Years ago cigar holders were made in a number of mediums. Not only meerschaum, but briar, amber, whalebone, ivory, just to name a few. I have cigar holders but don't use them. I think they're (at one time, not now) more of a "status symbol" than practical. For me a large part of the taste of the cigar is holding it in my mouth as I puff it, or between puffs. You lose that with a holder. Not that there is anything wrong with it. I have a set of five different sizes of carved meerschaum holders in a fitted case that look very nice, but, to me, they are more collectable items. In the end, like with most other aspects of cigar smoking, it's a matter of personal taste/preference..........
Just my thoughts.............
