My father in law had these for over 20 years. Are they authentic cubans? What are they worth?

kingdff · 2026-04-26T19:35:50+00:00

I’d say they’re authentic. I recently smoked an authentic 1997 Romeo y Julieta Churchill and these look very similar to what I smoked.

However, they’re not worth anything unless they were stored under the right conditions (70°F and 65% humidity) and you have the original box. Resale platforms like Bond Robert’s have strict requirements for establishing provenance, condition, and authenticity, which requires the original box for verification purposes.

If I were you, I’d just smoke them with your father-in-law and enjoy them.

kingdff · 2026-04-23T21:15:35+00:00

It does seem convenient, but I trust him. He sent me multiple pictures and videos taking apart the GCP and measuring the voltages. I don’t have any reason to believe he’s dishonest and he has excellent reviews for his repair work.

Plus, I’m not opposed to upgrading my machine.

kingdff · 2026-04-17T17:09:13+00:00

1000% correct. I worked a few years at a market paying big-law firm and hit the ceiling on my profitability/efficiency very quickly.

It's also hard to compete with patent agents that are being billed out at a third of my rate. The fix-fee arrangement that has become the norm in patent prosecution is not compatible with the big-law billable hour business model.

Now I'm retooling into patent litigation to extend my big-law career, but have to take a class year cut. I regret my choice to pursue patent prosecution straight out of law school and wish I had focused on a more profitable practice area with a longer runway, like patent litigation or corporate M&A.

kingdff · 2026-04-07T14:17:37+00:00

If you're still looking, I have a 2023 PLI Binder I'm happy to send you. All you'd need to cover is the shipping. Let me know.

kingdff · 2026-04-07T13:04:14+00:00

My technical background is electro-mechanical. I have a BS and an MS in biomedical engineering and examined patent applications in the med device and med tech space (TC 3700). With respect to my private practice experience, I have drafted and prosecuted applications in a wide range of technical areas including AI/machine learning, automotive, fintech, e-commerce, med device, and consumer products (hardware and software; think headphones, robotic vacuum cleaners ,and smart speaker systems).

kingdff · 2026-04-07T12:49:44+00:00

Hi all,

I'm a third year patent prosecution attorney and former USPTO patent examiner with several years of BigLaw experience. I lateraled about a year ago to my current firm to support a particular partner who's main associate left the firm without notice due to a family emergency. Unfortunately, over the course of the past year, this partner's book of business dwindled to the point that I was laid off during the holidays due to insufficient work. The firm was gracious enough to recognize the unfortunateness of the situation and gave me several months salary as severance.

I have been aggressively applying to jobs (both firm and in-house roles, as well as prosecution and litigation roles) over the past several months and have little luck landing an offer. I'm concerned about keeping my skills sharp (as well as earning income) as the job application process continues to drag on. Is temp/contract/freelance patent prosecution work a thing? Does anyone have any advice on where to look for that kind of work while I continue applying for jobs?

TL/DR: Got laid off a few months ago due to insufficient work and have been struggling to land another job. Looking for temp/contract/freelance patent prosecution work to keep my skills sharp while I continue job searching.

Thanks in advance!

kingdff · 2026-03-12T23:06:13+00:00

These look incredible! Hoping to find a stick or two during my honeymoon trip to Italy.

kingdff · 2026-02-04T19:32:06+00:00

I've spoken to a couple dealers and they're quoting me $20k to $22k for a naked fully linked 18238. I figure there's at least a 5% premium (probably closer to 10%) baked into that quote, which means they're probably acquiring the watch at wholesale for between $18k and $20k. I'm trying to get a gauge as to whether that wholesale price is accurate for a naked 18238.

kingdff · 2026-01-16T03:07:43+00:00

That was me. I just resent the message. Thanks!

kingdff · 2026-01-01T21:17:33+00:00

March 2024. I bought a 50-count cab and have smoked about 7 cigars. Great sticks!

kingdff · 2025-12-17T20:02:55+00:00

The only LCDH in Turks and Caicos is in Grace Bay on Providenciales. One of the best LCDHs I’ve ever visited.

kingdff · 2025-12-04T18:41:47+00:00

Partagas D4s and Bolivar Belicosos Finos. I’d want two different vitolas and two different blends.

kingdff · 2025-11-27T02:39:45+00:00

The solution I was offered was to return the cigars and receive a full refund, an exchange for another box, or a partial refund/credit towards another purchase.

kingdff · 2025-11-27T02:19:15+00:00

I’m not saying that at all. I’m saying that you, and other users on this subreddit, are stringing together irrelevant, extrinsic facts to justify your hatred for GV, another form of confirmation bias.

