subject: How To Cut Cigars With Punch Cutters [print this page] If you've ever considered the number of options available to you for cutting a cigar, you know that there are numerous devices out there purporting to help you make the best cut possible. While many people opt to use a guillotine cutter before lighting up with a pipe lighter, or even using cigar scissors, the bullet or hole punch device is also popular. These simple devices can be carried easily (most have a key ring attachment) and are compact enough they take up little room. However, they can be tricky and are not to be used in all situations.
Using a bullet cutter is actually quite simple, almost deceptively so. Simply remove the cap, place the cutter against the cap of the cigar and activate the punch (different models have different operation methods). The punch works just as it seems it would and can be used in conjunction with your favorite pipe lighter to get your smoke going. The punch will cut a small hole in the cap of the cigar, rather than creating a broad cut, as a guillotine cutter will. Of course, this does have some drawbacks.
For instance, using a punch will create a very small hole, though you can create larger diameter holes with a little more effort depending on your personal preference and how you like your cigar to draw. Single holes have drawbacks when compared to a wide cut. First, they tend to funnel the smoke directly down the center of the cigar, and usually create a buildup of moisture and tar right at the hole that you won't find with blade cutters. Before you light up with that pipe lighter, you might also consider the fact that torpedo shaped cigars cannot be cut in this fashion and bullet cutters also do not work on large cigars. Therefore, they are certainly not for everyone.
A better option is to use a double bladed guillotine cutter in conjunction with a butane pipe lighter. This ensures you have a wide cut that does not attract buildup and that the cigar is lit evenly every time. While bullet cutters might be a good choice for smaller, narrower cigars, those who favor smoking something a bit more substantial should opt for a different type of cutter. Slicing the cap from a cigar rather than punching a hole through it is almost always preferable and most cigar smokers will agree with this.
