HOW TO CUT A CIGAR
By Boveda
You just cut off the top of a cigar and light it, right? STOP!
Before you grab a cigar cutter, learn how to properly cut a cigar to enjoy a great smoke every time.
WHAT PART OF A CIGAR SHOULD YOU CUT OFF?
A cigar has a head and a foot. At the head of a cigar, you’ll be removing a thin portion of the cap.
WHAT’S A CIGAR CAP?
A cigar is capped to prevent the cigar wrapper, which is rolled from foot to head, from unraveling. The cap also shows a cigar newbie what end of a cigar NOT to light.
WHICH END IS THE CIGAR FOOT?
The foot of a cigar is open-ended. This is the end you’re going to toast and light, so there’s no need to cut the cigar foot.
DON’T MAKE THESE CIGAR CUTTING MISTAKES
Cutting past the cap, so the wrapper starts to unravel.
Using a dull cigar cutter, which can crack or tear the cap and wrapper.
Licking the head of a cigar to wet it before using someone else’s cigar cutter.
Pausing while cutting, which makes for a rough, jagged cut.
WHICH CIGAR CUTTER IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
A cigar cutter is essentially a really sharp knife. Specific types of cutters perform specific cuts. The three most popular cigar cuts are the straight cut, punch cut and V-cut.
1. STRAIGHT CUT
You can straight cut a cigar with a guillotine cutter, which can have either a single blade or double blades.
Nix a single-blade guillotine.
Single-blade cutters can cause pressure on the cap or wrapper. Cracking is common if the cigar is dry or is rolled with a fragile wrapper like Cameroon leaf.
Reach for a double-blade guillotine.
With its sharp blades and double cutting sides, this guillotine will give you a good straight cut. It’s the easiest cutter to use if you’re new to cigars and the cutter of choice for most aficionados.
“With a double-blade guillotine cutter, you can open up the cigar completely to get all the smoke you need to experience all the flavors,” Rob Gagner, host of the Box Press cigar podcast, explained. “The last thing I want to do is to restrict the amount of flavor I get from a cigar.”
Make sure the guillotine cutter you’re about to buy will fit the ring gauge of the cigars you like to smoke. (The ring gauge is how thick a cigar is. The higher the ring gauge number, the thicker the cigar.)
2. V-CUT
A V-cut cigar cutter is used like a guillotine cutter. Instead of making a straight cut across the cap, a V-cut slices a v-shaped wedge from the cigar cap. The V-cut gives a more concentrated, intense draw. You’ll pull smoke from both the top and bottom of the cigar onto your palate.
Although a V-cutter works on most types of cigar shapes and ring gauges, thicker cigars might be more difficult to wedge cut.
3. PUNCH CUT
For round-capped cigars, you can also use a punch cut, which makes a small hole in the top while leaving the rest of the cap intact. It only works on round-capped cigars, and best on ring gauges over 40. You’ll get a tight draw using a punch cutter. That can be good or bad, according to Gagner.
“When I punch or poke a hole in a cigar cap, I find the oils build up at the cap,” Gagner explained. “If you get this oil build-up, it’s actually saliva mixed with the tobacco’s oils. Oil build-up can be caused by that restricted cut made by a cigar punch from smoking a cigar too fast, over-humidifying a cigar or having too much saliva on your cigar head.
“I find poking a cigar creates a bitter, off-putting taste that requires me to cut or recut my cigar,” Gagner said.
DO YOU HAVE TO PAY A LOT TO GET A QUALITY CIGAR CUTTER?
No, you can pick up a cheap guillotine cigar cutter for $5 to $10. A few economy cigar cutters like the new Boveda Cigar Cutter pictured below are good to keep on hand. They get the job done, and you can buy a few without breaking the bank to stow in all your favorite smoke spots, like the car, your desk and the garage. And when you inevitably misplace or loan out an econo-cutter, you won’t be out a lot.
ATF READERS: GET YOUR BOVEDA CIGAR CUTTERS NOW FOR JUST $9.99!
Boveda, the makers of cigar humidity packs, now offers an affordable cigar cutter to get the job done. Scan this QR Code with your smartphone to learn more about the Boveda-branded Cigar Cutter. BONUS: order 3 for just $25.
HOW TO SPOT A GOOD BUDGET-FRIENDLY CIGAR CUTTER:
Stainless steel blades that glide smoothly and work independently
Works on:
- Many ring gauges
- Traditionally-shaped cigars, like parejos, figurados, torpedos AND additional popular premiums
Big finger holes—fits sausage fingers
WHEN TO SPLURGE ON AN EXPENSIVE CIGAR CUTTER
A more expensive cigar cutter is an investment for a cigar smoker. Expect to plunk down three to ten times more for a quality cigar cutter. But as with everything, you get what you pay for. Using a good cigar cutter, you can get the exact cut you want on those valuable cigars.
EXTRA FEATURES OF A TOP-SHELF CIGAR CUTTER
Quality housing and cutting mechanism
Spring-loaded cigar cutters that lock shut are high-end and feel great to use.
Manufacturer’s warranty
Many quality cigar cutters offer a lifetime or limited-lifetime warranty, which often cover material and mechanical defects. Most manufacturers do not warranty cigar cutters for normal wear and tear, scratches or misuse. If you invest in a name brand, save your receipt and familiarize yourself with the warranty.
Sharpening
Cigar cutter getting dull? Check with the manufacturer about sending your cigar cutter in for sharpening.
NO CIGAR CUTTER? HERE’S WHAT ELSE YOU CAN USE TO CUT A CIGAR:
A pocket knife to cut along the cap
Your incisors to bite off a thin layer of the cap—rotate the cigar as you nibble
The non-strike end of a wooden matchstick to poke the cap one to four times
Your fingernail gives you the same result as a cigar punch
How to Cut a Cigar with Your Fingernail:
Unless you’re smoking a figurado or torpedo-shaped cigar, use the tool the Almighty gave you. Your fingernail does NOT need to be long and can be just as easy and as effective as using a cigar cutter.
Focus on the top of the cap, not the sides or the shoulder.
Start on the top, near the edge, and use your fingernail to puncture the thin piece of tobacco that forms the cap. It’s just a pierce—do not cut or rip the tobacco.
Continue puncturing the cap to form the same type of circle that a cigar punch would produce.
After the top thin tobacco/cap is pierced to form a complete circle, gently remove the single layer of tobacco from the inner part of the circle you just formed.
Sean Knutsen, President and CEO of Boveda, the global leader of 2-way humidity control solutions, swears by cutting cigars with his fingernail. “It’s the method the old Cuban cigar legends use,” Knutsen said. “If it’s good enough for the old Cuban legends, then it’s good enough for me.”
Cigar cases and travel humidors dedicate a pocket or small sleeve for housing a cutter, so why not fill it? Cigars are a lifestyle, so outfit yourself with the right cigar accessories.
