How to Cut a Cigar

Cut a thin slice off the cap — about 1/16 of an inch, or roughly 2mm — staying above the shoulder where the head starts to curve. That opens the cigar enough to draw smoothly without letting the wrapper come loose.

Why you have to cut a cigar

Premium cigars are sealed at the head with a cap of wrapper leaf. Until you open that end, you cannot draw any smoke through the cigar. How you open it changes how easily the smoke flows (the "draw") and how the cigar holds together.

The three common cuts

Straight cut

The most common cut, made with a guillotine cutter or cigar scissors. It removes the end of the cap in one clean slice and gives the most open draw. A double-blade guillotine is the easiest tool for beginners: both blades close from each side, so the cut is clean and the cigar is not crushed.

Punch cut

A small round blade bores a hole in the center of the cap instead of slicing it off. It keeps the cap intact, so there is less chance of loose tobacco in your mouth. Punches work best on cigars with a rounded head and a ring gauge of about 42 or more. They do not work on pointed cigars like torpedos.

V-cut

A wedge-shaped notch cut across the cap. It gives a deeper opening than a punch while keeping most of the cap in place, and many smokers like how it concentrates the smoke. It takes a special cutter and a little more practice.

How to make a straight cut, step by step

1. Find the cap line: the faint line where the cap leaf meets the wrapper, just above the shoulder.
2. Open the cutter and slide the head of the cigar in, holding the cutter level.
3. Line the blades up so they will remove only the rounded tip, staying above the cap line.
4. Close the cutter in one quick, firm motion. Hesitating tears the wrapper.
5. Draw on the unlit cigar. It should feel like sipping through a slightly stiff straw. If it is tight, take off another sliver.

Cutting pointed cigars

Torpedos, belicosos and other cigars with a pointed head are cut at the tip with a straight cut. The further down you cut, the wider the opening and the looser the draw. Start small; you can always cut more, but you cannot put it back.

Common mistakes

• Cutting too deep. Go past the shoulder and the wrapper starts to peel away while you smoke.
• Using a dull cutter. A blunt blade crushes and tears rather than slicing. Replace inexpensive cutters when they stop cutting cleanly.
• Biting it off. It looks good in films, but it leaves a ragged opening and tobacco in your teeth.

Need a cutter? Browse our cigar cutters.