The Basics of Cigar Cutting

Cutting a cigar is a traditional ritual, but with a high quality cigar, you want to make sure that your cut is precise and exactly where it needs to be to get the best smoke. A badly cut cigar downgrades the experience, and no one wants to ruin a perfectly good smoke. The premise is rather uncomplicated.

You simply want to make an opening for smoke without causing harm to the rest of the cigar. Usually, this means that you cut away the part of the cap that slips on the head of the cigar and just leave some glue around the end, which allows the filtered leaves to stay together. With many cigars, you only need to make the cut about 1/16 of an inch from the end. One way to remember is to cut at the shoulder of the cigar where it curves and begins to straighten out.

In the old days, cigar smokers used their teeth to cut the end. This method still works if you have no alternative, but you should consider trying one of the other popular approaches in order to get a better smoke, including scissors, punch cutters, v-cutters and, of course, the guillotine method.

Cigar scissors aren't like the ones you have at home. These types of cutters are specifically made to snip a cigar in just the right way and use surgical-quality stainless steel materials. The Wenger Swiss Army is possibly the ultimate choice of a cigar scissor that you'll find today. With top-quality cigar cutters like this one, you can get a quick, precise cut that will optimize your smoking experience and create a better cigar.

Punch cutters are another type of cigar cutter. This is a simple, circular, extremely sharp blade that you push down into the head of a cigar. This will create an opening for better mixed filler cigar smoke. Mostly, this type of cutter prevents bits of tobacco from getting into the smoker's mouth. However, you wouldn't use a punch cutter with certain types, such as small ring gauge cigars for instance.

The V-cutter makes a small incision at one end of a cigar. This type of cutter gives more surface area without exposing your mouth to any loose tobacco. In addition, you can take in more air through the cigar body. If you love small ring cigars, this is definitely the choice for you, but you don't want to use the V-cutter to penetrate too deep into the cigar as it will make it too hot.

Finally, the guillotine method uses both double and single-bladed versions in addition to a scissor version that makes a cut across the end of a cigar. This is the best method for any type of cigar and is one of the most popular ways to cut it. The double blade is the best choice if you want a good, clean cut, and it can slice from both sides at the same time. There is also less chance that you will tear the wrapper around the cigar. Most cigar cutters typically require one to place the cigar against a blade and click the cutter shut for an ultra clean cut and finish.