A few habits that keep a mold working for years
Instructions on how to roll a cigar are outside the scope of this page. This is more about the care and use of the mold itself. Any cigar mold that you own, new or used, wood or plastic, will keep turning out consistent cigars for many years if treated well. These instructions are provided for your consideration.
On the molds I manufacture, put your thumbs into the recesses on each side and twist. The halves will separate easily — see the illustration. Prying open any mold with tools is a quick way to warp or damage the mating surfaces.
A book press is recommended, but not required. C-clamps and similar work well too, with a scrap of wood or other flat offcut between the clamp and the mold — spreading the pressure across the whole face rather than concentrating it under the clamp pads.
With pressure spread evenly, these molds are very strong and can take a great deal of force — I press several at a time in a 20 ton shop press with scrap wood under the piston. The wood deforms where the press piston bears on it. The molds come out unmarked, with cigars ready for wrapping.
Damage is hard to do by accident. Cracking or deforming a mold with a c-clamp takes real effort. Forcing a mold closed on an oversized bunch makes a poor cigar, and it is one thing I have seen crack or chip even a wood mold.
A wipe with a damp cloth is all a mold usually needs — it lifts the leaf bits and residue out of the cavities and off the mating faces. Wiping down after use also keeps a mold from being put away wet, which is what invites mildew.
Store molds somewhere dry and out of direct sunlight. Temperature extremes — like the dashboard of your car in the hot summer — should be avoided.
Opening the Mold
A thumb in each side, then twist.
