Pocket Cigar Holder
A pocket cigar holder is a portable vessel for carrying cigars safely, built in sterling silver, leather, or crocodile leather.
Pocket Cigar Holder
A pocket cigar holder is a portable vessel designed to protect and transport cigars securely in a waistcoat or jacket pocket. When you search for a pocket cigar holder, you encounter forms ranging from slim leather pouches to rigid metal tubes and hinged cases.
The pieces on this page span the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian eras, with many examples originating from the nineteenth century. You are most likely to meet sterling silver cases featuring engine-turned or reeded designs, alongside leather and crocodile leather iterations.
Makers and silversmiths of the period produced specialised shapes, including torpedo-shaped pocket cases and novelty designs such as double-ended cigar vesta cases. Alongside standard cigar cases, related tobacciana objects such as cheroot cases and vesta cases appear frequently.
Assessing Quality
Quality in a pocket cigar holder rests upon the crispness of the chased or engine-turned metalwork and the integrity of the hinges and clasps. Superior examples display precise hallmarks and substantial metal weight rather than hollow or thin construction.
The condition of organic materials like crocodile leather and standard leather distinguishes finer pieces, particularly where stitching remains intact and the hide retains its original texture. The precision of the interior fit for specific cigar sizes also separates standard production from superior maker output.
Sampson Mordan and Co·Edward Edwards
The Pocket Cigar Holder Glossary
- Sterling silver
- A silver alloy containing 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent other metals, typically copper. This standard metal forms the body of numerous nineteenth-century pocket cases.
- Engine-turned
- A decorative technique involving a machine that cuts intricate geometric patterns into metal surfaces. It appears on many Georgian and Victorian silver cases.
- Vesta case
- A small pocket box designed to hold wax matches. These frequently accompany or integrate into cigar and cheroot accessories.
- Silver gilt
- Silver objects that have been coated with a thin layer of gold on the surface. This technique provides a rich interior finish for cigar and cheroot cases.
- Cheroot
- A cylindrical cigar with both ends cut straight, narrower than traditional cigars. Cheroot cases and holders are proportioned specifically for these slim smokes.
Pocket Cigar Holder: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I clean a silver cigar case?
Use a soft microfiber cloth with a dedicated silver polish to remove tarnish gently from the exterior metal surfaces.
Avoid getting moisture or polish onto internal leather linings or hinges, as excess liquid causes degradation over time.
Will modern cigars fit in antique cases?
Many antique pocket cigar holders and cheroot cases were made for smaller nineteenth-century vitolas and standard cheroots rather than large contemporary ring gauges.
Check the internal dimensions or slot counts, such as six-finger or tube configurations, to match your preferred cigar size.
What is the difference between a cigar case and a vesta case?
A cigar case is structured to hold one or more cigars or cheroots securely in a pocket without crushing them.
A vesta case is a smaller pocket container specifically built to store matches for lighting those smokes.
How do I identify the date of a silver case?
Look for British hallmark stamps on the metal body, which typically include a maker mark, a standard fineness mark, a city assay office mark, and a date letter.
These stamps allow accurate dating to specific years across the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian periods.