I’ve never smoked cigarettes and never intend to, but I listen to a lot of Old Time Radio shows online - things such as Gunsmoke, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, Dragnet, and various comedy shows. Most of these are from the 1950’s, and many feature ads for cigarettes extolling the virtues of their quality tobaccos, saying what a fine, mild, flavourful smoke you’ll get from their particular brand. Now, having read here what they’re made of now - paper sludge with nicotine squirted on, etc, it’s made me wonder if back then a ready rolled coffin nail was a totally different thing. Anyone know the answer?

Still OK in my book, I’m not sure that the manufacturing process has changed hugely since the thirties. Cigarette have never really been made of the most choice tobacco leaves however this doesn’t seem to have limited their historical appeal does it? I’m personally not a fan of ‘cheap’ cigarettes as they {to me} seem to contain a lot of filler.

Once upon a time - back in the mists of time - there were some very good cigarettes available in England, Sobranie and Sullivan Powell made Balkan and Turkish cigarettes, and also the fabled imperial Russians which were hand rolled by two elderly ladies above the Sullivan Powell shop in Burlington arcade. I still remember the nutty taste of the Balkan cigarettes. I never tried the Balkan Sobranie pipe tobacco but if it tasted like the cigarettes then I understand why people still rave about that. Fribourg & Treyer and Simmonds also produced seriously good Virginia cigarettes - they tasted nothing like the mass produced rubbish that have been around for the past few decades and were more akin to the flavour of a decent Virginia pipe tobacco. There is a good article about cigarettes in those days at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/ashes-to-ashes-534458.html

I don’t know anything about the taste of cigarettes from the '50, but I can be sure that todays one are ‘more safe’ to smoke than it was back then. Anyone heard about Jan Beffinger, a Polish scientist? “As the first he proposed (in 1953) the scientific theory that lung cancer caused by smoking is due to the acidic environment of cigarette smoke, caused, in turn, the lack of natural fermentation of tobacco leaf drying. Beffinger discovered it in his own laboratory in Kenya, that tobacco smoke from naturally fermented (dried) is alkaline, while the smoke of tobacco artificially dried in factories by tobacco companies on the basis of patent Proctor had an acid base, that is extremely aggressive to the lungs of smokers. Furthermore, the fermentation had removed most of the components of tobacco carcinogens. The reports on this subject, supported by research, Beffinger published at his own expense. Philip Morris has released hundreds of thousands of dollars on research sabotage dr. Beffinger”.

@Chris - Completely on my wavelengh there. You can still get Sobranie blacks and cocktails, and TOR Turkish and Virginia’s are worth a punt too as they are excellent. Personally I figure if I’m going to ocasioanly smoke a cigarette then they may as well be good. Interesting article too, thanks for that.

@MisterPaul - thanks for the comments and the info. I have seen the Sobranie Black Russians on the web but funnily enough I never particularly liked them - I always preferred the taste of the imperial Russians. Thankfully that is no longer a problem as I finally gave up on cigarettes nearly 7 years ago since when it has been cigars, pipes and - increasingly - snuff for me. Using snuff has definitely - with no intentional planning - decreased the number of cigars and bowls of tobacco although I suspect that I will never give them up completely as I do enjoy them. But cigarettes are definitely well off the list.

I’ve no idea if there were any quality mass produced ones back then either, but in the US made ones today Nat Sherman and American Spirit are much superior to the main line or so called “premium” brands, they use no filler or scrap. They cost 25-50% more than the “premium” brands too.

@Xander unless you are in New York city then Nat Shermans cost the same as camels. I used to smoke Shermans and they were the only cigarette lots of my non smoking ladies friends would let me smoke in their cars are apartments cause they actually smell nice and not acrid and horrid like most cigarette smoke does.

I smoked out of a round tin of John Players and Sons from the 1951 best smoke I ever had.Fat filter less cigarettes. Stupid customs opened the tin ,I still have one unopened tin left.

