# Did cigarette holders have any practical use? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891 "2016-02-12T02:58:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/1 "2016-02-12T02:58:25Z")
\*\*[Like these](https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=643&q=cigarette+holders&oq=cigarette+holders&gs_l=img.12..0l3j0i30j0i5i30l6.6412.6412.0.13028.1.1.0.0.0.0.180.180.0j1.1.0....0...1.2.64.img..0.1.179.3x8gYxgGLHo). Did they do anything other than magnify the users gestures? For instance, was it to draw attention to the fact that you smoked mechanically rolled cigarettes? It doesn’t seem that _roll-your-owns_ would work with the holders’ What’s the Straight Dope? ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/2 "2016-02-12T03:06:26Z")
2 Things I see immediately: 1. Avoid the tar-colored fingers (look closely at a long-term, heavy smoker’s fingers - yellow/brown). 2. The smoke will cool somewhat. But mainly: it was what the “cool kids” did. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/3 "2016-02-12T03:06:37Z")
Since we’re in IMHO, I’d wager they kept one from getting nicotine stains on white gloves. From a wiki: > [@Google](#): > > The holder was also used as a practical accessory, as before the advent of filtered cigarettes in the 1960s, the holder served several purposes. A holder kept tobacco flakes out of the smoker’s mouth, kept the thin cigarette paper from sticking and tearing on the smoker’s lips, prevented nicotine stains on fingers, cooled and mellowed the smoke and kept side-stream smoke from stinging the smoker’s eyes. Occasionally the holder would be built to encase a filter for taste and later, health reasons. Though modern cigarettes are generally manufactured with an existing filter, filtered cigarette holders are occasionally used as a secondary filtration system, and to **prevent nicotine staining of the fingers** ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/4 "2016-02-12T03:06:45Z")
They would keep your fingers from getting stained or from smelling like smoke, but I don’t think people cared about that much back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hey\_Hey\_Paula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_Hey_Paula)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/5 "2016-02-12T03:45:18Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > They would keep your fingers from getting stained or from smelling like smoke, but I don’t think people cared about that much back in the day. Ladies did. I was only a baby in the 60’s but it’s my impression that primarily ladies used cigarette holders, precisely to avoid nicotine stained fingers or gloves. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/6 "2016-02-12T04:27:13Z")
Very practical for non-filtered cigarettes. Spitting out flakes of tobacco was not considered cool at all. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/7 "2016-02-12T04:34:35Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Very practical for non-filtered cigarettes. Spitting out flakes of tobacco was not considered cool at all. Unless you also had half a jar of Butch Wax in your hair and a pack of Camel’s (straights, of course) rolled up in your sleeve. Then it was the height of cool. Or so I read somewhere. Back before my hair fell out. And I stopped smoking. Or something. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/8 "2016-02-12T04:35:55Z")
And I recall cigarettes sticking to my lip as attempted to pull them out of my mouth. What ended up happening is the smoke would stay put, my fingers slide down the cigarette at which point I would burn my fingers as I brushed the cherry off the cigarette and onto, usually, my pants. Or car seat. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/9 "2016-02-13T00:17:12Z")
My parents used Denicotea holders with a cartridge that cut down on tar. It was a health measure. BTW I smoked non-filter cigarettes for 30 years and never had a problem with tobacco flakes in my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/10 "2016-02-13T06:59:59Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > They would keep your fingers from getting stained or from smelling like smoke, but I don’t think people cared about that much back in the day. Smoking jackets were apparel worn specifically to keep the smell of smoke off of clothes. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/11 "2016-02-13T13:53:19Z")
They have several practical uses: [ul] [li]Not getting ash all over your Dalmatian-skin coat[/li][li]Seductively blowing smoke in some private detective’s face[/li][li]Plotting against Moose and Squirrel[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![thatguyjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6de8d8/32.png) [@thatguyjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatguyjeff)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/12 "2016-02-13T15:59:11Z")
I smoke filterless cigarettes (manufactured, I don’t roll my own) and I’ve considered getting maybe a short stubby holder just to keep the tobacco out of my mouth. Plus if my lips are moist at all, the saliva breaks down the paper and it can come apart, releasing all sorts of tobacco shreds in my mouth. But I didn’t want to be the guy using a cig holder looking all pretentious or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/13 "2016-02-13T16:21:47Z")
> [@thatguyjeff](#): > > I smoke filterless cigarettes (manufactured, I don’t roll my own) and I’ve considered getting maybe a short stubby holder just to keep the tobacco out of my mouth. Plus if my lips are moist at all, the saliva breaks down the paper and it can come apart, releasing all sorts of tobacco shreds in my mouth. > > But I didn’t want to be the guy using a cig holder looking all pretentious or whatever. So you’re saying you didn’t want to be “that guy”? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/14 "2016-02-13T17:10:51Z")
In the case of Tar Gard it’s supposed to reduce the tar you inhale. > **[Targard Home](https://targard.com/)** > > TarGard provides cigarette filters to all kinds of smokers. Choose from reusable, disposable, small or slim filters on TarGard.com. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-cigarette-holders-have-any-practical-use/745891/15 "2016-02-13T20:01:32Z")
They were useful for signaling FDR’s mood. The higher the angle of the holder, the better he was feeling.