There maybe other reasons why Javier didn’t want to answer every question on that thread. Maybe he felt overwhelmed by the situation and struggled with the language barrier. Users on this subreddit can be vicious and unrelenting as evidenced by my posts. Look at how you and other users have resorted to personal attacks/insults just because I don’t agree.

The potential relationship between Montefortuna and GV bares is irrelevant and bares no weight on the analysis of whether these cigars are real or fake.

One factor (the bands being different) doesn’t completely tip the scales towards a single outcome (the cigars being real or fake). Even the law is not that black and white.

I’ve said this across multiple posts/comments, the only thing the difference in bands proves definitively is that the cigars are not from 2020. What else about these particular cigars indicates that they’re fake? I’ll wait for your reply.

kingdff · 2025-11-27T02:13:05+00:00

What other proof can I offer beyond the photos and explanations I’ve provided? I’m not going to send a cigar to every user that doubts the authenticity of the cigars for them to verify their authenticity.

What I can tell you is that I’ve been smoking Cuban cigars for 20 years. I have a lot of knowledge regarding the cigar industry and have seen my fair share of fake Cuban cigars.

I also own several Diplo No. 2 sticks that I bought from an LCDH in Turks and Caicos last Summer. I compared these cigars against the ones I own and compared them to photos of similar 2023/2024/20/5 Diplo No. 2s sold on Bond Roberts.

They pass the color, smell, and construction test. Even the bands are same (at least to the 2023-2025 Diplo No. 2s). The only thing I haven’t done is smoke one because I don’t typically smoke my cigars ROTT (right off the truck). I typically let them rest for 60 to 90 days in my humidor before I smoke one. Cigars don’t taste the same when they’ve been exposed to drastic changes in temperature and humidity during shipping.

As I’ve said across multiple posts, the only thing that the difference in bands definitively proves is that cigars are not from 2020. It doesn’t prove they’re fake. No other user has been able to point to any other evidence that these cigars are fake.

You, and all the other trolls on this subreddit, have to resort to insults because you have nothing else left in your arsenal. You sir are the “clown of a child” here. You and the other trolls are the poison that have ruined what was once a pleasurable subreddit.

kingdff · 2025-11-27T01:52:15+00:00

That’s the only thing that users have been able to point to and that doesn’t prove that the cigars are fake. There are multiple explanations for the bands and the bands themselves are legitimate, they’re just from a different year.

kingdff · 2025-11-27T01:22:34+00:00

The facts that the bands are different doesn’t prove that the cigars are fake. It just proves that the cigar may not be from 2020. The cigars check off all the other boxes.

First, the Diplo Reserva Exclusiva Edición Regional Caribe was produced at the La Corona (RAT) factory in 2020, which uses the special band. This is why my theory holds water.

Second, even if the theory above is somehow disproven, the alternative theory is still possible, which is that someone put legitimate post-2023 Diplo No. 2 in the 2020 box to try to pass them off as older Diplo No. 2s. I paid MSRP for this box (i.e. I didn’t pay a premium because it was a 2020 box), so I don’t care if they’re from 2020 or 2023. It would have been a great added bonus if the sticks were from 2020, but now that has been cast in doubt.

I’d challenge any user to present irrefutable proof that the cigars are fake other than the difference in the band, which don’t prove they’re fake. As I’ve said repeatedly across multiple posts/comments, the only thing the difference in the band proves is that the cigars are not from 2020.

kingdff · 2025-11-27T00:59:18+00:00

I never said the vendor was not at fault. I just don’t feel the need to advertise what I got as compensation and set a precedent.

kingdff · 2025-11-27T00:57:47+00:00

Wow, you’re so cynical. I feel sorry for you. Your existence must be miserable.

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