@Roderick, You now have me on a quest to find Sobranie blacks and Belomorkanals. To no avail online however. The best cigarettes I have ever had were 555s, which I ordered online years ago.

@Roderick - the Belomorkanals sound like the Sobranie Imperial Russians although the long tube did have what appeared to be a tiny piece of cotton wool in the tube part. I think that was how all Russian cigarettes were produced at one stage. @JohnnyFriday - If you are in the UK then a number of shops sell them such as http://www.mysmokingshop.co.uk/index2.php?mod=category&man=83&cat=79 Although they do stress that they can only sell them in the UK. I was intrigued about the Belomorkanals and a quick search online produced http://www.cigarettesforless.com/belomorkanal.html

@Rockerick Back in the mid 90s I could get Davidoff cigarettes where I lived. They were $9 per pack at the time. In perspective, I could get a carton of Marlboros for around $25 at the time, while generics were $20. They were DAMN expensive, but I would treat myself with them once in a while. I don’t know what was in them, but it was one of the most smooth smoking experience I’ve ever had from a cigarette. If I remember correctly, they were in a black box that was kind of shallow and wide, similar in dimension to a Nat Sherman pack. Ahhh…the old days…

@chris, they are sold out. I did however find an ebay guy in russia who will get me a carton. The only reason I am interested is in the old movie “The Eagle Has Landed”, Robert Duvall smoked these weird cigarettes that he crushed the end of, and said he picked up a taste for them on the russian front. The sobranies seem like a good clubbing prop. Guaranteed conversation starter.

@JohnnyFriday You’ll need to do what Robert Duvall does with them, otherwise they will blow your head off. Pinch the tube twice, once with fingers at 12 and 6 o’clock, and once with them at 9 and 3. This makes the draw slower - without it is like inhaling straight from a furnace. Enjoy!

I used to smoke Picayune and Home Run cigs back in the 60’s.

@Justin, I love that movie.

i used to think shermans were a treat. i don’t see them where i shop now

@JohnnyFriday You’ll need to do what Robert Duvall does with them, otherwise they will blow your head off. Pinch the tube twice, once with fingers at 12 and 6 o’clock, and once with them at 9 and 3. This makes the draw slower - without it is like inhaling straight from a furnace. Enjoy!

That’s it! I was taught similarly how to prepare Belomorkanal for smoking when working in Russia and wanted to try local cigarettes. Smoke is so strong you don’t really have to inhale much…

Found the tin and smokes. The cigarette has John Players and Sons printed on the glue strip up the side and "Perfectos Finos"around the paper the picture on the tin looks like American money except no dead presidents just a fortress. If anyone has any history on this please share!

These are still a good smoke if you can get them. Nat Sherman - Fifth avenue New York

I used to smoke Nat Sherman’s and Dunhill’s International (red box) back in the 90’s and I thought both were far better than what I was used to smoking, mostly Marlboro reds. Dunhill was my favorite, a strong, smooth smoke, with an almost spicy under tone.

Found the tin and smokes. The cigarette has John Players and Sons printed on the glue strip up the side and "Perfectos Finos"around the paper the picture on the tin looks like American money except no dead presidents just a fortress. If anyone has any history on this please share!

That’s Nottingham Castle (a 17th century ducal mansion built on the site of the medieval castle), the image always associated with Player’s tobacco products.

I’m happy to hear people mention Sullivans. I remember my father occasionally used to keep packets of them lying around. I had a bit of an adolescent fixation with the stories of AJ Raffles, the gentleman thief and cricketer, who smoked nothing else, so I often used to sneak them. They were very good cigarettes. My problem with cigarettes is how little variety there really is. Some of the French ciggies do taste different from standard American ciggies, but only very slightly. Most of the others taste pretty much exactly the same, with only a minor difference between a “good” cigarette and a budget smoke. The range for pipe smokers and snuff users is exponentially vaster.

I think they probably WERE better than the cigarette of today, but bare in mind the purpose of those ads was to steer younger men away from the pipe toward the cigarette which was cheaper to produce and more expensive to buy thus increasing dividends on both sides of the economic equation for the tobacco companies.

