Cutting a cigar certainly sounds easy, doesn’t it? How hard could it really be? Truth be told, cutting a cigar is easy, providing that you follow the few simple steps outlined here in the following Etiquette 101 page of advice:

CHOOSING YOUR STYLE OF CUT

The first step is to determine what style of cut you’d like to make. Truth is, there are a few popular cigar cutter options to choose from today. The most traditional option is called a straight cut (also referred to as a guillotine cut, flat cut or traditional cut), which uses two guillotine-style blades that simply cut the cigar in a straight line just above the head to remove it’s cap. A straight cut can also be achieved by using cigar scissors, but we prefer the former. It’s more compact and much more foolproof.

A second option is called a v-cut which looks like a straight cut mechanism, but has a v-shaped groove on the guillotine blades that result in effectively lopping off a precise, v-shaped divot from the cigar’s cap. The indestructible Colibri V Cutter seems to be the industry standard today. The key to using this cutter (and the straight cutter) is to hold the mechanism with both your middle finger and thumb inserted within the two outside rings and then expand your grip to open and expose the middle ‘cutting’ ring (for the love of God, don’t put your finger in there!) to first retract the blades. Then, place the cigar just inside the now exposed middle cutting ring at the correct depth and then swiftly cut the cigar by closing your grip using your controlling middle finger and thumb.

The third popular cutter option is typically referred to as a punch cut. A punch cut can be often found on the bottom of an assortment of torch-style lighters near the butane valve making them a very useful 2-in-1 cigar accessory. Typically a small arm is retracted from the bottom of the lighter that will have a sharp-edged little circular hole on it that you press and twist against the very bottom of the cigar’s cap until it is embedded into the cigar. Once embedded, you then pull the object away from the cigar which leaves a small circular hole in the cigar’s cap to smoke and draw from after the cigar is effectively lit and burning correctly. Rocky Patel’s Diplomat II 5-Torch Lighter is an excellent example of a 2-in1 lighter with retractable punch cut. Punch cutters cannot be used on all shapes of cigars. A figurado-shaped cigar for example, due to it’s very narrow cap, cannot be cut with a punch cut. Punch cutters are also available as a stand-alone object that are typically shaped like a small pen and can be attached to a keychain for convenience. Still, we prefer to use the 2-in-1 option on the bottom of many torch lighters.

WHERE TO PLACE YOUR CUT

Placing your cut is very important. With a punch cut, you’re simply creating a small hole in the end of the cigar. This, is damn near foolproof. However with a straight or v-cut, it is essential that you properly place your cut so you don’t cut off too much. Cutting too high on the cigar can result in creating too

wide of an opening, potentially making the cigar burn to fast and making the draw too hot, thus making for a sub-satisfactory smoking experience. Cutting too high can also result in the cigar’s body unravelling and coming apart, often rendering it ruined.

To avoid all this, be certain to cut away from the cigar’s body just above where the cigar’s head begins to narrow into the cap on its shoulder. Execute your cut (no pun intended) with a rapid, swift motion and you’ll have a perfectly cut cigar ready to begin toasting (see: Etiquette 101: Lighting A Cigar).

A few extra tips…

Some people choose to moisten the cigar cap a little bit with their tongue before cutting to prevent the wrapper from cracking or fraying during the cut. Though I don’t advise against doing this, a properly humidified cigar should cut clean without needing to moisten the end. Plus – speaking truthfully – it simply looks a little odd watching someone licking a cigar in public. And please – if you do insist on moistening the cap before cutting, kindly don’t use someone else’s cutter to do it – no one wants your saliva coming in contact with their cutter, and especially not with their beloved cigar.

After cutting the cigar, I like to ensure that the draw is right by simply drawing a little bit of air through it prior to lighting. This is called a cold draw. This ensures that there is no little ‘plugs’ within the cigar that can inhibit a good, effortless draw. If the draw of air is hard, you can simply use a pointed cigar draw poker to gently push inside the cigar to open up any plugs and ensure a smooth, relaxing draw.

– Kurt Bradley