Akif Turan

Beard burnt 1 time on the cigar jetflame

Beard burned 1 time on the cigar jetflame? In December 2020, ZigarrenZone got a new member: Akif Turan. His selfies with a cigar immediately caught my eye. They stand out completely from all the cigar photos you can see on the internet. I conducted an interview with him by e-mail. He is an author and writes novels in the horror, psychological thriller and thriller genres. And as a cigar aficionado, he makes sure that some of his characters also puff on cigars. He lives in Vienna, Austria. This interview clarifies whether he has burned his beard once on a cigar jetflame.

By the way, click here for the Cigar ZEN live with Akif Turan >

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Beard burned 1 time on the cigar jet flame: Akif Turan.
Light a cigar with burning cards. A must. ATTENTION: This is a photomontage 🙂

Let Akif have his say

Let Akif have his say: "I've lived in Vienna since I was born and I'm originally from Turkey. To be more precise, I am Viennese with Turkish-Kurdish roots. Since my parents separated well over twenty years ago, I didn't have an enjoyable childhood, but I think I managed it pretty well. I am one of those quiet people who like to withdraw and simply enjoy their peace and quiet. It's not uncommon for a book and lots of coffee to keep me company. Sometimes I swap the book for classical music and cigars. Oh yes, and I'm a vegan, star sign Pisces, age 33 (2020)."

The books from You can find Akif Turan on Amazon.

You live in Austria, in Vienna. Tell me, do your legislators actually have a chip on their shoulder? There is still this ancient law from Emperor Franz Josef, which forbids tobacco products to be transported to customers by post in Austria. What do you think of that?

Yes, unfortunately that is true. This is due to the Austrian monopoly law. Only tobacconists or tobacco specialty stores are allowed to sell tobacco products. This law is very annoying, as it takes away the freedom to order tobacco products from the comfort of your own home and have them delivered. Especially for cigar aficionados like me. Because Germany has many cigars that are not available in Austria and that is a great pity. A friend of mine, who is an expert on cigars and tobacco in general, can tell you a lot more about this.

Akif Turan
Focused view.

There are rumors that cigar lovers in Austria are no longer allowed to smoke cigars in public. What is the truth of this and where can you still enjoy cigars?

No, that's not true. We are allowed to smoke cigars in public in Austria. However, since the smoking ban in 2019, our freedom has been somewhat restricted as we are no longer allowed to smoke indoors. People who want to smoke have to smoke outside, which is not always pleasant, for example in bad weather or when all the seats are already taken. And a cigar connoisseur cannot really enjoy his cigar under these circumstances.

Akif Turan
Casual with long hair.

However, it does happen that women and men who smoke cigarettes, among others, feel disturbed by cigars in some bars. They usually can't stand the smell, but also the thick smoke of a cigar. I myself have had this experience very often and have of course simply continued to puff on my cigar. Especially when I had been sitting at my table for a long time. I have never had a real complaint. Especially not now during the Corona period. Everyone only smokes at home anyway.

Beard burned 1 time on the cigar jet flame? Is it true?

Let's take a look at the concept of La Casa Del Habano. The conditions for being allowed to run a Casa are: A lounge, rental compartments for customers and the full range of Habanos. ...A lounge... in Austria? Is that even allowed in a tobacco store?

Well, I personally know of a few cigar lounges in Vienna that are located in specialty tobacco stores, which I assume is allowed. There are a handful of them, but they do exist. Here the Germans are one step ahead of us Austrians again.

Akif Turan
Café Cubita

Did Akif burn his beard once on the cigar jetflame in one of these cafés? Please read on. You can meet Akif here from time to time.

Akif Turan
Café Cubita
Akif Turan
Kruger's American Bar
Akif Turan
Kruger's American Bar

Your photos stand out among all the cigar photos. Are they all selfies or is someone taking photos of you?

Thank you for the compliment! I get that question a lot. Yes, they are all selfies. I always take my own photos. I either take them directly on my smartphone or I set the timer for the self-timer.

Akif Turan
Light a cigar the classic way: With a match.

