A cigar that has been fermented for years, aged for months, and rolled by hand can be undone in three seconds with a bad cut. The goal is simple: open the head enough to draw easily, not so much that the wrapper unravels or the binder loosens.

The tools, briefly

• Guillotine (straight cut). The default. Quick, even, forgiving.
• V-cut. A deep notch that concentrates the draw. Pairs well with parejos and short fillers.
• Punch. A small round hole. Minimal damage, but can clog on humid days.

The technique

Rest the cigar on the blade. Identify the shoulder — the point where the cap’s curve flattens into the barrel. Cut just above that line. A millimeter too far and the head disintegrates over the first third.

When in doubt, take less. You can always cut again; you cannot un-cut.

Cutters worth owning

A good cutter lasts decades. A bad one ruins a cigar in one pass. Three we keep on the desk:

• Xikar XO — the workhorse double-guillotine. Sharp, symmetrical, and forgiving of a hasty hand.
• Les Fines Lames Le Petit — a folding knife-cutter, pocketable and quietly beautiful. The one you reach for when you’re traveling.
• Colibri V-Cut — for those who prefer a deeper channel and a more concentrated draw.

(Links go directly to each maker. We may eventually add referral links to some of these — if we do, it’ll be disclosed on the referral page.)