In the last few years, I have been attempting to visit as many cigar venues as possible. My current goal is to explore all the cigar-sampling lounges and cigar terraces in London then as many across the UK and beyond. I am still determining if I can complete this challenge, but I will try my best.
The more cigar shops I visit, the more nuanced details I notice about each and every venue. The centrepiece is usually the humidor where the cigars are stored.
A humidor is a container made to keep cigars fresh by maintaining the right humidity. If cigars get too dry, they lose their aroma and flavor. This is because tobacco leaves naturally expand and contract based on the humidity of air levels.
Cigar humidors come in all shapes and sizes, catering to both private collectors and industrial shops alike. While the recent €4.5 million (£3.8 million) sale of a Cohiba humidor at the 2024 Habanos Festival highlights their desirability, it’s important to note that auction pieces like these differ significantly from industrial-sized shop humidors.
During my recent visit to Nish Patel’s ‘sip and cigar’ event at Shenfield Wines in Essex, I was captivated by the humidor in his shop. The humidor had a unique feature that frosted the glass. To me, this felt like encountering a brand new car with one of the coolest features. I was so impressed, I had to know more about it!
When I inquired with Nish, he mentioned that the humidor was crafted by Matthew Mason Carpentry & Joinery. Nish also shared that Matthew had constructed humidors for other well-known cigar establishments.
This is where I think my fascination with humidor creators began. I reached out to Matthew on his Instagram account, proposing a mini interview where I’d include questions from my social media followers. He graciously accepted! 🙏
A quick bio
Matthew has over 15 years of experience in providing professional carpentry services. He is a personal and reliable carpenter who is dedicated to delivering exceptional attention to detail and finish on each project. He is passionate about creating bespoke, personal items and ensures that every build is designed and finished with top-quality products to exceed the client’s brief.
Q&A
Can you tell us more about the cigar humidors that have you crafted?
So far, we have designed and built all the humidors in Edmundo‘s cigar shop in Fulham. We were with them right from the start, and it’s great to see them doing so well; they now have five of our Humidors, which is well worth checking out if you’re in the area; they are nice guys.
We carried out all the cabinetry and Humidors in Farrant‘s newly converted cigar lounge in Cobham. We worked closely with an interior designer they had appointed, and she came up with some quirky ideas, another great one to check out if you’re close by.
We commissioned the humidors in James J Fox’s Selfridges store. This was an interesting project with many restrictions, but the end result looked great.
The latest commission was in Essex for Shenfield Wine Co. They wanted to increase their stock immensely and needed a bespoke humidor to do this.
What inspired you to start crafting cigar humidors?
We received an inquiry from a local guy called Adam Lajca (currently the Head of Cigars at The Connaught) who wanted us to build him his own private humidor in his man cave, after doing lots of research and having Adam’s huge knowledge in cigars, we were able to carry it out with great success and enjoyment.
With some social media posts and Adam’s recommendation, we were able to start picking up more humidor projects which we were more than happy to do as we love working with the materials needed and designing bespoke pieces.
Can you describe the process of creating a custom cigar humidor from start to finish? What materials do you typically use in your humidors, and why?
The main internal structure of our humidors is predominantly Spanish cedar veneer and the rest will be solid Spanish cedar, depending on the design and amount of shelving, this helps with the overall strength and longevity of the humidors.
Spanish cedar is the most popular wood for humidors as it ticks all the boxes when it comes to looking after and storing your cigars, along with the right humidification set up.
The wood has great moisture capabilities, a strong natural aroma which helps give it the insect repelling properties and durability which is why we try to use as much solid cedar as possible.
How do you incorporate feedback from customers into your designs and processes?
On our first initial discussions with our clients some will have already had a design in place we would just need to provide an estimate and then a site survey would be carried out if the clients happy.
For some clients who need us to help design their humidors , we take all their requirements and with our knowledge, find a solution to provide the best outcome, wether it be for displaying the cigars or just storing them.
Can you share any interesting or unique requests you’ve received for custom humidors?
Our client in Essex needed a way to conceal the cigars due to licensing requirements, so he asked us to fit smart glass in the doors, they go from frosted to clear using a remote control, it definitely gave it a wow factor.
What makes your humidors stand out from others on the market?
Tricky one as each client has there own requirements which can change the overall look, I would probably say the amount of solid cedar we use may help us stand out from others.
What trends do you see emerging in the world of cigar humidors?
I think people are moving for a more modern and minimalist design but also adding in the new tech for humidification, controlling the cabinets temperatures, lighting and humidity with their phone or tablets.
Do you have any tips for cigar enthusiasts/stores on choosing the right humidor for their needs?
I think firstly work out how much stock you are willing to hold, this normally comes down to foot fall and the amount that is selling or if you have a rep for one of the cigar distributors, discuss with them and they can advice on the best size humidor, then we come in and help design your humidor to suite the required volume, whilst giving you an amazing looking humidor which even attracts the non smokers.
What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a cigar humidor maker?
Do your research on them, especially the humidification side of it then invest in the correct machinery, stick with the spanish cedar for the internals and then let your imagination run wild with the external design.
The beauty about humidors is they don’t just have to be a simple box, Play about with different textures and materials.
Are you a cigar smoker yourself? What’s your favorite cigar?
I do smoke on the odd occasion, I had a Por Larranaga 47 just last week, I’m enjoying working my way through the many varietes.
If people want to get in touch with you to inquire about purchasing a humidor or to discuss a custom project, how should they reach out?
You can find us online at matthewmasoncarpentry.co.uk and on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram under the name Matthew Mason Carpentry. Feel free to send us a message there or reach out via email at Info@matthewmasoncarpentry.co.uk.
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