subject: How Much Of The Cigar Should I Cut Before Smoking? [print this page] You've taken the time to select the perfect cigar, chosen the right wind resistant lighter and found the perfect ashtray for your smoking den. Now it's time to light it up and savor that aromatic flavor and wonderful taste. However, before you get started, you'll need to cut that cigar. How do you cut a cigar without cutting off too much? How far down the body of that stogie should you cut? What cigar cutters work best for the process? If you cut too much, will the cigar be ruined? All of these questions and many others can cause concern.
When you're contemplating cutting a cigar, it is important to know how much you should cut off. Too many first time smokers cut too far down the cigar's body and find their cigar unraveling in their hands. The most important thing to understand, far more important than choosing a wind resistant lighter or even making sure that you have an ashtray, is knowing what the cap is and where to make your first cut. The cap is actually part of the wrapper, which is glued onto the cigar after the rolling process is finished.
In order to smoke your cigar, the cap must be cut, or punctured. Cutting is the preferred method. To do it successfully, you cannot cut too far down. Ordinarily, you can achieve the desired result by cutting 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch down the body of the cigar. Do not cut the cap where it begins to straighten out; this is where the cap meets the wrapper and cutting it here will actually ruin your cigar. Once the cap has been cut, you should be able to see the filler, but not the wrapper. You can now use your wind resistant lighter to ignite the cigar.
To light your cigar using your wind resistant lighter, you will need to toast the foot of the cigar. This can be done by angling your cigar down (not in your mouth) and holding the flame below it. Do not allow the flame to touch the cigar; you are only warming the wrapper to help it catch fire evenly. Once it is toasted, you can begin the actual lighting process. However, if you have not cut the cap properly and have either too little or too much gap, the smoking process might not be as enjoyable as you would have liked.
