HISTORY and USE

"[There is] the impression that cigar cutters were common in the 1850's whereas, in reality, teeth and knives were the cutters of choice as the first U.S. cutter patent wasn't issued until 1860, and that for a match safe with a cutter built in.

During the entire 1860's only three patents were issued for cigar cutters, and only 2 a year during the 1870's. Using patent records as a guide, the evidence says it wasn't until the
1880's that cigar cutters became in general use. Eighty five new patents were issued that decade."

CIGAR CUTTERS - The object of the cutter is to create an ample and smooth opening in your cigar for smoking. There are various types of Cigar Cutters, each different in the way they work. Cutting your cigars correctly means you will have a better tasting smoke, so do it right and use the correct cutter.

Whatever cutter you use, the idea is to remove the leaf from the closed end of the cigar
you are about to smoke. The 'cap' is that small circular piece of tobacco leaf stuck on the
head of an Havana cigar to secure the wrapper. Cigars from the Dominican Republic and
other countries are often secured with a twist of the wrapper which is then gummed onto
the uncut end, or tied off as a pigtail and known as a 'flag'. The objective is to leave a little
of the cap or end of the cigar so that the whole thing holds together . If the hole is too
small - and compressed by the cutter - the cigar may overheat. If the cut's too large or
uneven, the end of your cigar may unravel. A fairly fool-proof way ot cutting a cigar is to
lay a hand-held guillotine cutter flat on a table, place the head of the cigar in it like an
upright pillar on a stand, and gently but firmly – snip! Whatever you use it should be
very sharp and capable of making a quick, clean and level cut. Some people say there
should be around Ľ to 1/8 of an inch or a couple of millimetres of cap left after you've
cut a Cuban cigar, which can only come with practice. Better to make a smaller cut, than
a large one, for then at least you can always cut it back.

Quoted from the website: http://www.forces.org/writers/james/files/kinky-friedman.htm

CIGAR V-CUTTER – Similar to the Guillotine cutter but the blade has a V shape. The cigar’s head is placed against a stopper and the blade drops and cuts a V from one side of the head to the other. Not advisable for shaped cigars, such as the Torpedo. Also poses the risk of damage to the cigar.

CIGAR GUILLOTINE CUTTERS – They have a single blade that when pressure is applied to the cutter, usually with your fingers, will cut your cigar’s head from one side to the other. These “guillotines” are handy, economical and general have a low risk of breakage. Since the blade cuts through the cigar from one side to the other, there is more pressure on one side than the other and risk of damage to the cigar’s head or the cigar’s wrapper leaf.

DOUBLE-BLADE CIGAR CUTTERS – The classic cigar cutter. They have 2 blades that cross each other when your cigar’s head is in the center. The blades cut the cigar evenly from both sides, with uniform pressure. The best of these have self-sharpening blades that are made of stainless steel.

HOLE PUNCH - The hole punch is used to put a hole in the cap of the cigar, instead of cutting it off. If the hole is not large enough for the cigar, the draw of smoke through the cigar can be impeded. Also, as the cigar is smoked, tar can accumulate near the hole, also affecting the taste as well as the draw.

HOLE PUNCH CUTTERS - This cutter has also been called the "Bullet" cutter. It
has a round blade that when pushed against the head of the cigar cuts a circle.
This is a very compact cutter and works well on some cigars.

SCISSOR CUTTERS - As the name implies, the scissor cutters act in the same
capacity as scissors in making a precise cut to the cigar.