Choosing a Cigar Cutter

Cigar cutters come in many different forms. There are pros and cons to each of them, and Neptune Cigar has illustrated them for ease of understanding, pictured below:

If you're like me, and really love your cigar accessories, you probably own more than one cutter. At home, I use sharp, vintage Donatus Solingen V-Cutter scissors. I own a rare set that I found on ShopGoodwill, that I love more than life itself. These were one of the first accessories I purchased when my love of cigars began to unfold.

I also own a punch, that I purchased from my local smoke shop. It comes on a keyring, so I can carry it with me at all times. Generally though, I keep it in my smoke pack in my purse because I like to keep things organized.

What I like about the scissors is the traditional ritual that ensues. Gazing at your cigar, smelling it, checking that it's rolled nicely, and deciding precisely where to cut (I cut less for a tighter draw.) The punch is great because it allows me to cut less (just a punch, obviously) when I'm on the go, and don't have my scissors on-hand. If I'm out at a lounge, I don't have the time or focus to spend during the cutting process, so the punch does it all for me. Freeing up a bit of time allows me to focus on my friends and get the lighting process started...which (in my next post) brings us to matches and lighters.