@JakartaBoy I hear you on that one. For those of us that still smoke, there are some generic brands out there that have a very comparable taste to the big brands (for whatever that’s worth). My local tobacco shop imported some smokes from Korea and they taste very much like a Camel, only I think they’re even stronger. Camels are pretty cheap here at $42/carton, while Marlboros are right around $50. I can get these ones for about $26/carton. yeah, I like my Camels more, but I don’t like them that much more. If I want a really good cig, I usually just buy a pouch of Bali Shag and roll one up. That stuff is stout, but the flavor can’t be beat.

They still make good cigarettes, but they’re difficult to find and expensive. I picked up 4 packs of English Ovals in Illinois a couple of weeks ago, and they’re fantastic. Nat Sherman’s Havana Ovals are also good, though they taste more like cigars than cigarettes. Pall Mall unfiltered are also quite nice, as are Chesterfield Kings. Unfiltered Gitanes are the Guinness of the cigarette world, but I haven’t been able to find them for years. In Canada, an Export Plain is your only man. I’ve never been able to find Philip Morris’ Commanders, but people say they’re fantastic too. They’re still being made, though like English Ovals their availability depends on your state (some states have made the subtle flavourings used in English Ovals illegal).

I can still get Camel Reds here, they were a pretty decent smoke. They’re expensive as hell now and only available by the carton. That brings the price waaaaay up unless you have friends that want to split.

id be interested to try some of these smokes that are in a different league, since i usually smoke marlboro reds, or drum blue/gold depending on what i feel like, since i only really smoke occasionally or when im out of snus, which means ordering online or making time for a proper tobacconist is usually out the window. i think i could order online of its something special.

@Firesarter0 - My recommendation for you is French cigarette Gitane. Your tastes seem similar to mine and I love these as an evening smoke.

@Firestarter0: apart from Gitanes maybe, I doubt that any of them would taste like much after smoking Drum. Drum tends to kill my sense of smell/taste when it comes to tobacco, as the taste is so strong (and wonderful). I tried to intersperse my Ovals with milder, more bland cigarettes so that I could fully appreciate the Ovals.

as i say, my snus use is more prevalent. by gitanes, i assume these are what i am after? - http://www.mysmokingshop.co.uk/index2.php?mod=category&man=150&cat=79 lowish nicotine. How are sobranie black russians?

I don’t know if they were better. Filterless and stronger for sure. The “fireproof” cigarette paper of recent times kind of ruined cigarettes for me but saved my life once one drunken night. The packaging sure was more alluring.

they have gotten worse over the years. they smell more like chemicals and less like plants.

as i say, my snus use is more prevalent. by gitanes, i assume these are what i am after? - http://www.mysmokingshop.co.uk/index2.php?mod=category&man=150&cat=79 How are sobranie black russians?

@Firestarter0 - Yep, those are the driods that you’re looking for Gitanes don’t really taste like much else (Gouliose rolling tobacco is a close second in my book - This is my current choice as it’s more cost effective; 25g is lasting me over a week) they have a real deep, rich and yet smooth taste and a strong room note - Extremely pleasant smoke. Sobranie Black and Cocktails are both really nice too. In the absence of Tor Turkish these are probably the best commercially avaliable Russian/Turkish style cigarettes avaliable. There is another similar brand called Ziganov I believe, although I don’t think that these quite have the taste or history of Sobranie - I kind of want some now…

Howdy HR! OTR commercials also proclaim the safety and, in some cases, the medical BENEFITS of cigarettes. One needs to keep in mind that this occurred before the _ truth in advertising _ laws.

Obviously cigarettes were much better before they started spraying them with 400+ chemicals

got some black russians for £10.10 in a shop in York when i saw them (they sell sobranie cocktails and gitanes too, i just thought blacks would be a happy medium for me and the girlfriend). absolutely delicious, nothing special in nicotine but if i cover the holes round the filter part i get a wonderful, slightly chocolatey taste. without covering the holes they are a bit mild for me (but as mentioned earlier i would usually go for marlboro reds). gitanes next i think, though their nicotine is rated lower.

