PCA 2023: PINEL et PINEL

Generally, first-time exhibitors at the PCA Convention and Trade Show are new companies or perhaps established companies that only sell locally and are moving to a national level. PINEL et PINEL is neither of those things.

Founded in 2004 by Fred Pinel, PINEL et PINEL is a French luxury brand that designs trunks, leather cases, and other leather goods. Specifically for our interests, Pinel is an avid cigar smoker, so the company offers an entire line of cigar-related products.

Placed nearly in the furthest back corner of the show floor, away from the entrance, this somewhat unassuming booth displayed some of the more expensive cigar accessories at the show. Letting its products do the talking with the pops of color, the gray carpet and display structures all blended into the surrounding carpet. But my goodness, did those products pop.

PINEL et PINEL D24 Coated Canvas Cigar Case

One of the two small accessories on display in the booth is the D24 Cigar Case. It is offered in both a two and three-cigar case size and comes in nine different color combinations.

• PINEL et PINEL D24 Coated Canvas Cigar Case (two cigars) — €440 ($490)
• PINEL et PINEL D24 Coated Canvas Cigar Case (three cigars) — €510 ($565)

Production: Regular Production

PINEL et PINEL Grenade Lighter

The Grenade Lighter is an interesting piece. It is made of a heavy metal base with a removable lighter insert that you can take out to refill it. It comes in numerous color options, with ten shown in their catalog and a note of other color options available.

MSRP: €320 ($355)

Production: Regular Production

PINEL et PINEL Skyline Humidor

While everything in this booth seemed pretty unique in its own right, the smaller PINEL et PINEL humidors were a very interesting and unique design. Instead of a hinged lid that opens up like a traditional desktop humidor, the entire outer shell of this humidor is hinged, revealing tiered trays inside that pull back to reveal your cigars when it’s opened. The lid is quite heavy, and a seal along the bottom ensures that the humidor can maintain proper humidity levels. It holds between 75-100 cigars.

Specifically pictured is the Skyline version of the humidor, which can be customized to whatever city skyline you’d like. However, this humidor style is offered in several finishes, including wood, the company’s coated canvas used on the cigar case above, lacquered wood, or even leathers like crocodile or shagreen. Prices range from €6,590 to €8,690 ($7,300—9,640), or €24,000 ($26,620) for the crocodile leather version.

Production: Regular Production/Made to Order

PINEL et PINEL Column Humidor

PINEL et PINEL’s designs are unique in many ways, but one aspect of the Column humidor that I found interesting was the base. Elevated off the ground on a pedestal, the humidor seems to be hovering slightly above the floor. Features of the Column include dimmable interior lights, an interior made from cedar, shelves with built-in slots for Boveda humidification packs, and can store around 500 cigars. You can choose from the company’s extensive leather color library or wood finishes.

• PINEL et PINEL Column Humidor (Leather) — €19,500 ($21,630)
• PINEL et PINEL Column Humidor (Macassar Ebony) — €24,500 ($27,175)
• PINEL et PINEL Column Humidor (Smoked Eucalyptus) — €22,050 ($24,460)

Production: Regular Production/Made to Order

PINEL et PINEL Mini Column Humidor

If large columns aren’t your thing, there is also the option for a smaller column-style humidor, which also comes in a couple of additional finish options. It holds roughly 120 cigars, and while it doesn’t have the same interior lighting system as its larger sibling, the drawers are still equipped to use Boveda packs.

• PINEL et PINEL Mini Column Humidor (Crocodile) — €36,000 ($39,930)
• PINEL et PINEL Mini Column Humidor (Leather) — €9,990 ($11,080)
• PINEL et PINEL Mini Column Humidor (Macassar Ebony) — €11,500 ($12,755)
• PINEL et PINEL Mini Column Humidor (Shagreen) — €11,300 ($12,535)
• PINEL et PINEL Mini Column Humidor (Smoked Eucalyptus) — €11,000 ($12,200)

Production: Regular Production/Made to Order

PINEL et PINEL Baby Cigar Trunk

The last thing on display, and one of the more impressive things I saw at the entire show, is the Baby Cigar Trunk. Yes, the baby in the name indicates a larger counterpart, but the Ultimate Cigar Trunk was not on display at the show. Regardless, this baby model is still quite large, standing 61.8 inches tall, with space for approximately 800 cigars, utilizes cedar for the interior, has LED lighting, and has a built-in humidification system. The Baby Cigar Trunk can be completely customized, with choices of 60 different leather colors along with either nickel palladium, yellow gold, or rose gold for the metal hardware.

MSRP: €43,000 ($47,700)

Production: Regular Production/Made to Order

The original version of this article featured out-of-date pricing and has been updated to reflect current prices. Also, the wood used for the interior of the Column and Baby Cigar Trunk humidors was incorrectly listed as okoume wood, where they use cedar instead.