The Art of Cutting Your Cigar

Like most things associated with cigar smoking, making a proper cut is a practiced art. That isn’t to say that it is particularly difficult, but knowing how to make the proper cut for a cigar does take a little forethought at first.

For starters, you will need to figure out how to prepare the head of your cigar. This is known as the cap, and virtually ever premium handmade cigar comes with a tobacco cap, typically cut from the same leaves that were used to wrap the cigar. You can either choose to cut this cap, or puncture it. But choose wisely – the way you prepare your cigar will decide whether your smoke is wet and falls to pieces, or if you wind up with a smooth, inviting burn.

The objective to keep in mind is that you want the cut to open up the tip of the cigar just enough for a thick and satisfactory draw, while being sure to leave the cigar as intact as humanly possible. You will want to feel a modicum of resistance when you take your puff, but not so much that it seems like a lot of work. The key is to relax and enjoy your cigar. Think of the difference between a slightly melted milkshake, and a frozen one.

With all of this in mind, let’s now take a look at the different types of cuts and the tools used to achieve them.