New Online Articles

It is a fact that, in a World increasingly dominated by technology, mens’ shaving is steadily leaning towards an instrument from the past: the straight razor. The causes of this are varied and, in some ways, unrelated. Here we take a look at just some of the reasons for the increase in popularity in the use of this vintage shaving tool.

Perhaps the main reason - according to feedback I have received - for throwing away the multi-blade shaver and replacing it with a classic straight razor is one of cost. A lot of guys seem to have had enough of the old King Gillette marketing ploy of “make the razor cheap and the blades expensive”. This seems to get more expensive for the consumer as time goes on, considering the price of a pack of multi-blade refills!

But aren’t straight razors expensive? Well, sure, initially they will cost more than practically any multiblade shaver you can buy. However, that single-bladed straight razor will, with reasonable care and attention, last you the rest of your life. That’s right - the rest of your days! Even when you add the cost of a razor strop and hone, a basic, decent-quality setup shouldn’t cost more than about 120 GBP($200).

What? That much? are you kidding?

No, I’m not kidding. Like buying a very good suit, initial outlay is high - but so is durability. Go get a suit from a Savile Row tailor - if a classic style is chosen (and you watch your figure!), chances are you will still be wearing it twenty years from now. It’s an investment, not just an outlay.

Another reason I hear is one that really follows on from the first - it’s a conservation issue. Now I am not going to claim that switching to straight razor shaving will save the planet but, when you consider the huge number of multi-blade cartridges consigned to landfill each year, you have to admit that every little helps. It’s not just the waste, either - the ongoing cost of manufacture and the use of plastics within the components and packaging also has its own impact on our surroundings.

Compare that with the manufacture of a straight razor - of course it has to use raw materials, energy in the forging and grinding, energy in transport to the retailer and associated use of packaging and advertising costs. Yet, this is a one-time thing - once this product has reached its owner, all the consuming stops - dead. I have razors that are still perfectly usable (indeed I use them daily) that are 150 years old. That’s real economy of production!

Another reason is a bit harder to define - it’s the satisfaction experienced by shaving with a straight razor. One aspect is pure macho - shaving with three inches or so of unguarded, super-sharp steel that absolutely takes no prisoner rates about 11 out of 10 on the macho-meter to many guys - one slip and you’re going to see blood!

Well - that’s true but, with a little practice and a whole lot of respect, a straight razor becomes a tamed tiger. Act the fool or mess around and it will, for sure, show you its teeth but handle it with care and all you will be left with is a comfortable, smooth shave that will only get better as your skill improves.

And that is yet another attraction for straight razor users - it certainly is to myself. There are so many things nowadays that require us to employ little or no skill in their performance that it is very satisfying to know that, when straight razor shaving, you are employing a skillset that takes time and patience to master - and will continue to improve for as long as you determine to refine it.

So - in conclusion - is it necessary to be a rugged, macho individualist with a grave concern for environmental matters in order to become the user of a straight razor? Certainly such a person could be a prime candidate but so would any guy who looks in the mirror every morning and simply wants something that bit different - a chance to practice a skill or an opportunity to be - even just for ten minutes - totally focussed on their own pleasure.

Did I forget to mention that? In this age of the busy-busy lifestyle, a straight razor shave is one of the few things that really cannot be hurried - and this opens up, for those precious few minutes, a window of relaxation and a level of insulation from the World Beyond that isn’t a thing to be missed.

But that’s another story.

For more information on straight razors, take a look at The Invisible Edge for information about Vintage models or visit either Dovo Razors UK or Thiers-Issard UK to see brand-new items.

Erectile dysfunction doesn’t have to be a part of getting older. It’s true that as you get older, you may need more stimulation (such as stroking and touching) to get an erection. You might also need more time between erections. But there’s no reason why older men should not be able to get an erection and enjoy sex.

Erectile dysfunction is very common. Although it tends to be more common in the over 40-year-old age group, it can affect men of all ages. Studies have shown that:

- 52% of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 have some degree of erectile dysfunction.
- At least one in ten men cannot get an erection at all (referred to as “complete erectile dysfunction”).
- The majority of causes of erectile dysfunction are physical in nature.
- There is a strong association between age and ED: 39% of men at the age of 40 and 67% at the age of 70 are affected by minimal, moderate or complete ED.

