How to cut a cigar

Do you have to cut a cigar?

Almost always. The closed end of a cigar is the head, and it's sealed with a cap. The cap is a small piece of wrapper leaf that holds the wrapper in place at the head, and until you open it you can't draw smoke through the cigar. You can cut it, pierce it or remove it. A punch, for example, opens it with a small hole.

Draw is how easily air pulls through the cigar. A good cut leaves you somewhere in the middle: a draw that's too easy smokes hot, and one that's too tight feels plugged.

If there's no cutter around, we cover how to cut a cigar without a cutter in its own guide.

Which end do you cut?

Usually just the head. The other end, the foot, is open on most cigars, so there's nothing to cut there. The head is the end you smoke from, and once it's open you light it at the foot.

Perfectos are an exception: the shape is closed at both ends, with a rounded head and usually a bulge in the middle. Most perfectos have a narrow foot, and cutting a little off that end too can help the draw.

How to cut a cigar with a guillotine cutter

A guillotine cutter slices straight across the head. Some have two blades that close from both sides, and some have one. The steps below are for two blades, and a single blade needs one change, covered after them.

1. Find the shoulder, the rounded area where the cap meets the body of the cigar. Your cut goes above it.
2. Open the cutter and slide the head into the opening. Check that the cigar fits, since a thick cigar, one with a big ring gauge, may not go through a small cutter.
3. Rest the blades against the cap, about 1/16 of an inch from the tip.
4. Close the cutter in one quick, firm squeeze. One swift motion gives the wrapper the least chance to tear.
5. Before you light it, draw through the cigar. If the draw feels tight, trim another thin slice.

The Xikar XI2 is a double guillotine. For its Xi cutters, Xikar says the two sides operate independently, so one always closes against the cigar first, and both blades meet in the middle, each cutting the same amount. The maker's instructions are to hold it in the first crook of your knuckles on one side and along your thumb on the other, then give it a powerful snap squeeze. The XI2 has stainless steel blades, and the maker rates it at 54 ring gauge, cutting up to a 60 ring gauge.

With a single blade, set the cigar against the far side of the opening, away from the blade, and bring the blade down until it touches the cigar before you cut. That keeps the cigar from shifting mid-cut.

The other two common cuts are a V-cut or a punch, each made with its own tool.

How much to cut off

A thin slice, about 1/16 of an inch (about 2 millimeters), taken from the rounded tip. The point is to open the head and leave part of the cap glued on, because the cap is what holds the wrapper. Cut too deep and you take off the whole cap, and the wrapper can start to unravel.

A 1998 guide says to cut about 1/16 of an inch on most cigars and, if you don't have a ruler, to find the shoulder and cut there. A cigar glossary says cutting into or below the shoulder will make the cigar begin to unravel.

So start with a thin slice above the shoulder. If the draw feels tight, cut a little more, which is a lot easier than dealing with a cut that went too deep.

Cutting a torpedo or other pointed head

On a torpedo, the head tapers to a point. A cutter that slices across the head works; a punch won't open a pointed head. With a guillotine, snip just the tip with a quick slicing motion, then put it to your lips and draw through it to see how it feels.

If you'd like more of an opening, cut a little more off and try again. You may end up taking a bit more off a torpedo than you would off a round head, but get there a little at a time.

If you cut too much, or the draw is still tight

A tight draw after the first cut is the easy case. Trim another thin slice and test it again.

A cut that went too deep is harder. The cap is gone, and the wrapper can start to come loose at the head. One fix is to press the loose leaf back down with a little moisture on your fingertip and let it set for a moment before you light it. On the next cigar, start with a smaller slice, and make sure the blade is sharp, because a dull cutter can crack or tear the cap and wrapper on its own.

Keeping a cutter sharp

A dull blade tears where it should slice, so it's worth a little upkeep.

On a single-blade cutter, keep the compartment the blade slides into clear of tobacco bits. They gum it up and keep it from cutting quickly and cleanly.

To check the edge, Xikar's test is to angle the blade about 45 degrees against the edge of a light sheet of paper and slice. If it cuts, it's sharp. If it tears the paper, the blade needs buffing. Don't test it on your thumb.

Some of the smaller, more intricate cutters are harder to sharpen. One accessory maker's advice is to ask the cutter's maker about sending it in for sharpening. Before you take a cutter apart or send it anywhere, read the maker's warranty. Xikar's limited lifetime warranty covers manufacturing defects, not wear and tear from normal use, and taking the cutter apart to repair it yourself voids the coverage. The terms are on its warranty page.