What should I do with the bands? This, like cellophane wrappers is controversial. Personally, I find this controversy amusing as it is just a piece of paper, but that's me.
Some say that you should remove the band before smoking the cigar at all. It appears that, especially in Europe they say, that leaving the band on is pompous. I have only been in Europe for three weeks, and no one seemed to care that I left the bands on my cigars most of the time. But what do I know -- I'm a stupid American.
Some say that you should not take the band off as this may damage the cigar. They say that if you are going to remove the band, peel it rather than pull it off. They also say that you should smoke part of the cigar so the glue is moist and easier to remove without damaging the cigar. The counter-argument here is that once you start smoking the cigar, it expands: the laws of physics do have a tendency to prevail in such cases.
Personally, I've found trying to remove the band often causes damage to the cigar, so I usually leave them on. I have also found that I am still enjoying a cigar when it has approached the band. In other words, enjoy the cigar -- take the band off if you want, leave it on if you prefer.
