As Day 1 of the 2024 PCA Trade Show began to wind down, I strolled back over to the Klaro booth to unload a few sample cigars, and do a little walkaround of the goods we had on display. 

It's not often that I get to showcase a bunch of our own products all at once, so the PCA Trade Show provides a unique opportunity for us to capitalize upon our presence. Everything from our new line of vertical glass Cylindor cigar storage units and acrylic Felix Tupperdor humidors, to the Japanese-inspired Kobi box and show-stopping, 288-liter Fridgador were there for the attendee's viewing pleasure.

But what easily garnered the most attention was a Klaro product that isn't even on sale yet. A prototype model. One that weighs damn near 50 pounds, and comes delivered in its own wooden crate. It's called "The Klaro Signature" and we're only making 100 units annually because it's about as bespoke as it gets.

With fully customizable integrated LED lighting, multi-tier acrylic internal storage, a clever accessory side tray, and any number of customizable accents, engravings and wood tones to be had, this is without question the swankiest humidor we've ever engineered. 

On display right next to it was a far more affordable (and lighter) humidor. It's the slim version of our hugely successful Smoke Can – 50 Cal Humidor. Notably skinnier, but still sporting many of the same attributes as its big gauge brother, this pre-production model teases a design that allows smokers to "load" their cigars vertically instead of horizontally. Unlike the "Klaro Signature," this humidor will see full production and will be available soon. 

Hillbilly Trailers, Padron Puros, Baseball Bats & Mike Freakin' Tyson

After insatiably salivating over all of the box-pressed bliss contained within the Padron compound, and admiring a number of their classically styled humidor cigar boxes, I took some extended exploration time inside the central section of the main hall. There, I encountered the Wildfire Cigars booth, which like last year's award-winning layout, had its trailer park motif in full effect. New for this year were two limited edition cigars, an 8-point stag, and a pink flamingo by the front door. Yeehaw...

From there it was over to the Cavalier booth for a quick look at some of their edible gold-encrusted cigars (yeah, you heard me), and then it was time to take a look at some of the latest offering from Artista. Not only did Artisita have the aptly named "Big Slugger" baseball bat vitola on display, but they were handing out samples of David Ortiz's H.O.F. Stay tuned for more on this boutique brand, because we will be getting in a select few sticks from them. 

Day 1 of the PCA Trade Show ended with a quick look at some of the artful wrapper work that La Flor Dominicana has become known for, followed by a chance encounter with the ever colorful "Corojo Kunal" of Aganorsa Leaf. After a quick chat with Mr. Kunal, I ventured over to the Gurkha Cigars booth. 

Apparently, the brand had produced a blend for some famous boxer by the name of Mike Tyson or something like that. So the moment I got word that this guy would be in the building to promote his line of cigars I was all ears. Nibble on that tidbit of news for a second, why don't ya?

As fate would have it, I happened to position myself perfectly and was rewarded with a front-row red carpet stroll shot of the famed fighter heading to his throne for a photo op. Not being one for being mauled by a teaming mass of social media maniacs, I shot a bit of B-roll and dipped the hell out of Dodge. 

Some Final Thoughts on Day 1 of PCA 2024

Day 1 of PCA was just as much of a shit-show as I had expected. From crowded booths and overbooked reps filling orders, the anarchy that is the start of this shindig is pretty much a free-for-all. Knowing this full well in advance allowed me to play my role of videographer and quirky Klaro personality perfectly, as I had zero obligations save for strolling around and documenting as much as I saw fit. 

Naturally, this resulted in a bevy of B-Roll, so expect a final video dump of damn near everything that didn't make it into our Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. There's just so much to see and do that it's impossible to encapsulate it all into a series of 15-minute videos...

Next up, Day 2! Where I actually do some work for once, and we start to score interviews with some of the best boutique cigar brands on the planet. Who knows? Maybe there will be some brand-new premium cigar blends to be had here and there to boot, so stay tuned and keep on puffin' ya'll.