Company News
Hooten Young Secures U.S. Design Patent for Bullet-Shaped 'The Cartridge' Cigar
Most cigars are round, tapered, or box-pressed. One veteran-founded company has done something unusual with a shape — and secured a U.S. design patent to protect it. Hooten Young has been granted a patent covering "The Cartridge," a distinctive cigar form modeled after a .50-caliber bullet, giving the small brand exclusive ornamental rights to a genuinely novel silhouette in a category where shapes rarely get legal protection.
What the patent covers
According to trade coverage from Cigar Snob and Cigar Coop, Hooten Young secured U.S. Design Patent No. D1,124,474 S, issued on April 28, 2026. It's a design patent, meaning it protects the ornamental appearance of the cigar — its cartridge-like visual form — rather than any functional method. The protection runs for a 15-year term, and the filing credits a group of inventors including company co-founder Norman G. Hooten.
That name carries weight: Hooten is a decorated U.S. Army veteran, and the brand leans heavily into military heritage — which makes the bullet-inspired shape more mission statement than gimmick.
Where you'll find the shape
The patented form appears in the company's Ma Deuce Cigar Selection, a tribute to the Browning M2 .50-caliber machine gun, one of the longest-serving weapons in the U.S. arsenal. The cigar itself is a hefty 6½ x 60, built with an Ecuadorian Habano over Mexican San Andrés wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and binder — a medium-bodied blend wrapped in a shape meant to evoke American military history.
While this specific vitola is a unique collector's item, enthusiasts of rich, dark leaves may find similar flavor profiles in Fronto Leaf Master Cream or other corona cigars that utilize similar San Andrés or Habano components. Those looking for more traditional Nicaraguan profiles might also explore new 1888 San Andrés cigar releases from other premium makers.
Why a design patent is notable
In the cigar world, plenty of brands tweak vitolas, but formally patenting a shape is rare. Design patents are more commonly associated with consumer products like bottles, furniture, or footwear.
Hooten Young's move signals that a boutique maker sees its distinctive form as a genuine brand asset worth defending — and it raises an interesting question about intellectual property in a craft category built largely on tradition and open imitation. This focus on branding is similar to how Drew Estate Cigars has built a loyal following through unique aesthetics and storytelling.
It's also a smart bit of positioning for a small brand. A protected, instantly recognizable shape is a marketing hook that competitors can't legally copy, which is exactly the kind of differentiation boutique makers need to stand out in a crowded market of filtered cigars and traditional hand-rolled sticks. For those interested in the broader market, you can check out the best filtered cigars of 2026 to see how other brands compete.
What it means for shoppers
For cigar enthusiasts, The Cartridge is a novelty worth knowing about — a genuinely different-looking smoke with a clear story behind it, from a veteran-owned brand. Whether the unusual shape affects the smoking experience is a matter of personal taste, but the design is now uniquely Hooten Young's. This type of innovation is often showcased at major events like when the tobacco trade show returns each year.
As always, boutique and specialty cigars vary in availability and price by shop and state, and shapes like this tend to be produced in limited numbers. Buy from reputable, age-verifying retailers who carry a wide variety of tobacco products.
The bottom line
Hooten Young's design patent for The Cartridge is a small but genuinely novel moment in cigars: a veteran-founded brand turning a bullet-shaped vitola into legally protected intellectual property. It won't reshape the category, but it's a clever, distinctive move — and a reminder that even in a tradition-bound craft, there's still room to do something new with the humble shape of a cigar. For more insights into the industry, explore our tobacco guide covering everything from wraps to premium sticks.