A cigar cutter opens the cap so air can pass through the cigar. Don’t bite the head off! Not a good idea, as you’ll crush the end and spoil the draw. If you cut below the cap, the wrapper can come loose. The three common tools that cut cleanly are the guillotine, the V-cut, and the punch. Cigar scissors and other specialty blades also exist, but these three cover almost every need.
Smoke Rings sells cutters in the cutters section of the shop. This chapter does not name a single “best” cutter for every size. No tobacco is sold on this site; for the cigars themselves, our sponsor AbsoluteCigars.com is your best source.
Guillotine (straight cut)
A guillotine slices a thin piece off the head. There are single-blade and double-blade versions. A double-blade cutter is gentler when the blades meet properly; a dull single blade can crush the cigar. The goal is a clean, round opening that leaves most of the cap in place so the wrapper stays on.
It is the standard choice for straight-sided parejo cigars such as robustos, coronas, and Churchills. Cut off less than you think you need. You can always cut again, but you can’t put the cap back on.
V-cut (cat’s eye)
A V-cut cuts a wedge-shaped notch instead of a flat slice. The opening is smaller than a full guillotine cut and can focus the smoke. Some smokers like it on thinner cigars and on belicosos with blunt heads. Others dislike it because the notch can collect tar or split a dry cap.
Pointed figurados often do better with a shallow V-cut or a small, careful guillotine cut; see torpedo and belicoso. A deep V-cut on a dry wrapper can cause it to split.
Punch
A punch removes a small round plug from the cap, leaving the rest of the head closed around the hole. It leaves less loose tobacco, but it can make the draw tighter, especially on a cigar with a small ring gauge. It does not suit a sharply pointed torpedo unless the punch is very small and the head is blunt enough for it to sit on. Keep the punch clean, because a punch packed with tobacco can leave a plug in the cigar.
A punch cannot fix a cigar that was bunched too tightly when it was rolled. That is a construction problem. See draw.
Choose your tool based on cigar shape
- Straight-sided cigar with a regular cap: start with a guillotine; use a punch if you like a small opening, or a V-cut if you prefer the wedge.
- Belicoso or torpedo: make a small cut and keep the point. A full-size punch often does not suit the shape.
- Perfecto and other cigars with a closed foot: cut only the head, and do not cut more than needed. Light the closed foot as it is.
A sharp blade matters more than the brand name. An inexpensive guillotine with blades that meet cleanly works better than an expensive one that tears the cap. Clean and oil your cutter occasionally, because tobacco oils can make a hinge mechanism sticky.
On this site
Short glossary definitions: cutter, guillotine, V-cut, punch. Lighting after the cut: torch vs soft flame and lighters. Storage if you bought a box of cigars: humidors, shop humidors.
Make a clean cut and toast the foot slowly. For opinions on how specific cigars taste, see the reviews.
Sources: Standard trade descriptions of guillotine, V-cut, and punch cutters; Smoke Rings cutter glossary practice.