Your photos look cool, maybe a little tough or even mystical. Are you a tough guy who lights cigars with thousand-dollar bills and throws other men out of the pub?

Thank you for that too, because I always try to make my photos hard and mystical, just like you described. A smile doesn't suit me, which is why I prefer serious photos of myself. So I'm not a tough guy like in the photos, but I can become one if I have to.

Akif Turan
Short hair, long hair, straight hair, wavy hair. Akif likes variety in his styling.

The photo with the burning cards: Is the fire post-processed or is it actually a real snapshot?

I gave this photo the name "The Burning 7". I got the idea from the term "Lucky 7". I added the fire later using Photoshop. I'm actually just standing in the middle of my bedroom with the cards in my hand and a cigar in my mouth. I'm not lacking in creativity. I have other similar photos.

Akif Turan
Light a cigar with burning cards. A must. ATTENTION: This is a photomontage 🙂

Beard burnt 1 time on the cigar jetflame? Soon the question will be answered.

Akif Turan
Pleasure-seeker Akif Turan.

How did you get into cigars?

I started puffing cigars in 2012, when I puffed my first cigar ever. A Corazon Short Robusto. And to be honest, I don't know if it was because it was my first cigar, but it tasted terrible. I couldn't finish it and threw it away after just a few puffs. I also felt a little nauseous afterwards. I haven't touched that cigar since. But I tried another cigar a few days later and this time I was able to enjoy it to the full.

Since then I have been smoking two to three cigars a day, preferring the stronger formats. My absolute favorite was the Cohiba BHK 56, which I puffed on every occasion, but unfortunately it has not been available in Austria for a long time, so I have to make do with various other strong cigars. I got the idea of puffing cigars from the well-known comic book superhero Wolverine. He was one of my favorite superheroes at the time. But apart from that, I think the cigar suits me quite well. 

Akif Turan
Akif Turan loves cigars.

What do the girls in Vienna do when they see you enjoying a cigar?

They ignore it. Nobody really cares. But in some pubs I've noticed that the cigar has always been an eye-catcher. Because people don't expect someone to take out a cigar that is also the size of a 50-caliber ammunition and puff on it. Every now and then I could see impressed faces. It even happened that I was approached nicely by some ladies and gentlemen about my cigar and a pleasant conversation took place as a result.

But we cigar aficionados don't do it to impress or provoke others, we puff our cigars because we want to experience this wonderful moment of pleasure. A person who doesn't puff cigars can't understand that at all. And quite honestly, a cigar is not for everyone. A cigar has prestige and should be appreciated.

Beard burned 1 time on the cigar jetflame? Really?

What story involving cigars would you like to share with our readers? Funny, dramatic, educational for you?

Well, even back then as a beginner, I had a few hijinks with cigars. There was one incident where I took my lunch break at work and then lit up a cigar. But it tasted so delicious that I completely lost track of time, which is why I delayed my lunch break by a whole ten minutes.

When I realized this, I wanted to finish puffing very quickly and had inhaled all the smoke in my haste, whereupon I turned red and couldn't stop coughing for minutes. I felt like I was going to throw up. It was a totally horrible feeling. Not to mention how I looked when I came on duty.

Beard burned 1 time on the cigar jetflame? Now comes the solution.

Akif Turan
Akif Turan's piercing gaze.

Another incident also happened during my lunch break, but years later at a different workplace. At the time, I grew a thick full beard. I wanted to try something different. Anyway, when I was about to light my cigar with my jet flame, I must have forgotten how high it was turned up. As soon as the flame shot out, it burned a large part of my beard. I could really hear the burning whiskers hissing and could also see a little smoke rising.

In a panic, I threw everything away and wanted to see how bad I looked in the mirror at the staff toilet. When I saw the burnt stubble, I realized that I had to get rid of my beard immediately. So I told and showed my then employer my problem and asked him to send me home and let me shave. After he finally burst out laughing, he gave me permission and a few hours later I returned to work. This time with a clean-shaven face and ten years younger.

Thank you! That was: Beard burned 1 time on the cigar jetflame 🙂

Akif's profile at Zigarren.Zone Social Network >

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