Accessories
Types of Cutters
What's a Cigar Cutter?
A cigar cutters is a tool used to open the cigar just enough to create a
thick and satisfying puff, or draw, but also to leave the cigar intact as
much as possible. There are a few different tools to accomplish this task,
but they all have the same basic function - to puncture or remove a portion
of the cap.
V-Cutter
Creates a top-to-bottom slice that creates a v-shaped wedge through the head of the cigar. Pros: Allows you to keep the cap of the cigar intact. Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Cons: Difficult to use properly. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace.
Cigar Drill
Used to drill a tiny hole about a half an inch into the head of the cigar.
Pros: Allows you to keep the cap of the cigar intact. Cons: Creates a hole
which is sometimes inadequate for drawing smoke through difficult to use
properly.
Puncture Cutter
Removes a plug approximately ¼ inch across from the cigar’s head. Pros:
Relatively easy to use. Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Allows
you to keep the cap of cigar intact. Cons: Can cause improperly humidified
cigars to split. Doesn’t work on cigars with pointed ends.
A blade slides up and down in a track through a hole in which you insert the head of the cigar removing the tip of the cap. Pros: Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Easy to use. Cons: May make a rough cut across cap. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace.
Double Bladed Guillotine
Two blades sliding in opposite directions up and down in their tracks through a hole in which you insert the head of the cigar removing the tip of the cap. Pros: Creates a large enough hole to draw easily. Easy to use. Cons: Inexpensive dual blades can be out of line with each other. Needs extremely sharp blades. Blades hard to replace. May make a rough cut across cap.
Scissors Cutter
Look like normal scissors except they have rounded edge blades especially made for cutting off the tip of the cigar. Pros: Can cut any size and shape cigar. Cons: Hard to judge amount being cut off. Needs extremely sharp blades.
How do I cut a cigar?
Quickly and decisively, but before we get into that lets talk about "where" to cut.
The proper place to cut depends on the cigar. First you need to closely examine the head of the cigar. You are looking to see just how far the cap (this is the round of tobacco used to seal the head) extends down the barrel. On a parejo (a parallel-sided cigar) this is typically 1/4" - 3/8"; wherever the caps stops you should regard as your limit as to how far down you should cut.
The best cut is one above this "cap line" that will open up 75%-85% of the cigar's surface. You want as large an open cut as possible so as to allow for an easy draw, but you do not want to cut beneath the cap line as the cigar may start to unravel on you. Sometimes this means a thin cut of 1/32" is perfect, while other times you may need to cut 3/8" - it depends entirely on each cigar's construction.
For figurados such as torpedos, perfectos, etc. you may have to cut significantly more in order to open the head enough for a sufficient draw. How far is a personal question. Typically people smoke cigars with tapered heads because they like how the narrowing ring concentrates the smoke against the palate, so unlike with a parejo, most figurado smokers want less of the cigar's surface opened by the cut. And because of their shape, figurados seldom unravel even when cut beneath the cap line, so it really is a judgement call. Personally, I suggest you cut less to begin, smoke the cigar for awhile, and if you decide you wish for a more open draw just recut.
As I said before the key to a good cut is to be quick and decisive. Once you find your spot, you should not hesitate - just clip it. Quick cuts tend to be cleaner cuts, however you must have the right tool to do this well. The prime criteria of any cutter is that it be very sharp, the sharper the better.
Most single bladed guillotine cutters are inadequate, so I suggest you opt for a double bladed guillotine if possible. Typically double bladed cutters work better as the two opposing blades work together, however there are exceptions to this. There are some single bladed cutters that work great and some double bladed ones that are just plain junk. Single or double what is important is that the cutter be sharp because if it isn't you will just end up crushing the head of your cigar.
There are a quite a few other tools you can use to cut a cigar.
One that is frequently seen in cigar store counters an in the movies is a pair of cigar scissors. Personally, I would steer clear of these, they look cool, but most of them just plain stink. They are seldom sharp enough and it is very common for the smoker to torque the scissors blades while trying to cut a cigar resulting in ruined smoke. If you do decide to buy a pair of scissors, buy the best you can afford. And practice a bit on some very cheap cigars before attempting to use them on a premium cigar.
Another option is to use a punch cutter. These are very easy to use as they simply punch a hole in the head of the cigar of a fixed diameter. All you need to do is line the cutter dead center and twist. These can provide a very clean cut and their only real drawback is that most do not cut a large enough hole for 50+ ring cigars and this may not be an issue for you.
