Cigar cutter information: which one works best?

There are many different cigar cutters and not all of them work the same way. On this page, I'll explain a bit about cigar cutters (and cutting methods) and give you my recommendation for a good cutter.

Which kinds of cigar cutters are there?

In general, there are three kinds of cutters: the guillotine cutter (so named because it cuts the head off a cigar, much like the guillotine used to cut the heads off French revolutionaries and kings in the eighteenth century); the punch cutter; and the v-cutter. All types of cigar cutters come in different price ranges, from affordable to "I must be the king of France to pay for this". Well, almost.

For most stogie lovers: the guillotine cutter

The guillotine cutter is by far the most common stogie cutter. To use it, simply stick the last 1/8" (3 mm) of your cigar through the hole in the cutter and press the blades together. If you did it right, a small part of the end cap will come off, allowing you to pull the smoke through the cigar.

If you're having trouble using the cutter, you can also place it flat on the table, put the end of your stogie through the hole till you feel resistance, and then cut the top off.

Guillotine cutters are made by many different manufacturers, including Xikar and Colibri. I'm still using my first cutter, a Colibri such as this one which you should be able to get for under $20. Xikar's version of this cutter can be found online as well, but there are many others available in any price range. Look around, see what you like!

The V-cutter

The v-cutter does exactly what the name suggests: it makes a v-shaped cut in your cigar. V-cutters look similar to guillotine cutters, but they cut deeper into a cigar. These cutters are usually used for thicker gauge cigars and I recommend getting a good one if you do get one, since cheap V-cutters make for bad cigar smoking.

The punch cutter

The punch cutter makes a small hole in the end of the cigar, preserving the end cap almost completely. They are usually pretty cheap since you just need a small circular device to cut a hole in the cigar (some lighters even come equipped with one). While the smaller hole makes it less likely that tobacco ends up in your mouth, some people also say that the smaller hole doesn't allow enough smoke to come out, and that it sometimes even fills up with saliva.

So which one should you pick?

As I stated earlier, the guillotine cutter is by far the most-used type of cigar cutter. If you are just starting out in the cigar hobby, I recommend you get one of those - you'll often find one included with a humidor combo deal and can get them separately for as little as $10. Only once your taste gets more "refined" would I suggest trying other cutters.

Click here for information on how to light and smoke a cigar.