Wood for the use of shelves, humidor drawers and body of a humidor

A frequently discussed topic in newsgroups and forums is the wood used for trays and drawers of humidors. In the following, we would like to introduce some possible forms of processing and in particular to clear up prejudices.

Wood in pure form

Again and again, especially on the Internet, the processing of wood panels is considered as ideal or expected value in Humidorbau. Often, such discussions arise when it turns out that some high-end products still have fiber plates in their price. It should be said that a humidor made of simple wood panels will not last long. Even if the wood is completely dried out, it will at least be slightly forgiven over time. A humidor should be wetter inside than outside. As a result, wood inevitably warps. A composite construction (sandwich construction) is therefore obligatory. It's not about the cost of a wood panel. It would be nonsensical to build a humidor body out of it.

MPX, multiplex

These are especially stable hard-glued wooden boards. When wet, they are stable. Anyone who has ever seen driftwood on the beach knows about the function. MPX works well as a core of a carcass. Depending on the construction method, further layers or veneers are applied.

MDF

Completely misused and negative feedback is the use of MDF. MDF is known as pressed cardboard. Valuable humidors would never include such. It is correct that MDF is also disrespectfully called pressed cardboard. However, MDF is currently used by very high quality humidor manufacturers. This may surprise some. The claim can be traced in any well-stocked specialist retailer. The background for use is simply that MDF is very flexible. It does not easily swell under moisture. Therefore, such humidors are quite durable. As everywhere in the humidor no smelling adhesives should be used. MDF as a material is not a problem. The advantage of moisture resistance comes just in the body of the humidor wear. There are different types of construction. A body made of MDF adapts well to changes due to moisture. It is not for nothing that famous cigar importers rely on MDF for the body of their humidors. It depends on how well the humidor has been processed with the material. You will find on the market quite high-priced and very popular models that rely on MDF.

Among the famous users of a MDF made product is Boveda. Boveda builds its wooden holders with a corpus of MDF and uses the advantages of the material for its product:

Solid Wood

A good alternative to MDF are solid wood shelves and drawers with solid wood floors. Solid wood refers to thinly glued thin layers of wood, which are therefore very stable and resistant to moisture. Solid wood is quite expensive in the production. For many of our humidors, we already rely on solid wood processing and thus create added value compared to MDF production.

Solid wood cedar

Very nice but also very expensive is the use of cedar (Cedro) for the production of trays floors or drawers. The valuable processing has a very important disadvantage: Cedar bends through damp very quickly. Especially if the floors are provided with large holes or the wood in the drawer of the humidor has no room for expansion, long-term or even medium-term damage to the humidor can occur.

Alternative materials

There is still a narrowing on wood plus cedar. For a long time, various successful trends have been heading the other way. Sapeli (also mahogany) has similar characteristics as cedar, but smells more neutral. Some smokers do not like cedar wood or are afraid of resinification. Therefore he prefers Sapeli. Other manufacturers coat their humidors inside with plastic. Such products are also available in the high-priced segment. The company CigarSpa offers about such cabinets. The ulterior motive: What does not suck is not a factor. A humidor without absorbent surfaces is easier to moisten. Everything depends of course on the humidifier.

I hope to have given a little insight into different materials in Humidorbau. In particular, I wanted to be able to offer anyone interested a point of view from a long experience, which once classifies the belief in good wood and cedar finish. Humidor construction, like many other topics, has different views and currents and several correct answers. Some are just myths. :)