All this talk about cigarettes ,I just had to have one so I just lit up a John Player navy cut [mild] that was over 60 years old ;every puff I take I am getting a full body buzz. i can see the attraction The taste was mild but the tobacco was very strong

That’s an awesome find. Very nostalgic!

gitanes next i think, though their nicotine is rated lower.

Hey @firestarter0 Yeah, as previously I think you’ll find that the Gitanes really deliver in the flavour department, definately one of the best commercail cigarettes avalaible to my mind. Worth giving Gaulioses rolling tobacco a go too, likewise very good and a welcome change to the house of Drum - I haven’t gone back

All this talk about cigarettes ,I just had to have one so I just lit up a John Player navy cut [mild] that was over 60 years old ;every puff I take I am getting a full body buzz. i can see the attraction The taste was mild but the tobacco was very strong

That’s still around. Almost bought a packet last weekend in local pub but restrained myself. Only plain cigarette left here!

something i just read–may be general knowledge, almost all canadian cig’s use 100% virginia tobacco. aren’t player’s canadian? anyways—american spirit is only american one i know of. any canadian cigs that can be bought at store?

Player’s Navy Cut is Canadian–with the sailor and such. In Manitoba you can still buy Player’s Plain and Export Plain. I like the Export better, but it’s much harder to find.

I only get “Page not found” with this link
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/ashes-to-ashes-534458.html

I used to smoke Balkan Sobranies–10 to a lovely white tin, expensive even in the 80s…for me nothing else even came close…maybe the Yenidje tobacco?. 2d place would be Sweet Aftons. The Black Russians i never liked as much. The Balkan Sobranies were so amazing i should have quit when they went extinct [as are the Aftons as far as i know]. 

Nothing  out there now is worth bothering about in my opinion. If you are in Mexico the Delicados [unfiltered] in rice paper are quite nice and still available. Cigs ruined me for pipes though, I am still struggling to quit pipes entirely much as i love them…I smoke them them too sloppily and quickly–quite the wrong approach for pipes

dunhill cigarettes are still pretty good. they are low on nicotine and they claim to be additive free

Here is the link
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/ashes-to-ashes-5350910.html

I found two cartons of Phillip Morris English Ovals last summer in Portland, OR (Rich’s Cigar Store).  They are $11 per pack, but they are by far the best quality cigarette I’ve ever had.  I gave one to someone who used to work in a cigar factory in Cuba, and she was amazed that a cigarette could be so good.  In a way, it’s good I can’t get them in Canada as I doubt I’d have been able to quit smoking (over 2 months cig-free now!).

For the cigarette aficionado, international military antiques has unopened boxes of Players Navy Cut from WWII available. Not sure they would be very fresh. Since I have quit, cigarettes have a very rank scent to me. When they are first lit, they make me want one. After that, it is all downhill.

Haven’t had a smoke in 27 years. Never really liked them the few years I did use them. Really sad to see the people that still smoke that I know and their compiling health problems. Marijuana being legal where I live and 19 shops within a 10 mile radius of me should add to the growing health issues related to smoking in the near future for a lot of people. I guess the the government just sees more tax revenue from legalization and don’t care about what it is doing to peoples health.

Nicmizer, have you noticed zero mention of lung disease with pot smoking?

I notice chronic lung problems with people I know that smoke cigarettes and smoke marijuana. Not only the morning coughing fits but also dry heave fits while coughing throughout the day. See this daily at the many job sites I frequent. Don’t understand how people with respiratory issues are so blind to the fact there is a definite problem.

^ that would be because they dont spray formaldehyde and countless other man made chemicals on pot like they do to cigarettes. There is over 200 chemicals in cigarettes that are not found in a tobacco plant, people are smoking formaldehyde and god knows what else everyday then blaming some plant when they get lung disease.