The most common physical causes of old age erectile dysfunctions are:

- Alcohol, tobacco and drug use
- Fatigue
- Brain or spinal-cord injuries
- Hypogonadism (which leads to lower testosterone levels)
- Liver or kidney failure
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Radiation therapy to the testicles
- Stroke
- Some types of prostate or bladder surgery
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- Hardening of the arteries

There is also the possibility that your erectile problems are cause by some medicine you are using. In this case your physician may be able to change your medication.

Psychological issues that can lead to erectile dysfunction:

- Feeling nervous about sex, perhaps because of a bad experience or because of a previous episode of impotence
- Feeling stressed, including stress from work or family situations
- Being troubled by problems in your relationship with your sex partner
- Feeling depressed
- Feeling so self-conscious that you can’t enjoy sex
- Thinking that your partner is reacting negatively to you

If you decide to seek therapy, it will probably be most effective if your sex partner is included. Couples can learn new ways to please one another and to show affection. This can reduce anxiety about having erections.

Today you have the option of a host of new erectile dysfunction treatments, so seek help right away. You can start by talking to your doctor or your therapist or you can seek alternative treatments for penile impotence.

You can find a lot of educational and support web sites on the Internet where you can learn a lot about your condition and what’s causing it and you can talk and find support from people just like you. The Internet is the place to start your research into alternative treatments.

Unfortunately, it is also the place where you will find an amazing number of web sites chocked-full with unsupported claims for wonder cures that can treat your penile dysfunctions in 30 days or less. Herbal remedies for erectile dysfunctions have been around for a number of years and they will still be around for a long time.

Herbal remedies do not have to pass any clinical tests and the marketers can make any claims whatsoever. They do nothing more than to publish their opinions and their customers opinions on the products they market.

Just make sure you won’t be suckered into spending hundreds of dollars on worthless vitamins and plant extracts that you can buy at any drug store for a couple of bucks.

For help in improving your performance and ensuring full, hard erections on demand take sex pills and sex drugs like viagra, cialis and levitra.

Erectile dysfunction is one of the threats men can suffer anytime. Having an erectile dysfunction is having the incapability to achieve erection or just having the ability to attain only brief erections. Being the most common sexual problem of all men, only a few ask for medical help.

It can occur to men at any age but more common as they grow older. It’s time to see a doctor if you experience a lack of erection frequently. Lack of erection in males age 45 and over can be the sign of an underlying heart condition, but you can see a doctor and ask for advice at any age if you have any concerns in your general health.

Most of the men who experience occasional lack of erection of who cannot hold an erection for long enough time to have a satisfactory sexual intercourse are not ill however. They are plain tired, stressed, and possibly bored with their sex life.

Today it’s the perfect day to start learning more about you and take control of your sex life. There is so much information floating around you and there are so many web sites that will offer advice on erectile dysfunction exercises, that there is no reason you have to put up with the embarrassment of yet again not being able to satisfy your partner and yourself. Erectile dysfunction exercises do work. Men have employed homemade erectile dysfunction cures for ages and they do help men of all ages feel better about themselves and have a great sex life.

And no, I’m not going to give you any crap about secret ancient oriental techniques preserved in Hindu temples or any such stories. Those techniques and methods are not secret at all. It’s very probable that men all around the world have tried home cures for their problems. It’s just that our Western society thinks that everything will be cured by the pill.

Pills can only offer you a few hours of 99% certain erection. It just stops there. It couldn’t help you to feel more, be more in control of your body or understand your partner any better. It has so many harmful side effects and not advisable for others to take it especially those under other medication. many nasty side effects, that it gets scary to read the instructions and caution notice.

Pill is certainly not the best product on erectile dysfunction. Try to engage with exercises first if you want to improve your sex life. You will learn to take control of your body and actions. After this, you’ll definitely be a better lover. Don’t waste your time now, I know you would love to surprise your partner and spice up your sexy time. Exercising your penis might take a lot of effort on you but the results are truly incredible and amazing sex life!

Search for alternative sexual enhancement methods before taking ed pills like viagra, cialis or levitra.

Both a man and the woman need to be healthy in order to produce a child. When a couple cannot conceive a child in a span of one year, they might be having infertility problems. According to research, infertility affects 10% (or about 6.1 million) Americans in the reproductive age. Contrary to myth, infertility is not always a “woman’s problem.” A third of the cases are actually due to male infertility factors.

Infertility in men may be caused by many factors such as low sperm count (or nothing at all), ejaculation problems, or “abnormal” sperm, which is said to be malformed and have a short life span.

