How to Cut a Cigar and Cigar Cutter Types

Cigar smoking dates to the era of Christopher Columbus. Over the years, improvements have been made in the way tobacco is grown, aged, and stored to enhance the cigar smoking experience. A cigar humidor will keep your cigars fresh, and a cigar cutter will get you started on the right foot.

Cigar Cutters and Humidor Accessories
Cigar cutters are important tools to remove or penetrate the cap of a cigar before smoking begins. There are three basic cuts - the straight cut (most common), the hole punch, and the wedge (or V) cut. The preference is personal, but experienced smokers will try all three.

The most basic cutter for straight cuts is the single blade guillotine. Smokers seeking a cleaner cut prefer the double blade guillotine. Specially-designed cigar scissors are also used for straight cuts and provide more cutting accuracy.

The bullet punch cutter is another option for cleanly cutting a small hole on the head of the cigar. The advantage of this cutter is that no cutting skills are required, and it can be easily carried around. Another way to cut is with the V-shaped cutter that makes a V-shape on the cigar's cap.

To make your humidor work at top efficiency, consider adding a hygrometer for measuring the humidity in your humidor. Compact, accurate, and reliable, a humidor hygrometer displays humidity and temperature readings and is easy to mount. Maintaining the proper humidity (around 70 percent) and temperature (between 65 to 70 degrees) is essential for keeping cigars fresh.

There are other cigar smoking accessories you can select to make the experience even more pleasant. Lighters, ashtrays, and a cigar caddy are fine additions.

How to Cut a Cigar
Cutting a cigar is quick and easy. Start with a quality cigar cutter. If you don't, you may end up unraveling a cigar's wrapper, which could cause an unpleasant taste while smoking.

Before cutting, locate the cap at the head of the cigar (the portion that will be placed in your mouth). The cap is glued to the head to keep the wrapper in place. Its end is distinctly marked by a line.

The cut should be made just ahead of the cap, leaving 3 to 4 millimeters to avoid tearing the wrapper. One quick, strong cutting movement will give you the best results. With a bullet punch cutter, just insert the punch on the head of the cigar for a clean cut of a small hole.