There are a plethora of ways you can cut your cigar to enjoy it. Some use a guillotine cutter, others a punch. For real savages, you can use the tip of a ballpoint pen or even your teeth.

No matter your preference, let’s cover some of the more “common” methods of cigar cap removal, so you can make an informed decision. 

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The Guillotine Cutter

There are two main types of guillotine cutters, let’s compare both and see what we are working with.

Single Guillotine Cutter

A common option for cutting your cigar, the single guillotine cutter is more than capable of getting the job done. While it does create uneven cutting pressure on your cigar during the cutting stroke, a sharp blade will slice right through without tearing.

Double Guillotine Cutter

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The double guillotine cutter is typically what everyone thinks of as the defacto cigar cutter. A true classic. This double guillotine cutter from Colibri operates by drawing two independently controlled blades towards a central focal point (the cigar cap), thus allowing equal amounts of force to be applied to both sides of the cap simultaneously.

In short, this type of cutter will create a more evenly distributed cut on the cigar.

Cigar Punch

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The Cigar Punch is a great option for those on the go. You can easily toss one on a key chain or in your pocket so you always have a classy and functional cigar cutter with you when you need it most.

Integrated cigar punches are being found more and more often on cigar lighters, making the cigar punch an even more appealing option.

Cigar Scissors 

Cigar scissors are a bit of a wildcard. Some feel they are an elegant option that brings forth a premium experience; others feel they are far less than “premium” and choose not to use them.

One of the advantages of using these is the ability to cut virtually any size ring gauge of cigar. One of the downsides is the lack of portability in this option. You can tote this around, but it takes up much more space than all of the other cigar cutter options.

V-Cutter 

V-Cut’s have what I would refer to as a couple of different “types”, let’s cut to the chase and take a look at both options:

Standard V-Cut

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The “standard” V-Cut cutter is typically found on cheaper V-cutter options like the one I have above. The blades are not high quality and are not as sharp as other options.

However, the design of the shallow V-cut keeps the cut above the cap. From my experience, this cutter commonly tears the cap of the cigar rather than preforming a clean cut as it should.

Deep V-Cut

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One of my personal favorites, the deep style V-Cut creates a larger surface area to draw from due to the angle of the cut. Although, the air draw from this is pretty negligible, it still gives me a great drawing surface and an excellent cut every single time.

One of the downsides to mention with this cutter is that it cuts past the cap of the cigar in the corners, so on certain cigars (typically cigars that are drier than they should be), the cap can start to lose its stickiness and unravel the cigar.

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Smoke & Bourbon Ratings

Most Portable: The Cigar Punch

Best Cut: The Double Guillotine

Best Draw: The “Deep” V-Cut

Most Versatile: Cigar Scissors

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Final Thoughts

To wrap things up, there are a number of available options on the market to cut your favorite stick, the right choice for you is going to depend on what your personal preferences are, how on the go you are, what you have room for, and other various factors that may influence your decision. Hopefully with the support of this article you are able to make an informed decision on which cigar cutter is right for you!

Let us know in the comments below what your favorite cigar cutter is!