It doesn’t matter what is being burnt there is always some amount of carcinogens in the smoke.

So… you want cancer warnings on BBQs and stoves?

No and I don’t think they are entirely necessary on cigarettes or pipe tobacco either. We’re adults and we can research and make our own health risk decisions. However, I think that the lack of acknowledgement that intentionally smoking and inhaling marijuana poses similar health risks to intentionally smoking and inhaling anything else is, at best, a form of denial. I’m not debating legalization or possible medical use, I believe in both, just pointing out that smoking is smoking and that has health risks to consider.

And I’m sayimg smoking something that has been soaked in formaldehyde is WAY worse, you cant even compare the two. Look up the health problems associated with inhaling formaldehyde and you will see it is nearly identical to the health risks of smoking cigarettes BECAUSE CIGARETTES CONTAIN FORMALDEHYDE and marijuana does not.

@n9inchnails I am in agreement. I’m sure smoking factory cigarettes and their additive laden frankentobacco are much worse. All I am saying is that there are inherent health risks in inhaling smoke of any kind, and there seems, to me, to be a segment of society that would like to turn a blind eye to that fact. Now I am against regulation, against the nanny state and against health warnings. That stance, however carries the caveat that we be very honest with ourselves about health risks and benefits.

The only cigarette that could make me pick up smoking is Lucky Strikes. They still make them but the are really hard to come by in the states. If those were readily available I would always have a pack around.

No one is saying smoke of any kind isn’t bad for you because that’s clearly not true but cigarette smoke is in a league of its own because it has toxins ADDED to it and therefore cannot be fairly compared to just about any other kind of smoke.  Its like saying that all wine will make you go blind because wine that has antifreeze added to it can make you go blind, one has toxins added to it the other does not, they are not in the same league.

@n9inchnails Agreed. Good talk, old chap.

I lived in Scotland in 1970, and remember smoking lots of very good English non-filter cigs. One type I recall, that were excellent , was called “Passing Clouds”.  I mostly smoked hand-rolled Golden Virginia however. Another great cigarette from memory were Mac Donalds Export Canadian. I used to love going to Toronto with my parents and buying Canadian cigs. Another brand I used to enjoy were called Black Cat. As for American cigs, I used to love Sherman’s Havana Ovals, which are non filtered, and oval shaped. And I can’t forget the non filter Gitanes, with that super unique flavor and the lovely artsy box!

I understand that there are many toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, but I don’t know which ones, if any, are added and which might occur naturally. I have a hard time believing in evil corporations adding cyanide to cigarettes. I mean, maybe they do, but that would cost them money. I’ve never seen a complete chemical analysis of a burned natural tobacco leaf vs. a cigarette. No doubt some of the toxic chemicals are simply created by the process of burning tobacco. I know that chemicals have sometimes been added to improve the nic kick, but I don’t really know what that means and to be honest I don’t trust the tobacco companies OR the anti-smoking lobby.

That was part of my point. Just like every other issue on this planet, everyone has an agenda. The big tobacco lobby, anti-smoking lobby, legalization lobby, anti-legalization lobby. All have an agenda, and unfortunately with all the agendas the truth takes a back seat and eventually gets lost or supressed.

The only decent tobacco’s i could find when i was smoking was mainly 3 types. Lucky Strikes, American Spirit organic and 100% Virginia. All of the cigarettes they sell in the shops I never grew a liking to, so I typically ordered in from overseas or specialist tobacco shops.

@SandwhichIsles do you GLP? Referencing the Morgan Freeman. Formaldehyde is added to pot by some. I know people who do it. They claim a better high. We know that smoke bursts alveoli, regardless if it is tobacco or marijuana smoke. Anyone who denies it is giving away their pot agenda. I really don’t care if people want to smoke pot, but, if so, the demonization if tobacco should stop. It’s a double standard.

@josephjames fandango ranger here, though I read more than post. And I wholeheartedly agree with your point. I have personal friends who are pro-marijuana supporters, and in the same breath, tobacco (not just smoking) demonizers. The hypocrisy is what gets me.

