Trimming a cigar

Markbb

Other than a torpedo and pyramid how do you prepare your cigar to smoke do you punch thru or do you cut the cap off, I've noticed when I punch hole the cigar it can make it hard on the draw and I'll  usually fix this problem by cutting the cap and it allows the cigar to breath better.....does anybody have a favorite over the two techniques...

madurofan

I almost always cut with a double bladed guillotine. I carry a punch on my keychain in case of emergency but may have used it twice. I find I tear it up more often trying to use a punch.

urbino

I'm a guillotine guy, too, for the same reasons you guys have already mentioned. I've never tried a v-cutter, though.

j0z3r

I like my double guillotine, but I've been giving my new punch cutter a shot recently. I'm not terribly impressed with the punch, but its ok... no comparison in my opinion to the Xikar, but it works.

kuzi16

i punch almost every cigar. i have a larger punch so the draw is still good most of the time. I only use the guillotine on torps or very small cigars.

pbburner

Kuzi, I used to punch everything also. But the past few months I cut everything. Seems I get a better draw and it dont spit back at me. With a punch I found it getting bitter sometimes.

By the way the putter died last week. I couldn't get your addy. I have it now be on the look out for some stogies.

 

Hue

gott.des.feuer

I use both. A punch cut is nice sometimes because a smaller hole (I have a 7mm punch on my lighter) is easier to direct the smoke with and also a no-brainer when it comes to getting an even cut. With a double guillotine you can make cuts like that one picture of the nub with the head of the cigar cut almost all the way off, which gets an easy-breezy draw, but if I'm not careful means I get the cigar smoking hot really easily. Also, it's easier to goof and get a lop-sided cut, which seems to make keeping an even burn harder.

kuzi16

pbburner:

By the way the putter died last week. I couldn't get your addy. I have it now be on the look out for some stogies.

 

Hue

seriously? for what?

j0z3r

gott.des.feuer:

I use both. A punch cut is nice sometimes because a smaller hole (I have a 7mm punch on my lighter) is easier to direct the smoke with and also a no-brainer when it comes to getting an even cut. With a double guillotine you can make cuts like that one picture of the nub with the head of the cigar cut almost all the way off, which gets an easy-breezy draw, but if I'm not careful means I get the cigar smoking hot really easily. Also, it's easier to goof and get a lop-sided cut, which seems to make keeping an even burn harder.

I agree with the benefits/drawbacks of the two that you mentioned. I'm always really careful when I clip with the guillotine after I cut too much of the head once and watched as the entire wrapper unraveled before my eyes.... what a bummer day that was. My vote is still out on the punch cutter, as I've only used it twice, so I'll have to do some closer comparisons between the two.

urbino

No v-cutters in the house?

kuzi16

v-cutters, in my opinion, are not good. they produce a very difficult smoke for the cigar itself to handle. i think that v-cuts are the most likely to harm the cigar and make it unravel... even if it is cut correctly.

madurofan

I actually like the v-cutter, my issue is I can't find one that is quality. When I use one I cut two v's in an x shape and I think it is the perfect cut for most cigars. The issue is when you have a poor quality or dull v cutter then kuzi is correct it is the most likely to tear a cigar up. So I've just started to leave them alone, sadly.

kuzi16

madurofan:

I actually like the v-cutter, my issue is I can't find one that is quality. When I use one I cut two v's in an x shape and I think it is the perfect cut for most cigars. The issue is when you have a poor quality or dull v cutter then kuzi is correct it is the most likely to tear a cigar up. So I've just started to leave them alone, sadly.

and to get a good quality one you pay alot of money. ...its a money to payout ratio.

madurofan

Exactly and even the quality ones get dull and are expensive to sharpen. AND you won't know its dull until it tears up a stick!

kuzi16

they look cool if they are a table top version though.

gott.des.feuer

There's also cigar scissors, which I've seen used rather effectively by the proprietor of my local B&M. He just sets the cigar, still in the cellophane, down on the counter on it's foot and uses the scissors to get a practically perfectly even cut every time. So if you either keep your cigars in the cello or have a clean surface you'd trust setting the foot of the cigar down on, using them that way seems like it would allow for a very easy and even cut. They also seem easier to use to "adjust" the cut if you make a boo-boo.

That said, never actually used a pair myself, so I can't say with certainty.

kuzi16

many use a double guillotine with the cello still on

Raziel66

I finally bought a Xikar double blade cutter. Love it! Quick snip and blow to get rid of the loose tobacco and I am ready to smoke. I used to have a Colibri cutter with a punch and a v-cut on it, but V used to shred some of the cigars a little bet, and I never really got used to the punch cut on it.

gott.des.feuer

I've noticed I have a tendency to make the first post of a new page in a thread... almost every other one of my last few posts did this.

Also, my main point mentioning the scissors was the way you grip them vs. a guillotine. It seems more natural to me, personally, and thus like it'd be easier to achieve a more precise cut.

urbino

I think that's a good point, gdf. Most people are used to handling scissors. A guillotine, not so much. Scissors also use the bigger muscles in the hand, and bigger muscles tend to be steadier. I'm going to try a pair, one of these days.

j0z3r

From everything I have heard and read, it seems like scissors require a bit of skill to get a good scissor cut. Having never used a pair, I can't vouch for that though.

ashmaster

I've got a couple of punches, a Xikar, and a Palio. I rarely ever punch, IMHO, to much build up of tar and nicotine in/near the opening. Between the Xikar and Palio, the Palio consistantly gives me a much better cut. As far as the "V" cut, I'd give it a try and the scissors would probably be cool once you got the "procedure" down.

kuzi16

ashmaster:

I rarely ever punch, IMHO, to much build up of tar and nicotine in/near the opening.

i punch almost every thing. I even smoke 60 ring gauge full bodied cigars with the punch. I dont get that build up. I do, however, smoke very dry.

urbino

Help me out with "smoke very dry," kuzi. Are you talking about the RH you keep your humidor at, or something else?

kuzi16

urbino:

Help me out with "smoke very dry," kuzi. Are you talking about the RH you keep your humidor at, or something else?

well, as many of you may know i keep my rh at 65% but "smoke dry"... hmmm how should i say this. no slober. i keep the end VERY dry. i found that this helps. Smoking slow also keeps the tar and drip down.

urbino

Ah. Now I get it. Thanks. I guess I'm just the opposite. Smoking causes me to salivate pretty heavily. Not quite foaming at the mouth, though. It's a problem when I'm smoking a pipe, but I can't say I've ever noticed it causing one with a cigar. No tar, no drip, no errors. (Shout out to Johnny Bench.)

ashmaster

kuzi...I'm like you, when I'm done smoking, the foot is as dry as it was when it came out of the humi. Maybe I should give the punch more consideration.

kuzi16

urbino:

(Shout out to Johnny Bench.)

Cincinnati is my home town.

madurofan

j0z3r:

From everything I have heard and read, it seems like scissors require a bit of skill to get a good scissor cut. Having never used a pair, I can't vouch for that though.

Scissors are a precision tool and probably my next purchase will be a nice set of scissors. The trick is to use your thumb and ring finger in the holes. Place your middle finger just above the opening your ring finger is in this for steadying the scissors left to right. Now place your pointer finger on the top of the scissors at the pivot point of the two blades, use this finger for balancing the scissors up and down. Your hand should look like you are about to throw a forkball.