Cigar Gift Sets: What to Buy for Someone Who Already Has the Cigars
The hardest person to buy for is the one who already buys it himself. A well built set solves that, because it gives him the pieces he never gets around to replacing.
A cigar gift set is the answer to a specific problem: the man you are buying for already has cigars, already has opinions about them, and will quietly replace anything you choose badly. What he almost certainly does not have is a matched ashtray, a lighter he did not buy at a gas station, and a case that fits in a jacket pocket. That is what our ready made gift sets are built around, and it is why they outperform a box of cigars chosen by someone who does not smoke.
This guide covers what belongs in a set, what each piece is actually for, how to decide between a finished set and one you assemble yourself, and how to match the set to the person. If you would rather start from the cigars and work outward, our Cigar Finder narrows five hundred of them down in a few clicks.
Why a set works when cigars alone do not
Cigars are personal in a way that makes them a difficult gift. Strength, wrapper and size are all preferences a regular smoker has already settled, and getting them wrong is obvious the moment he lights it. Accessories are not like that. A cutter is a cutter, and a good one is a good one regardless of what he smokes that evening.
There is a second reason, and it is the one we see most often at the counter. People who buy cigars for themselves are oddly reluctant to buy the things around the cigar. They will spend three hundred dollars on a box without pausing and then keep using a plastic cutter for another two years. Almost every conversation we have with a gift buyer ends at the same place: he has the cigars, he does not have the rest. Ashtrays and travel cases are the two gaps we see most, followed by a proper table lighter.
The third reason is presentation. A set arrives as an object. A box of cigars arrives as a box of cigars, and the difference matters on the day it is opened.
What actually goes in a cigar gift set
Four pieces do almost all the work. Knowing what each one is for makes the difference between a set that gets used and a set that ends up in a drawer.
The cutter
This is the piece he uses every single time, so it is the piece where build quality is felt fastest. A guillotine cutter with properly ground blades makes one clean pass; a cheap one crushes the cap and the cigar unravels as it burns. We carry guillotines, V cutters and punches across the cigar cutter range, and for a gift a guillotine is the safe choice because it suits every shape.
The lighter
Torch or soft flame, and the answer depends on where he smokes. A triple or quadruple torch is what you want outdoors or anywhere with a breeze; a soft flame is gentler on the foot of the cigar and is what most people prefer in a chair at home. Both live in our lighter collection, and if you want the reasoning in more depth we wrote it out in our guide to what you are paying for in a cutter and a lighter.
The ashtray
The most under bought piece in the category, and the one that changes a room. A cigar ashtray needs a wide, deep bowl and a rest cut for a fifty plus ring gauge, which a normal ashtray does not have. Ours run from ceramic and porcelain up to palladium plated, and the full range sits in the ashtray collection.
The case or tube
This is the piece that makes a cigar portable without crushing it. A single tube covers the man who takes one out with him; a three or five finger case covers the golf round, the dinner, the flight. Our travel cases and tubes cover both, and sizing is the whole decision: buy for how he carries them, not for how many he owns.
Everything after those four is optional and depends on the person. A humidor is the natural next step for someone building a collection rather than smoking through what he buys, and our humidor guide walks through desktop against electronic.
Five sets we would send
These are the finished sets we currently keep, listed from the most giftable up to the one somebody buys once in a decade. Prices and stock below are live from our store.
A note on what is on that shelf: the entry point is the crocodile travel case, lighter and cutter box, and the top of it is the abalone and stingray limited edition set. Five of the seven sets we list are El Septimo, which is the house we go deepest on, and the other two are Brizard and Co, who make the leather and exotic skin side of the category better than anyone we stock. If the recipient already owns El Septimo pieces, matching the line matters more than people expect, because the ashtray, cutter and lighter in a given Emperor or Sacred Arts set are designed to sit together.
Ready made, or assembled yourself
A finished set is the right answer most of the time. It arrives in one presentation box, the pieces match, and you are not guessing at whether a cutter and a lighter look right beside each other. On our own shelf the arithmetic also tends to favor the set: the Emperor Napoleon box gathers the Napoleon ashtray, its guillotine cutter and its triple torch lighter for slightly less than the three cost bought separately, and it comes boxed rather than in three cartons.
Assembling your own makes sense in two situations. The first is when you know exactly what he is missing, which is usually the case if you have smoked with him. The second is budget: building a set from individual pieces lets you land anywhere you like rather than at a fixed price. Here is the same idea in parts, one of each piece, plus a single cigar in its own presentation box so the gift is complete on arrival.
If you are assembling, keep to one house where you can. Mixed brands look like a hamper. Matched pieces look like a decision.
Matching the set to the person
| Who it is for | What he is short of | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| The executive or the client | Something for the desk and the office that reads as considered | A matched ashtray, cutter and lighter set in one box |
| The collector | Storage, not more sticks | A desktop or electronic humidor rather than another box of cigars |
| The traveller or the golfer | A case that protects a cigar in a bag | A leather or exotic wood tube, or a multi finger case |
| The host | Ashtrays, because guests always need a second one | A double ashtray, or a pair from one line |
| Someone new to cigars | Everything, and guidance more than hardware | A cutter and lighter set plus a presentation cigar box |
| The one who has everything | Nothing, which is the point | A limited edition or one of a kind set, made in small numbers |
How much to spend on a luxury cigar gift set
There is no correct number, but there are natural steps, and they map to what the set contains rather than to how impressive it looks. A case with a lighter and cutter sits at the entry step and is the most frequently sent gift we have. A full ashtray, cutter and lighter box is the next step up and is where most corporate and milestone gifting lands. Above that you are into limited editions, exotic skins and pieces made in small numbers, and at the very top a single set can furnish an entire smoking room.