Generally, your fertility is based upon your general health. If you live a healthy lifestyle, there is a high probability that your sperm will also be healthy. There are quite a number of threats that may affect male fertility. Nicotine, alcohol and drugs (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are on the top of the list. According to studies, smoking drastically decreases the sperm count and overall health of sperm cells.

Poor diet (malnutrition) can also contribute to male infertility, including deficiency in vitamin C and zinc in your diet. Some diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, fevers, anemia, and mumps in adulthood) and infections are also suspect. These are infections of the reproductive system such as epididymitis, orchitis, and prostatitis. Some sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia or gonorrhea also damages the spermatic ducts. You also risk transmitting your disease to your partner causing her to be infertile.

Some medications are also believed to be causes of male infertility. This include cancer-treating agents (e.g., chemotheraphy), anti-fungal medication (ketoconazole), antidiarrheal drug (sulfasalazine), Azulfidine (a drug used to treat ulcerative colitis), and some groups of antibiotics (nitrofurans and macrolides). Likewise, the use of anabolic steroids is also known to cause testicular shrinkage and infertility.

Other threats to male fertility also include testosterone deficiency, trauma or injury to the testes, structural abnormality or blockage in the vas deferens, and varicocele, a varicose vein in the testicle that produces too much heat harming and killing sperm.

Some are also connected to your lifestyle, like excessive stress, overly intense exercise (may lower your sperm count by producing higher levels of adrenal steroid hormones, which lower the amount of testosterone in the body), tight underwear or jogging pants, hot tubs, saunas, or anything that raises the temperature of your scrotum, including overheated vehicles and hot work environments, and exposure to environmental hazards such as pesticides, lead, paint, mercury, benzene, boron, radiation (x-ray), radioactive substances, and heavy metals.

Find out how to increase ejaculation volume with natural aphrodisiacs.

Making use of a penis pump is one of the most common ways men attempt to obtain a larger penis. A penis pump is a simple device with a hollow tube where you can put your penis. It has a handle, which sucks blood into the penis by creating a vacuum. The blood then gets caught in the penis by means of a rubber ring placed around the base. This ring allows your penis to maintain its erection so you can make love without losing the erection.

By creating a vacuum-type seal around the penis by pulling blood to the surface, it engorges your member and makes it appear larger. The sensations can be pleasant at first, but your penis will eventually return to its former size. Men who suffer from chronic insulin dependent diabetes or circulatory disorders generally can use these pumps. Men afflicted with these conditions have such poor blood circulation due to their sugar metabolism that they can’t get enough blood flowing into the area. With the suction created by the pump, the penis’s skin and underlying tissues are being stretch. The ring clamps off the blood flow and consequently traps the blood in the penis, making it look thicker and capable of sustaining erection. With the clamp firmly in place, men then can have sex with their partners. However, once you take the clamp off, the erection goes away.

Penis pumps show their greatest benefit when the penis is already erect or when you still have not achieved a full erection. The enlargement effect however is not long lasting and will disappear quickly once pumping ceases or if you remove the ring that keeps the blood pumped into the penis. Having said all these, penis pumps do not cause your penis to grow; they can only help you achieve fuller and harder erections temporarily.

Despite the obvious benefit one gains from using a penis pump, many men and their partners don’t like the device because the erection it produces is not “normal”. Some pump users complain that their penis feels numb or that it becomes discolored, misshapen, and cold to the touch. Other couples are uneasy about the interruption of intimacy it brings to lovemaking. In addition, some men find that the constriction ring at the base of the penis causes mild discomfort upon ejaculation.

Penis pumps can be dangerous if used improperly. Take caution when using one and ensure that whatever pump you use has a reliable pressure gauge and that you follow the instructions closely. Furthermore, using the wrong kind of vacuum pump and using it too often can burst blood vessels in the penis, peel skin, cause general pain, and soreness. They also tend to thin out the penis, making it very weak and reducing the duration of erections. There are some cases of penis pumps even deforming the penis. Some men have found out that after using a penis pump for a period of time, the only way they would be able to obtain an erection is with the pump.

The major problems associated with pumps are:

1. The results are rarely permanent since you’re simply sucking blood into your penis. The penis is not actually strengthened nor does it increase in length or girth.

2. You run the risk of getting lymph blisters on the glands of your penis from the device that you’re putting over it.

3. You take the risk of bleeding from ruptured capillaries. Sucking a lot of blood abruptly into your penis can rupture some penile blood vessels.

