Whether you're a tobacco connoisseur, an occasional smoker, or new to the tobacco market, a good tobacconist can help you find the right products. Although most tobacconists operate during the weekdays, some businesses do open on Saturdays and Sundays, to cater for individuals who have busy weekday schedules.

What types of tobacco products are available?

Cigarettes

As the most popular method of tobacco used worldwide, cigarettes are one of the primary items most tobacconists and tobacco shops offer. The widespread popularity of cigarettes, when compared to other methods of smoking, is most likely a result of the fact that they are a simple and effective way of delivering nicotine (the primary reason people smoke) to the body. Any tobacco shop will stock either pre-rolled cigarettes, or loose tobacco for use in cigarettes.

E-Cigarettes

E-cigarettes, Vaporisers, or Vapes, have grown more popular among many smokers, in recent years, as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. While e-cigarettes have only recently become as widely used as they are today, designs for electronic smoking devices go as far back as the 1930s.

The principle of e-cigarettes is the same as traditional cigarettes. However, instead of relying on fire to burn tobacco, and release nicotine, as is the case with a regular cigarette, they are powered by a lithium battery, which converts liquid nicotine into a vapour. This is why smoking an e-cigarette, or vaporiser, is referred to as vaping. E-cigarettes are designed to give smokers most of the same sensations they would normally have with a regular cigarette; namely the experience of holding something in your hand, inhaling and exhaling, and getting a dose of nicotine.

Cigars

While the exact origins of cigars remain a mystery, it's widely understood that cigar smoking, as a practice, goes back to at least the 10th century. This came to light after a ceramic pot depicting a Mayan smoking tobacco leaves tied with string was found in Guatemala, dating to that age. When Christopher Columbus reached the Americas, he discovered the frequent use of tobacco among indigenous groups, after which the plant started being distributed and planted throughout Europe. By the 19th century, cigars had become incredibly popular around the world.

Today, a wide variety of tobacco products, ranging in both price and quality, have been made available to international markets. Although Cuban cigars still maintain a place of prestige among cigar enthusiasts, high-quality cigars have also been made available from producers in The Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, Mexico, and other such locations. Some argue that these regions offer a smoking experience which is just as pleasurable, at a fraction of the price.

For both cigar aficionados and casual smokers alike, tobacconists can assist clients by offering information concerning the smoking notes, flavours, and strengths of individual cigars, and regional production centres.

Pipe Tobacco

Pipe tobacco may not be as popular as it once was. However, in recent times, it has been revived in some locations. For many, pipe-smoking offers a more enjoyable experience, due to the aromatic nature of pipe tobacco, and the fact that it permits a longer smoking time. The act of holding a pipe is also deeply personal, which is why pipe manufacturers design their products in a wide range of finishes, feels, colours, and bowl shapes.

Many tobacco shops stock a range of pipes in different styles and finishes to accommodate the more particular nature of seasoned pipe smokers. Pipes are available in a range of materials, the most popular of which is wood. However, clay, dried corn cobs, and bone (known as a Meerschaum pipe), have all been highly used as a material for pipe making.

Shisha/Hookah

Although an integral part of Middle Eastern and Indian cultures and traditions, hookah-smoking has since become popular worldwide. This can be seen by the number of hookah-serving cafes and bars, and restaurants that have popped up in cosmopolitan centres in recent years. As a result of this increase in popularity, many tobacconists and tobacco shops have been stocking a wide variety of hookah pipes and accessories.

What kinds of tobacco accessories are available at tobacconists and tobacco shops?

Cigar cutters

Most tobacconists offer a variety of cigar cutters, which have either a traditional, elegant design, or one which is more artistic and personalised. If you are new to cigars, and worried about cutting your cigar wrongly, most shops can cut it for you on the spot.

Lighters and Matches

It would be more difficult to find a tobacconist that doesn't stock lighters and matches, than one that does! All tobacco shops have a generous supply of both. Lighters can range from multiple-use plastic-type ones, to long-lasting reusable metal lighters which can be refilled with lighter fluid. Dedicated lighters which are used to light cigars or pipes are also available, as are attachments which make lighting pipes easier.

Travel Humidors

When travelling, keeping tobacco fresh can be a difficult task. Tobacco shops frequently stock travel humidors, which are humidity-controlled boxes used for storing cigars and pipe tobacco, but which can also be used for cigarettes.

Hookah Accessories

Since hookahs require multiple different parts to function, many shops supply these individual pieces separately, giving customers the ability to build and repair their hookah as needed. Tobacconists either stock or special order shisha accessories: tobacco used to smoke hookah, coals specifically designed for hookah use, pipes, bowls/heads, hoses, glass vases, and stems.

Rolling Supplies

For those who roll their cigarettes, shops will usually stock rolling papers, filters, and tobacco rolling machines.

If you're looking to stock up on tobacco products, browse through the list of tobacconists and tobacco shops on Yellow to find one in your area.