| One of my favorite things about cigar smoking | | | | in me re-cutting with a guillotine. If this cuts |
| are the cool tools that come along with it. The | | | | interests you then give it a try, but start with a |
| most famous tool being the cigar cutter. Maybe | | | | less expensive cigar. |
| you're thinking about retiring your $2 guillotine | | | | One of my favorite cuts, especially for thicker |
| cutter and upgrading to something more mature. | | | | cigars, is the punch cut. The blade is a sharp blade |
| Whatever the reason, I have listed the different | | | | that's been rolled into a cylinder. the cylinder is |
| types of cutters, how they work and any pros | | | | attached to a handle. By placing the cylindrical |
| and cons. | | | | blade against the cigar and twisting, a small hole is |
| The guillotine cutter is the most popular cut. It has | | | | left once the blade is removed. Tap the blade to |
| a sharp blade enclosed in a flat case. The case | | | | remove the piece of the cigar that was removed. |
| has a round hole big enough to fit almost every | | | | This is a great cut because it keeps the |
| cigar gauge. Stick the cigar in the hole and | | | | roundness of the cigar, unlike the straight cut |
| guillotine chop the end. This type of cut | | | | from the guillotine, and the hole is small but large |
| transforms the cigar-tip from roundness to | | | | enough to allow a good draw. Be careful if your |
| flatness. It also allows the most air flow of all the | | | | cigar is on the dry side -- the twisting of the blade |
| different cuts. Guillotine cutters can be bought as | | | | may cause it to unravel. |
| a single blade or a double blade. In my opinion the | | | | Finally, there is the scissor cut. Picture a pair of |
| single blade guillotine feels cheap and lacks the | | | | scissors but the end of each blade is shaped like a |
| sturdiness of the double blade. No matter which | | | | half-moon. The scissor cut is a favorite among |
| guillotine cutter you use be sure to not cut more | | | | tobacco shop attendants around the world. The |
| than necessary off the cigar. | | | | great thing about the previous cutters I listed, is |
| The 'V' cut is another popular cut among cigar | | | | that the cheap versions work almost as well as |
| smokers. If you haven't tried a v-cut I strongly | | | | the expensive ones. Unfortunately that rule does |
| recommend it. The blade of this cutter as a 'V' | | | | not apply with the scissor cutter. If you are going |
| shaped groove that runs down the middle of it. | | | | to use this cutter then you must pay for a good |
| Like the guillotine cutter, the v-cutter also has a | | | | one. This cut gives a straight cut like the guillotine |
| hole to line-up the cigar before you cut. The | | | | cutter and can cut most cigar sizes. |
| v-cutter cuts a wedge down the middle of the | | | | I recommend the guillotine and scissor cutters if |
| cigar. The wedge is deep enough to give the cigar | | | | you like a straight cut. If I had to choose |
| a nice draw and leaves the cigar round instead of | | | | between the two I would choose guillotine |
| flat. | | | | because of the price. The v-cutter gives a deep |
| The pinhole cut is a less popular cut. using the | | | | wedge cut that keeps the roundness of the cigar |
| word 'cut' is misleading because this device | | | | and allows a good draw. The pinhole cut and |
| actually punctures the cigar rather than cutting it. | | | | punch cut both produce puncture the cigar. If you |
| It places a pinhole-sized puncture through the cigar | | | | want to try a puncture cut then go with the |
| about a half-an-inch deep. I have tried this twice | | | | punch cut -- it provides an excellent draw. |
| and both times could not get a good draw ending | | | | |