4. You run the risk of temporary impotence because of forcing blood to your penis.

Although pumps do work temporarily (usually for about half an hour) this is unsuitable for spontaneous occasions and these devices have been known to leave scars, bruises and in some cases gangrene, causing much pain to the penis. Pumps work by placing a tube over your penis and then pumping the air out of the tube. This temporarily swells the penis, but does not increase the blood capacity in the cells of the penis, which is crucial in achieving permanent size gains.

After learning all of these disadvantages, you need to think twice before you consider using a penis pump to help you sustain an erection. Your best bet to a full-sized penis would be to exercise and keep your blood flowing healthily.

Instead of penis pumps try penis enlargement pills. Compare sex pills and other methods used for penis enlargement.

So let’s say you’re a man. And you want to know how to pick up women. And maybe you’ve read a few books about it, even seen some of those goofy how to pick up women e-books for sale.

But most of it seems like BS to you, and the whole how to pick up women idea sounds pretty high-schoolish to you. After all, you’re a man, and you’d probably like to meet a woman for a real relationship with some fun adventures along the way.

Should you learn how to pick up women? No. What you should learn is how to create attraction with women, which is a vastly different skill. See, when you learn the skill of attraction (and it IS a skill learnable by any man), women will actually start to approach you first for a date, no matter your looks, age or income.

Women can actually sense a man who’s mastered the skill of attraction’you just give off a certain ‘vibe’ they pick up on. Not so much with guys who spend all their time trying to learn how to pick up women, they give off a different vibe, a more desperate one.

Understand this: women WANT to feel attraction around men. They want to feel chills in their spine, want to feel butterflies in their stomach. And when you make them feel that wonderful feeling of attraction (what women call ‘chemistry’) they will do anything to be with you.

But when you try to pick up women, all of that changes. In that case, women feel objectified, like they’re pawns in a game, or a way for lesser men to keep score with their lesser buddies.

So, how to pick up women is out, and learning the skill of attraction is in. Strangely, attraction is a simple skill to learn, although it appears to be difficult because no one, nowhere teaches it.
Attraction comes down to this: engaging in a certain set of male behavior that creates attraction, and avoiding those behaviors that kill it.

What creates attraction? A naughty, funny, sarcastic, teasing persona, that switches over to strength, authority, and seriousness. What kills attraction? Whining, jealousy, possessiveness, sensitivity, being a nice guy, being a pushover, being available, trying to win a woman’s favor with compliments and gifts and so on and so forth.

If you really want to attract women, forget the whole how to pick up women thing, that’s for choads and losers. Do what MEN do, learn the skill of attraction, and put it to use wherever you go.

You’ll finally know how to meet women, attract women, and pick up women, having power and control over your dating live. Go to www.WomenApproachYou.com to discover these dating secrets

So you want to know how to attract women. And you want to know how to attract women the right way, not the way everyone says ’should work.’

Strangely, the first step is not something new to do, but things you should stop doing. See, if you want to know how to attract women, you must first get rid of your attraction killers.

Understand this: it’s not that most guys don’t attract women. It’s that they kill the attraction almost as soon as it starts, and they don’t even know what happened.

Unfortunately, there has been a cultural shift in this country over the past 30 years, and men have stopped acting like men, and started acting like whiney little boys. Instead of exhibiting personal authority (THE biggest secret when it comes to how to attract women), most men look to the woman to lead in the relationship’ they treat her as ‘mommy’ and not as wife or girlfriend.

Women can’t stand this. What they want is man who will take the lead, a man who will say, ‘hey, let’s go here,’ instead of ‘I dunno, what do you want to do.’ This is a huge turn off to women, and as soon as man does that, it kills the attraction.

What else kills the attraction? Oh, I could go on forever, but here are a few big killers, and we’ll start with the biggest one: being a ‘nice guy.’
The media and society have conditioned men to believe that women are attracted to the proverbial ‘nice guy’,the lovable, dorky pushover, the soft, sensitive lump who exists only to please her and do her bidding. This is NOT how to attract women. If you’ve ever tried the nice guy route, you know where you end up- -in the safe friend zone.

But hey, we’re just getting started here. Want to drive away a woman for good? Be eagerly available, shower her with compliments, buy her gifts and let her know you’re ‘there for her.’

Lookit, women ’should’ be attracted to men like this. But they’re not. Instead they’re attracted to men with a profound sense of personal authority, men who are sarcastic, politically incorrect, excel at innuendo, and are maddeningly unavailable.

