# Cigarette Holders. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869 "2002-10-04T18:36:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/1 "2002-10-04T18:36:17Z")
The first reference I can find for cigarette holders is from the late 19th century. Their use seemed to end (in the US) during the 1950’s. [ul] [li]Where & when did people start to use them? [/li][li]Are they still in use today (besides by hookers)?[/li][li] If so, where?[/li][li]Why do hookers use them?[/li][li]Silent film stars sometimes are pictured with them. Why?[/li][li]Why did people _stop_ using holders?[/li][/ul] Links, cites & any other data are welcome. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/2 "2002-10-04T23:21:43Z")
As far as I’m aware, they were used before they made filtered cigarettes in order to look stylish and decrease the likelihood of one’s inhaling a burning bit of tobacco cinder on the draw. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/3 "2002-10-04T23:22:55Z")
…and obviously, in that case, their use would decline after the poularity of filtered cigarettes. I have no cite, however, and may be quite wrong. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/4 "2002-10-04T23:25:05Z")
**racinchikki** ’s right, as far as I know. They went out of style when “cork tips” became popular. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/5 "2002-10-04T23:30:57Z")
Extending on racinchikki’s answer, you could also use them to smoke an unfiltered cig farther down, also, easier to hold a cigerette, and for some, I think, it was for looks. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/6 "2002-10-04T23:36:43Z")
I would also think that they would have the advantage of not making the smoker’s fingers smell quite so objectionable, since he is not actually touching the cigarette. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/7 "2002-10-05T02:55:49Z")
And I’ll add to **nineiron** ’s reply, as a reformed smoker, that not only the smell, but the telltale yellow nicotine stains can be eliminated by using a holder. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/8 "2002-10-05T07:07:54Z")
Of course, since the thirties, Hollywood has glamourized smoking, especially ladies with looooooooong holders. The art of smoking with a holder was immortalized on the silver screen…just think of a sultry blond with a mink stole taking a drag of a foot-long holder, snap inhaling the smoke ball which formed along her lips, and exhaling a long stream of thick, white smoke…_dah-ling._ Of course a guy with a cigarette holder was simply considered rich, eccentric, vain or just plain old gay (please take no offense;) ). With the introduction of filtered cigarettes, holders were considered old-fasioned and obsolete. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/9 "2002-10-05T18:35:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enola Straight \* > \*\*Of course a guy with a cigarette holder was simply considered rich, eccentric, vain or just plain old gay \*\* …or possibly Frankin Delano Roosevelt. Not to hijack or anything, but was FDR our ONLY cigarette-smoking President? ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/10 "2002-10-05T19:43:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*Not to hijack or anything, but was FDR our ONLY cigarette-smoking President? \*\* ISTR reading that Ike smoked a lot (4 packs/day) back when he was planning D-Day. It’s resonable to assume that he kept smoking after the war ended. ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/11 "2002-10-05T19:52:06Z")
The Russians produce (produced?) a cigarette with a built-in holder. According to Russian friends this was so they could be smoked while wearing gloves or mittens. When shown these as boys at a U.S. smoke shop (a brand called Sputnik) we immediately fixed on the obvious: full price for a cigarette with 1/4 of the tobacco. * * * A reason I’ve heard – in addition to the above – is that the length of the holder serves as a radiator, causing the smoke to be cooler. And after all, one does want to be cooler when one smokes. . . . ---
**Author:** ![elephant\_shoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@elephant\_shoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elephant_shoes)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/12 "2002-10-05T20:33:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enola Straight \* > \*\*…just think of a sultry blond with a mink stole taking a drag of a foot-long holder, snap inhaling the smoke ball which formed along her lips, and exhaling a long stream of thick, white smoke…_dah-ling._ \*\* And let’s not forget that lady’s got the looong white gloves, to go with… No self-respecting starlet is going to get caught with yellow stains on her gloves, is she? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/13 "2002-10-05T22:46:36Z")
I want one-and I don’t even smoke! ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-holders/130869/14 "2002-10-07T17:45:01Z")
Try GOOGLE and search for Denicotea (sorry, can’t provide a link). Has a section on holder history and has a line of 30’s style holders, including the archetypical holders usually seen in cartoons and the like…flared end for the ciggy, and a fish-tail mouthpiece. Unfortunately…since Denicotea is a German company…the high end products don’t seem to be available in the USA.