There are plenty of tobacco users that are willing to demonize users of other types of tobacco. 

Almost every time I’ve ever been given crap for smoking a cigar, it was by a woman smoking a cigarette. 

The most extreme case was at a party at work after hours.  I went outside on the deck over the river far away from everyone else and lit a cigar.  A woman walked over and lit a cigarette right next to me and upwind.  I moved away from her, and she followed me telling me how my Fuente Y Fuente Opus X “smelled like ass”.  I commented to her “So yer extremely familiar with ass?  Humm?”  She stomped her foot like a petulant child and told me her husband was gonna kick my ass.  She sent this big biker over to me who proceeded to try and intimidate me, but when he heard what I said to her he laughed and left.  She came back over and slapped the barely-lit cigar outta my hand into the river.  I tell her that’s gonna cost ya 30$   or I’m gonna call the Marshal.  Her husband threatened me with a beating, so I called the Marshal in front of him and said “I’ve just had my property destroyed, and been threatened with a beating.”  The biker laughed until the Marshal pulled up into the parking lot and I went over to the Marshal and pointed at the biker.  The drunk female with the cigarette kept cussing me and the Marshal out while her biker husband kept telling her to shut the F*** up.  I tell him I want 40$ for the cigar.  The biker explodes and says to the Marshal I’m cheating him as I only wanted 30$ before.  The marshal tells him I bet that was before ya threatened him. I smiled and nodded my head.  I got 40$.  Then I said I won’t press charges if I get a believeable apology from both of ya.  The biker reddened and apologized, his wife wouldn’t, but I suspect she payed later.

In my experience, it’s always the cigarette smokers that give me a hard time about cigars, pipes, or snuff.

^ so true, when Im outside smoking my pipe the only people who complain are the ones with cigarettes in their mouths.

^Same here. I don’t tell anyone else how to manage their health and don’t take kindly to anyone (but my wife or kids) trying to manage mine. Having said that, I’m a reasonable guy. If my smoke is bothering you (whether you’re smoking or not) just ask me politely to move. The key is ‘politely’ and don’t have a holier than thou attitude.

A pipe or cigar is infinitely more tolerable than a cigarette. I suspect the problem with cigarettes is related to the chemicals n9inchnails alluded to.

I’m not so sure. My wife smokes all natural additive free organic american spirits and they still smell horrific.

unfiltered camals and unfiltered pall malls are very good cigs, they still have the same smell as regular cigs but they are nice to smoke 

Yeah all the unfiltered cigarettes are excellent, except for Pyramids (a discount brand). English Ovals and Nat Sherman’s Havana Ovals are probably the best, but Chesterfield (still made but hard to find sometimes), Pall Mall, Camel and Lucky Strike (all unfiltered) are excellent. They’re much more expensive than their filtered counterparts, but you get what you pay for. If Philip Morris still makes Commander cigarettes I have heard those are unbelievably good as well.

a camel sales rep told me unfiltered camels had the best tobacco they make in them. i wouldn’t be surprised if all companies do the same for their unfiltered too. @Mike_B is right about all those brands. they are all good

I’ve never been a smoker with the exception of smoking socially with family/friends when I was living/working in China. I was a 10+ year smokeless (American smokeless/Snus) user though.

That being said, my grandparents on both sides said cigarettes were better back in the day (1940s-60s). I don’t know if this is nostalgia on their part or what. My uncle recently quit smoking (uses snuff now), and said they were worlds better before companies started producing those fire safe cigarettes. He said whatever changed in the fire safe cigarettes changed the taste in a bad way. My uncle did say he still enjoyed the taste of Camel unfiltered cigarettes though. Again, I’m not a smoker and can’t attest to this, it’s just what I’ve heard.

Havana Ovals are really good cigarettes. Sherman’s, I don’t think they have additives, but they could. I don’t smoke them, but my brother does. I used to enjoy Pall Mall reds when I was about 18, my mom smoked them, so I could bum a packet from her now and then.