jfields
Where did all my money go?
I know this has been done before, and not to step on Wilksters toes, but with the latest round of Newbs, I thought this would be a good thing to do. Within the last two weeks I recently came across two fake cigars. One a Cohiba Siglo V, the other was a RYJ Tubos No. 3. The person who was in possession of these shall remain nameless, as he was completely unaware and felt completely humiliated & upset when I brought it to him. Besides, I have been there myself at one time. This person was the victim of what he really thought was a trusted vendor. The vendor in question (after refunding this members money), either really still believes he's peddling the real thing, and welcomes me to come in so he can "educate me." Or, he knows the deception he's dealing, and does not want to admit being caught in the act.
What caught my eye immediately when I saw the Siglo V was the same dark wrapper that resembled the same "Miami Fakes" I had come across in the past. Below are pictures of the real thing and the fake. The fake is on the right.
Notice the differences in wrappers. The counterfeit on the right has a much darker wrapper that resembles something closer to the Maduro line. Also noted is the incorrect length and difference in ring gauge, which can be seen better in a picture of the foot on both side by side. The real article is on the left.
The construction (other than ring gauge and length) does not look bad at all on this specimen. Even a good bit of effort was put into the classic triple cap.
Next, I decided to cut open the fake Cohiba to see what else I could find. Sorry, but I could not bring myself to do the same to the real thing in the name of science. When I pulled off the wrapper, I immediately noticed that it was obvious that the same amount of care did not go into this one as would the real thing. The leaf was very thin and sickly looking. This picture was taken without a light behind it, and should give you an idea of how thin it is.
Also what I found was the most likely reason for the hard test draw I came across before cutting this open. When I very carefully opened the filler I was greeted with tiny little bits and pieces instead of what should have been. Keep in mind I did not cut, or tear this apart. So, what you see, is what was inside, dust, fragments, and all.
Lastly, I'll leave you with a scan of the labels sent to the previous owner to give you an idea of the subtle differences spotted.
Next was the RYJ Tubos No. 3
I did not cut this one open, but the biggest giveaway was the horrible attempt on the cap. It looked as if someone had just licked a piece of wrapper and then stuck it on top. The ring gauge on this one was the opposite of the Cohiba, with this one being quite a bit bigger and longer than the real thing. The counterfeit is on the right in the picture.
The tube had some differences noted, with the top having a more pronounced rounded appearance, and the printing being quite a bit sharper. The inside of the tube had some differences on the inside of the crown, although I could not get clear pictures with the night light. One again, fake is on right.
The label on the RYJ was very close to the real thing. The only noticeable difference was in the medallions on the sides of the band. The fake had a slight difference in the gold coloring. The real one had raised 3-D features on them that made the design on the medallions more pronounced.
What caught my eye immediately when I saw the Siglo V was the same dark wrapper that resembled the same "Miami Fakes" I had come across in the past. Below are pictures of the real thing and the fake. The fake is on the right.
Notice the differences in wrappers. The counterfeit on the right has a much darker wrapper that resembles something closer to the Maduro line. Also noted is the incorrect length and difference in ring gauge, which can be seen better in a picture of the foot on both side by side. The real article is on the left.
The construction (other than ring gauge and length) does not look bad at all on this specimen. Even a good bit of effort was put into the classic triple cap.
Next, I decided to cut open the fake Cohiba to see what else I could find. Sorry, but I could not bring myself to do the same to the real thing in the name of science. When I pulled off the wrapper, I immediately noticed that it was obvious that the same amount of care did not go into this one as would the real thing. The leaf was very thin and sickly looking. This picture was taken without a light behind it, and should give you an idea of how thin it is.
Also what I found was the most likely reason for the hard test draw I came across before cutting this open. When I very carefully opened the filler I was greeted with tiny little bits and pieces instead of what should have been. Keep in mind I did not cut, or tear this apart. So, what you see, is what was inside, dust, fragments, and all.
Lastly, I'll leave you with a scan of the labels sent to the previous owner to give you an idea of the subtle differences spotted.
Next was the RYJ Tubos No. 3
I did not cut this one open, but the biggest giveaway was the horrible attempt on the cap. It looked as if someone had just licked a piece of wrapper and then stuck it on top. The ring gauge on this one was the opposite of the Cohiba, with this one being quite a bit bigger and longer than the real thing. The counterfeit is on the right in the picture.
The tube had some differences noted, with the top having a more pronounced rounded appearance, and the printing being quite a bit sharper. The inside of the tube had some differences on the inside of the crown, although I could not get clear pictures with the night light. One again, fake is on right.
The label on the RYJ was very close to the real thing. The only noticeable difference was in the medallions on the sides of the band. The fake had a slight difference in the gold coloring. The real one had raised 3-D features on them that made the design on the medallions more pronounced.