Whether this is right or wrong doesn’t matter. It’s the world we live in, and if you as a man want to know how to attract women, the secret is actually very simple: stop doing the things that kill attraction (the things society and the media tell you to do) and start doing what works. You’ll be amazed at how easy it suddenly is to attract women.

You’ll finally know how to meet women, attract women, and pick up women, having power and control over your dating live. Go to www.WomenApproachYou.com to discover these dating secrets

What can l-arginine do for your body?

Let us have a look at its general functions to see why it can be an excellent male enhancer.

A lot of studies now show that l-arginine is helpful in essential bodily functions, such as the secretion of hormones, promoting the immune system, and also is a good anti-oxidant (helping the body remove free radicals and toxins from the body).

L-arginine is fairly responsible for the making of nitric oxide in our body, which is considered to be a “vasodilator” (helps veins make larger or dilate). Because l-arginine is a semi-essential amino acid and is a precursor to nitric oxide, larger amounts of it may produce systemic vasodilatation and lessen the ischemic vascular signs.

L-arginine and Blood Circulation

Doctors often apply l-arginine for cardiovascular diseases (high blood pressure, angina, and so on). The principle of vasodilation also helps to cure erectile dysfunction and even infertility as you need nitric oxide for this.

Because the process, by which the body creates l-arginine is rather unproductive and likely varies from person to person, it may be that persons with a family history of heart disease or cardiovascular dysfunction may profit from l-arginine supplementation.

Dietary pills that enclose l-arginine are suggested to promote heart health, cardiac muscle and vascular function and to avoid “platelet aggregation” (lessen the danger of blood clots) and to lower blood pressure.

Additional studies indicate that l-arginine taken as a dietary supplement can assist in lowering the levels of “bad cholesterol”, regulating our typical salt levels, and even aiding in the metabolism of fats.

The Department of Cardiac Surgery in Lodz, Poland released the results of their study into l-arginine function in 2006. As acknowledged by their data, it is thought that l-arginine perfects blood flow to and from the heart by stimulating nitric oxide discharge. Nitric oxide dilates or enlarges the blood vessels. This is one cause why body-builders have used the supplement.

Why Arginine is so Useful for Bodybuilders?

- Physical culturists and body builders are particularly keen on l-arginine for their own reasons:

- It facilitates in the synthesis of proteins, and thus body mass

- As it’s a vasodilator it will assist in the fast growth of muscle

- Its job in nitrogen maintenance also aids muscle development

- Its immune system boosting keeps the bodybuilder healthier

A not risky dose of l-arginine is today included in many new supplements created to help men’s health. The medical gains of l-arginine are believed to include regulation of cardiovascular role, immune system function and nervous system function. It is in addition necessary for the making of growth hormone, which is significant for muscle growth.

Rodion Vizavitsky is a health products reviewer. You’ll find lots of reviews on supplements for men as Vigrx Plus and others by visiting his site today.

If you are like many men who are seeking a natural remedy for ED, you have probably tried many products and programs, only to be disappointed time and again.
While most manufacturers are legitimate, there are very few herbal formulas on the market that can successfully help everyone. The effectiveness of these products is often dependent on the individual and the cause of his problem.

The major cause of male impotence is poor circulation and clogged arteries. Blood flow and oxygen cannot reach the sexual organ as the arteries are blocked with plaque. This is due to excessive cholesterol in the diet. Cholesterol comes from animal products, both meat and dairy.This results in an inability to have an erection.One solution that I have found to be successful in reversing erectile dysfunction is dietary change.By improving our eating habits and including some moderate exercise in our daily regimen, our body can create miracles and function at its peak.

The natural remedy for ED that I recommend is safe and simple and guaranteed to work. What is required, however, is discipline and consistency on your part.
The plan may be divided into four parts.

1. No animal products. This means no meat, dairy, fowl, fish, or eggs. For many this is a difficult adjustment to make. If you cannot make such a dramatic change at once, try gradually cutting back on these foods.

Keep in mind that moderate changes will yield moderate results. A radical shift in eating habits will result in a dramatic improvement in performance. Animal products have no fiber, are laden with hormones and pesticides and are high in cholesterol. The sooner you eliminate these foods from your diet the better you will feel.

2. No refined foods. No cakes, cookies, crackers, white bread, pretzels, colas, sugar, etc. When you eat bread, make sure it is 100% whole wheat. Don’t be fooled by imitations that are made from refined white flour with caramel added to give it a brown, natural looking color. Try as much as possible to eat foods in their natural, whole state.

