If you’re an avid smoker, you are bound to come across problems with your cigars. Whether they collect mold, end up being too moist, or to dry, these are issues you’re inevitably going to face from time to time. There are times when your cigar is beyond repair and you’ll just have to toss it out. I’ve thrown out cigars from time to time and it’s hurt me both financially and emotionally.

To me, a dried cigar is one of the most damaging things that could happen to a cigar. When a cigar is dry, it’s more susceptible to cracking. Trying to smoke a cracked cigar is not ideal, so you won’t be able to get the full smoking experience.

However, there are ways to repair a cracked cigar. Different types of cigar wrappers can withstand the test of time, while others crack under the pressure, pun intended. So today, I’d like to share with you some tips on how to repair a cracked cigar, as well as how you can prevent cracks from appearing in your cigar.

Believe it or not, there is a multitude of ways to repair a cracked cigar. The cigar wrapper is usually the first thing to get damaged. Most of us think licking the cigar will repair it quickly, however, that’s not always the case. You will need a substance that is used to stick things together that isn’t toxic.

Whatever you do, DO NOT use any adhesive such as glue to repair a cracked cigar. The chemicals and ingredients in glue are not ingestible. We don’t need you going to the hospital because you inhaled gorilla glue. I cannot stress this enough.

The first option for repairing a cracked cigar is Acacia Powder. This powder is what professional cigar rollers use for preparing the wrapper leaf, as well as the cap when they’re rolling the cigar. Acacia Powder could be found in the baking aisle at any supermarket or online. When mixed with distilled water, Acacia Powder is an extreme lifesaver. Being odorless and colorless, the Acacia solution is the best option for the loose or detached part of your cigar wrapper with the most damage.

Another product you can find online or in a shopping center that could be used to repair your cracked cigar is Pectin. Much like the Acacia Powder, Pectin is a citrus fruit extract that is used as a gelling solution for jams or jellies. Pectin is odorless and tasteless. You mix it with distilled water, just like Acacia Powder. This will form a substance that is harmless to ingest or use on your cracked cigars. When using products such as Acacia Powder or Pectin, the time for the repair on this cracked cigar will take a fair while. These are great solutions for fixing a cigar you plan on smoking later in the day or even the next day.

Now let’s say you have multiple cigars in your humidor that are cracked, and one is more salvageable than the other. This scenario could really work in your favor. The wrapper of the cigar that’s the most damaged could be used to patch up the middle or foot of the cigar you want to salvage. This method isn’t the most ideal scenario, but if an expensive cigar such as a Padron or Davidoff had a damaged cigar wrapper, you could take a piece of a cigar wrapper from a more inexpensive stick to repair the damages.

Our fourth and last resort to repairing a cracked cigar is doable if you’re pressed for time. This method is used more commonly because of how easily accessible this solution is.

If you have ChapStick or Vaseline handy, then this is the quick fix you can go for. A quick, naturally sticky substance like honey or syrup would work, but chapstick won’t leave a big mess or be as sticky as the others mentioned.

Now you may wonder how a cigar or cigar wrapper cracks, especially if you’re doing everything right. Some reasons why cracking occurs are out of your hands. For instance, where you live is a big factor.

For us here up north, we have three to four months of hot weather and cold weather, with the remaining four months typified by inconsistent weather. So, for the cold months, we need to find a place in our house with the most humidity. That isn’t always the easiest. If cigars are exposed to dry, cold weather, it’s easier for the cigars to crack and not get the right humidity.

Other causes of your cigar’s cracking could unfortunately be due to the lack of experience that many novice smokers have. We don’t expect everyone to be educated about tobacco and cigars right off the bat.

But if you’re willing to learn and educate yourself, there are so many tips for storing your cigars, cutting your cigars, and articles that show you the mistakes every cigar beginners make. Nobody is at fault, but much like any hobby, learning is all a part of the process. Through the good and the bad.

There are a few rules and tricks to reviving your cigars once they become too dry. First things first are always maintaining the correct humidity in your humidor. Keeping an eye on your hygrometer is key. If your RH (relative humidity) is below 65% or above 70%, your cigars are subjected to possible damage. If your cigars crack just by sitting in your humidor, then your humidor is too dry.

The next thing we recommend is being mindful of how you cut your cigar and the type of blade you’re using to cut the cigar. When I first started smoking, I don’t know how many times I cut too much off the cap to where it would crack.

Using a dull blade could also cause a cracked cigar. If you have a sharp blade, the cigar will cut like butter. But if you put unwarranted pressure on the cigar, it will crack and damage your smoke. So, investing in the proper tools for your smoking hobby will pay off in the long run.

Lastly, you may not think much of this, but leaving the band on a cigar until you get to it is imperative. Most cigar bands are for design, and I tend to have a habit of ripping them off even before I light the smoke. This is not a good idea. I’ve cracked my cigar a handful of times doing this and it ruined my cigar smoking experience.

If you smoke your stogie up to the point of the band, it will slide off easier than you realize, and you’ll be able to continue your smoking experience with no damage or cracks to your cigar.

There are only so many ways to fix and repair your cigars once they cracked. But we hope you’ve learned something new about fixing a cracked cigar wrapper and ways to prevent your cigars from cracking.

Properly humidifying and aging your cigars will set you up for success. However, if you get a cigar beetle or live somewhere that’s cooler and dryer for the better part of the year, you’ll be able to follow the correct steps in order to keep your cigars safe and in one piece.