazon, by the way.

Why are we talking about JetLine lighters?

Source: JetLine Lighters

While some would rather spring for an S.T. Dupont or similarly expensive and flashy piece, I would much rather build out a collection of reliable, anytime-use accessories. No, I’m not saying ST. Dupont is unreliable, but they are expensive.

I usually keep my lighters in a box outside on my patio, where I spend my time smoking. I do have some nicer gear that stays inside the house. But when you’re traveling, visiting a family member or friend’s house, or hitting up local hotspots, you probably don’t want to bring along your most expensive gear. I mean, it depends on the crowd, I suppose.

Back to JetLine. The brand’s accessories are affordable but still look great. They’re unique enough that they become a talking piece when you’re out. And if you get one of the multi-functional models, you’re all set for a while, you don’t have to worry if you forget cutters and other gear.

Plus, they’re not so expensive that you’d be upset if you leave one behind, or if someone snags it. You’d be surprised how often that happens in a lounge or bar.

I can attest that JetLine lighters are quality, despite having a wallet-friendly price tag. Just bear in mind, lighters like this aren’t designed to last you forever. If you use them every day, multiple times a day, well, you can do the math.

In the end, there are lighters everywhere, many you’ll find on Amazon for great prices. So, if you don’t like what you see when you check out JetLine, there are plenty of alternatives. I just wanted to call out a brand I’ve been using for a while that offers reliable products. I haven’t used any of their cutters, so I can’t speak on those, but I’m sure they’re like any other you’d find elsewhere.

As for prices, the Regal I talked about above is only $19 on Thompson Cigar, $25 on JetLine, $30 on Amazon, and comes in a few different colors. Overall, prices for JetLine lighters range from about $18 to $80, and there’s a gift set for $190 that includes the Galleon, which is slick-looking.

Stay smoky y’all.

The post Friday Brand Feature: JetLine appeared first on The BS Lounge.