Offbeat Humidors
Macassar ebony is a classic finish that says humidors.With rich, dark colors it's the natural choice for alpha males who make their offices and lounges into curtained, mahogany caves. What one usually doesn't envision is a clear acrylic box—until now at least.
While dark wood may be classic, it's not always provocative. And since cigar smokers are show-offs at heart, a number of humidor makers have decided to go rogue with novel designs and motifs that eschew a woody feel.
But it's a design trend that makes perfect sense: take your humidor front and center. The contents already make for covetous neighbors—why not make the humidor itself the envy of the neighborhood?
The sleekest design, and the farthest from the natural motif of traditional humidors, is the Zino Acrylic Humidor (pictured in clear, royal blue and smoke). A solid construction of transparent materials, it's a unique way to store and simultaneously view your smokes without opening the box. More akin to something out of an Apple store, the humidor's modern look may not seem functional for keeping cigars moist, but when put to the test in our offices, it yielded impressive results, even compared with more breathable raw materials. It's low cost (starting at $350), low maintenance and you'll never worry about getting stains or water spots on your humidor again.
Mastro de Paja has been making unique designs for its desktops for years, with looks that call to mind marble halls and confetti-covered streets—deco designs that aren't meant to blend in. And while the capacity isn't the highest (models range from 30-60 count on average) the price is comfortable, at between 350 and 480 euros apiece.
A step further from the mainstream is high-tensile strength material carbon fiber. The real thing is, in theory, able to stop a bullet, and while we wouldn't suggest you test the promise, it's eye-catching in the same way as a Batsuit. Rocky Patel has a cedar-lined option called Nero that holds 100 cigars and also represents a bargain at $276.
Visit davidoffmadison.com, mastrodepaja.it and rockypatel.com.
