Labor Over A Good Smoke!

Happy Labor Day

One of the few acts of labor involved with enjoying a fine cigar is that you must cut it! Well, that might make you smile since not much labors is involved but there are a few things you need to know about cutting tools.

In the picture with this post, you will see three different types of cutters. The red one from AJ Fernandez is a guillotine type. When fully extended it has a large opening in the center through which you can insert your cigar and cut off as much or as little of the cap that you desire. Of course, you need to have a steady hand to cut off just the right amount. [I do find this as a very useful tool when my wife smokes about a third of one of her flavored cigars and wants to save the remainder for another day. You simply use the guillotine to cut off all the smoked end, being sure to get any burned tobacco cut off. The remainder will live on for another day.]

That brings us to the second one, the brushed aluminum one which opens like a guillotine but has a back on it that only allows you to make a very shallow cut. It is designed to keep you from cutting off too much of the cap.

Then the third one, made ay Akar is a V Cutter. It cuts a v-shaped trough in the cap as shown in the other attached picture. I prefer this cutter and will search to see if I can find some affordable ones in this style that I can offer to SOTL members. I like to take my time and enjoy smoking my cigars, so I do end up with a bit more moisture on the head and cap of the cigar by the time I get down to the last quarter. I find that the V cut holds up better than either of the other two types covered above. In addition, I like an ample amount of smoke and the V cut seems to deliver plenty of smoke for your enjoyment.

Hope this is helpful, especially if you are in the early stages of your cigar journey. You will find that most good cigar lounges [see my favorites in the Gallery section of our site] have cutters available for your use if you chose to enjoy a stick in their lounge. Many of them are lever operating cutters that offer several sizes of V cuts. I normally use the smallest or next one up to suit my preferences but experiment and fins out what works best for you.

You will want to have your own cutter, so check back to our site and see if I have had any luck in finding an affordable one I can offer to you. Of course, you can also pick one up when you are in your favorite lounge.

Enjoy your Labor Day, hopefully with some time spent with a good cigar!