The Brotherhood of the Leaf

The first issue to address before actually making your cut, is where to make it.  Look closely at the head of your cigar for what is called the “cap line”,  the small piece of wrapper used to form the seal on the head of cigars.  The ideal place to cut a cigar is just above the cap line allowing you to create the largest opening possible for an easy draw.  Close examination of your cigar will dictate how thin your cut will need to be since there are many variations is cigar shapes and sizes.  Once you find the place to make your cut, a quick decisive cut is always best since it generally results in a cleaner cut (depending on the tool).  I am not a fan of those cheap single bladed guillotine cutters because they are typically inadequate to preform a quality cut.  Double bladed guillotine cutters tend to work better because the blades work together giving you a much cleaner cut.  There are some very nice single blade cutters out there and of course some extremely bad double guillotine cutters on the market.  The most important factor when choosing your cutter is that it be sharp or it will crush the head of your cigar.

A great trick for making a near perfect cut with your double guillotine cutter is to lay the cutter flat on a table, place the cigar in it standing straight up, and snip.  This method makes it easy to get a straight cut and typically cuts off just the right amount without damaging the cap.  For figurados or perfectos it is best to cut less at first, smoke it for a while, and if you decide you need  more draw just re-cut.

The punch cutter is another option that is easy to use.  It simply cuts a hole in the head of the cigar.  You just line up the punch in the center of the head on the cigar and by twisting it a bit you create a very clean cut.  The only draw back to the punch cutter is that with many of the popular large ring gauge cigars today, a large enough opening is not created.