A unique cut is a "v-cut". This a cutter that cuts a v-shaped notch from the head of your cigar. Another unique cut is the "cat's eye" which is very similiar to a v-cut however the edge of the cut is curved rather than straight. Both of these cuts tend to concentrate the smoke on the center of the palate, some folks swear by these cuts while others hate them. Both of these styles of cutters need to be super sharp to work well.
A sharp pen knife works well also and with some practice you can become pretty adept at cutting a cigar's cap with your teeth. I know people who use their fingernail and a couple of others who actually jab a pencil into the head of their cigar to prep it for smoking. So in the end it really is a matter of personal choice and with a little practice you will find the technique that works best for you.
And if you managed to read all of this, here are a couple of quick, neat cutting tricks:
If you lay a guillotine cutter down flat on a table then insert the head of your cigar so that it rests against the table's surface then clip, you will almost always take off the right amount on most cigars. Try it...
If all you have is one of those cheap giveaway cutters, try cutting your cigar with it still in the cellophane sleeve. This technique will produce a much cleaner cut with a duller cutter.
What can I do about tight, plugged, or hard drawing cigars?
A cigar can be plugged or tight for a variety of reasons. They are, in the order of likelihood:
1) The cigar is too moist and the tobacco is swelled from the excess water.
This is a very common circumstance with freshly made cigars. All of the materials are wetted to make them easy to work with and the cigar will require some significant drying time to wick away the excess moisture.
A cigar can retain moisture for a very long time, particularly if it is being stored in a 70%RH environment. Depending on the cellulous nature of the leaf used, it could take many months for a cigar to thoroughly "set-up".
Most manufacturers are now making use of a "cold room" to help minimize this problem. This is actually a refrigerated room that is kept at about 55 degrees with fans circulating dry air continuously. This greatly helps the set up process.
However most distributors, ourselves included, like to keep our cigars at the 70-72% RH mark so we end up reintroducing moisture. Personally, I think this is slightly higher than the ideal for smoking, but well humidified cigars travel better. They remain tight in their boxes, and in turn there is far less wrapper damage.
This is why I almost always recommend letting newly bought cigars sit out for a few days before placing them in your humidor.
2) The bunch is twisted.
After a cigar is bunched and secured by its binder it is commonly then place inside a wooded or poly mold which helps to shape the bunch to exact desired shape and girth. How long they are pressed depends on the maker, but the process requires an initial loading of the press with the bunches and then at the halfway mark all the presses being broken down and all the cigars rotate 90 degrees. The loading and rotating is done by hand typically very quickly and it is during this process that a cigar maker can actually twist the bunch while pressing the cigar's barrel into the mold. This twisted becomes fixed in place by the mold and results in an almost impossible draw.
Many times this can be resolved by cutting an inch or so of each end of a cigar as it is typically near the end where twists occur. Which end? 50/50 shot, pick one... if it doesn't work, try the other.
3) Simply too much tobacco.
The buncher simply put too much tobacco in the cigar. It happens with all handmade cigars, you have to allow for some error. If you want a perfect draw every time then start smoking machine-made.
Now with that said, I absolutely hate tight cigars and while I am understanding of the occasional hard drawing cigar, I refuse to accept too many poorly made cigars. I vote with my dollars and start to buy a different brand.
Those are the three primary reasons for hard drawing, tight smokes. So what can you do to "fix" it?
As I said before, the #1 reason is too much moisture. This cigar simply needs some "dry time" and only patience will resolve the problem.
If it is not due to moisture odds are the tight spot in small cross section of the cigar construction. Normally you can ID such spot by feeling the cigar with your fingers and find the knot. And many times you can clip it if it is a twist near the end or just burn passed the tight part.
Sometimes you can gently massage the tight spot to open it up some, but rarely enough to drastically improve the draw.
A fourth option is to try to create your own flow hole through the cigar. You can do this with a skewer, but PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL! It is not uncommon for the skewer to crack the cigar beyond hope and even worse for the skewer to penetrate the side right into your hand. A Draw Poker is a product that makes this a much safer practice as it provides a jig in which the cigar is held tightly and protects your hands. However, for this procedure to work well you really need to leave the skewer in the cigar for 24 hours or so, because the hole you just reamed will try constrict onto itself.
Personally, I abhor tight cigars and if after allowing them to dry they remain tight, I typically pitch them. Life is too short to fight a non-drawing cigar.