3. No vegetable oils. For many years I naively thought that olive oil was a health food. Wrong. Olive oil has no nutritional value, no fiber and is 100% fat. When I eliminated it from my diet my cholesterol dropped dramatically. You may want to take a blood test before beginning this regimen. Check your cholesterol and LDL.
Although most Americans have a cholesterol count around 208 this is not heart healthy. Strive to get yours below 150. Also try to reduce your LDL to 80 or less. When you commit to a program like this, such results are easily achievable. If you take a second blood test eight weeks after being on this program you will see a marked improvement in your numbers.

4. Moderate exercise. Try walking 30-40 minutes each day. If you prefer, ride a bike, mow the lawn, tend your garden or go for a swim. The key is to keep active. In addition to improving your sexual performance you will feel increased energy in everything you do throughout the day.

What can you eat instead? Increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, beans, legumes and grains. You will feel results within several days to several weeks. Not only will you regain your sexual virility, but your weight will drop as well. You’ll be healthier than ever before. In addition, you will notice how your tastes will gradually change and you will gain a new appreciation for the simpler, more natural, unrefined plant foods.Just remember to stay on track, do not deviate, and erectile dysfunction will be a thing of the past.

Mordechai Welt is a nutritional consultant.If you found these tips helpful you can explore many additional ways of reversing ED at his wesite:
http://www.Erectile-Dysfunction-Facts-You-Need-To-Know.com

On the world scale, tobacco smoking is relatively new. Before the Western European Renaissance, it was basically only smoked, as far as anyone can tell, in the Americas–though ancient Americans have kept the habit going for almost four thousand years. The type of plant on which all smokers necessarily depends is, quite possibly, at least twice that old.

Chemically speaking, tobacco (g. Nicotania) belongs to the Solanacea family–a designation which gives the genus at least eighteen hundred different relatives, some of them very distinguished indeed! To the Solanacea family belong varieties of herb, shrub, tree and climbing plant, most of them native to the continent of America. You can detect a certain family resemblance in these very different genera of Solanacea plants, in that many of them enjoyed a mixed reception when they were first introduced to Europe.

The tomato is part of the Solanacea family, too, and it’s only in recent times that Europeans, as well as Americans of European descent, have left off thinking of the tomato as a poisonous plant. These tomato-fearing Europeans perhaps confused the tomato with another, highly poisonous Solanacea vegetable, the deadly nightshade. Petunias, eggplants, chilis, and potatoes are also members of this varied family.

The habit of classifying plants and animals according to family, genus, species, etc., derives from one scientific genius, the eighteenth-century botanist Carolus Linnaeus. According to Linnaeus there were two plants belonging to the genus Nicotania (which is itself apparently named for Jean Nicot, the sixteenth-century French ambassador to Portugal who brought the art of tobacco smoking to France): Nicotania tabacum and Nicotania rustica. Of the two, N. rustica is, if you will, the father plant. Since Linnaeus’s time, over fifty other species of Nicotania have been discovered, but nobody smokes them (apart from certain long-ago Native Americans who gave the habit up as soon as N. tabacum and N. rustica became available). They are used, among other things, as chew (by certain native Australians), as decoration, and for their smell.

But if you want to smoke, it’s N. rustica or N. tabacum you’re after. Rustica, the parent plant, is smaller (like an elderly man who is dwarfed by his healthy, middle-aged son), rarely growing taller than three feet, with leaves that round rather than pointing at the tip, and smaller flowers. It’s assumed to have appeared first in Central America, and it was probably N. rustica that was being smoked when Europeans first encountered the practice–i.e. during Columbus’s maiden voyage to the Americas.

N. tabacum seems to have evolved, long before Columbus, in the Yucatan, where for centuries ancient Central Americans cultivated it. It evolved through cultivation, or so scholars think, given that it has never been discovered in the wild. But it has supplanted its parent plant as the primary ingredient in cigars, cigarettes, and pipe tobacco.

The story of tobacco since its discovery by Europeans has frequently repeated this pattern. White Burley tobacco, now predominant in American pipes and cigarettes, is a chance genetic variation on Red Burley tobacco, a once-ubiquitous strain of the plant so thoroughly eclipsed by White Burley that it eventually died out.

CigarFox provides you the opportunity to build your own sampler of the finest cigars that include cigar brands like Montecristo, Romeo & Julieta, H Upmann, Macanudo, Cohiba, Partagas, Gurkha and many more. Choose from more than 1200 different cigars! Other cigar products include cigar humidors, cigar boxes, and cigar accessories like Zippo Lighters.