If you want the cigars themselves priced out the same way, our cigar price ladder covers what changes between twenty dollars and five hundred. For gifts that are not sets at all, the luxury gifts for cigar lovers guide works through the same budgets a different way.
Four things we would tell you at the counter
Buy the ashtray. If you only take one thing from this page, it is that almost nobody buys their own, and almost everybody uses the one they are given.
Match the line, not just the brand. Pieces from the same collection are designed together. Two El Septimo items from different lines can look like an accident.
Do not guess his cigars. If you want cigars in the gift, send a presentation box of one or two rather than a full box of something he may not smoke.
Ask about presentation. We can engrave and personalize gift pieces, and we will box and card it properly. It is worth a phone call before you order.
Shop the full collection
Every finished set we carry, in one place
Matched ashtray, cutter and lighter boxes from El Septimo, leather and exotic skin sets from Brizard and Co, and travel case sets that fit a jacket pocket. Live pricing and stock below.
If nothing there is right, we are happy to build something to a number you give us, and we can engrave and personalize gift pieces where the material allows it. Call us on 1 818-719-9885 and tell us who it is for.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a cigar gift set?
Most sets contain three or four pieces: a cutter, a lighter, and either an ashtray or a travel case, presented together in one box. Some sets add a humidor or a selection of cigars. The sets we carry are built around matched pieces from a single line rather than assorted items.
What do I buy for someone who already has a cutter and a lighter?
An ashtray or a travel case. These are the two pieces regular smokers consistently do not buy for themselves, and they are the gaps we hear about most often from people buying gifts. A proper cigar ashtray with a wide bowl and a rest sized for a thick ring gauge is used every time he smokes at home.
How much should I spend?
There is no fixed answer, but the category has clear steps: a case with a lighter and cutter at the entry level, a full matched ashtray, cutter and lighter box above that, and limited edition and exotic skin pieces at the top. Live pricing for every set we carry is on the collection page.
Is a ready made set better value than buying the pieces separately?
Usually yes, and it also arrives better presented. On our own shelf the matched Emperor Napoleon box is priced slightly below its ashtray, cutter and lighter bought individually, and it comes in one presentation box rather than three separate cartons.
Do I need to know which cigars he smokes?
Not for an accessory set, which is the main reason these work so well as gifts. Strength, wrapper and size are personal, but a cutter, a lighter and an ashtray suit anything he chooses to smoke.
Should I include cigars in the gift or just the accessories?
Include one or two in a presentation box rather than a full box of a blend you are guessing at. A single cigar in its own gift box makes the set feel complete on the day without committing him to twenty of something he may not like.
What is the best luxury cigar gift set for a first time buyer?
A travel case with a matched lighter and cutter is the easiest set to get right, because it works for any smoker regardless of what he keeps at home. It is the set we send most often, and it suits both a man who smokes weekly and one who smokes twice a year.
What should I give someone who travels or plays golf?
A case, in leather, exotic wood or exotic skin, sized to how many cigars he carries. A single tube suits one cigar out with him; a multi finger case suits a round of golf, a dinner or a flight where he wants a choice.
What do you give the man who has everything?
Something made in small numbers. Limited edition sets, palladium plated ashtrays and exotic skin pieces are objects he is unlikely to have bought himself, and they hold their presence on a desk in a way a consumable does not.
Are these sets appropriate for a woman who smokes cigars?
Yes, and the same logic applies: the accessories are not gendered, and the pieces people are short of are the same. Several of the lines we carry come in lighter and brighter finishes if you would prefer something other than black and gold.
Can you engrave or personalize a gift set?
We can personalize and engrave gift pieces where the material allows it. Call us on 1 818-719-9885 or email Info@Cigarinc.com before you place the order so we can confirm what is possible on the piece you have chosen.
What is the difference between a gift set and a gift box?
A gift set is a group of accessories presented together, usually a cutter, lighter and ashtray or case. A gift box in our catalogue is usually a cigar in a presentation case. The two are often bought together, and they complement each other well.
Do you ship nationwide?
Yes, we ship across the United States to adults 21 and over. You are also welcome to collect in person from our Woodland Hills location during business hours.
Can I see a set before I buy it?
Yes. We are at 21900 Burbank Blvd UNIT 265, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm. Call ahead on 1 818-719-9885 and we will have the pieces out on the counter for you.
The short version
Buy the pieces he will not buy himself. That is almost always the ashtray and the case, with the cutter and the lighter close behind, and a matched set gathers them into one object that looks like a decision rather than a purchase. Start with the finished sets, step sideways into individual pieces if you know exactly what is missing, and call us if you want it presented a particular way.
Shop the Gift Sets Visit us in Woodland Hills or browse accessories
Cigar Inc., 21900 Burbank Blvd UNIT 265, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Telephone 1 818-719-9885. Email Info@Cigarinc.com. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm.
For adults 21+. Please enjoy responsibly.