The cigar band was introduced by the Dutchman Gustave Bock, one of the first Europeans to get involved in the Havana cigar industry, somewhat after the introduction of the cigar box and labels, and for the same reason: to distinguish his brand from the many others on the market. The band has another minor function, that of protecting the smoker’s fingers from becoming stained (this was important when gentlemen wore white evening gloves).

The cigar bands of older brands tend to be much fancier (with gold leaf in abundance) than those of modern brands. Those aimed at the very top of the market in particular Cohiba, Dunhill, Montecristo, and Davidoff, for instance-are all simple and elegant. The brands on non-Havana cigars with Cuban brand names tend to be similar to the Cuban original, although they vary in small details (a typical one being that they bear the date of origin of the brand in the space where the Cuban versions says ‘Havana’).