Like drinking fine wine, smoking a cigar is meant to be a relaxing experience. You wouldn’t want to ruin it with a dull, cheap cutter. The best cigar cutter elevates the experience by giving your cigar just the right snip for enhancing the flavor and body.
But that doesn’t mean your cigar cutter needs to be expensive—unless Dueling Dragons, the world’s priciest cigar cutter with 18 karat gold and pavé rubies, is within budget. Actually, there are some excellent cigar cutters out there that will preserve your bank account while maintaining the integrity of your best cigars.
A great cigar cutter should do a few things. It should come with the appropriate ring gauge size and utilize the sharpest stainless steel material available for a clean, precise cut every single time. Whether you prefer a double guillotine or puncher, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s take a peek at the top 8 cigar cutters below. But first, a quick review of the different types of cigar cutters.
Choosing The Right Cigar Cutter
Each type of cigar cutter has its pros and cons, so I’ve laid them all out so you know what you’re dealing with.
Guillotine blade cutter: A single blade cutter designed to cut off the cap of cigars. Most cut up to a 54 ring gauge cigar. It’s often the cheapest, but you’ve got to cut in one strong, quick motion.
Guillotine double blade cutter: Same concept as the guillotine, but it uses two blades for a more precise cut. Some even have a sophisticated spring mechanism that ensures a clean cut every time. Cuts any shape, just don’t cut too low and unravel the cigar.
Bullet puncher: Cleanly cuts a small hole on the head of the cigar. For a bigger hole, punch in different places on the cap. No skills are required here, but you can’t use it on a Figurado shape.
V-cutter: As you’d imagine, this one cuts a v-shape on the cap. It gives you more surface area than a punch and is great on a small ring cigar. Don’t buy it cheap or it’ll damage your cigar.
Scissors: Like a double guillotine, scissors give a clean, elegant cut, but you’ve got to have surgical-quality stainless steel. And they’re not always portable.
Key Takeaways
For this quest, I began poring over hundreds of photos, customer reviews, and even my partner’s humidor until I was able to whittle down the list to the 8 finalists you see here.
Overall, the best cigar cutter is Xikar Xi1 because it’s extremely well-crafted in durable titanium with the hardest, sharpest stainless steel available, and, don’t forget, a crisp, precise cut. For the ultimate assistance is creating a perfect cut using a patented star shape, look no further than Cigar Boulevard Perfect Cigar Cutter.
Why it’s Great: If you know a thing or two about cigar accessories, then you might already be familiar with Xikar. The brand makes some of the best lighters, cigar cutters, and humidors in the industry, and the Xi1 cutter is no different. Its patented design is crafted from 440c spring-loaded stainless steel blades, which are the hardest, sharpest you can buy. I personally love the look of the thick, durable screws and titanium plating that give it a tactical, masculine feel. Beautifully crafted and easy to use.
How to use it: It’s all quality here, from the hefty feel in your hand down to the tight tolerances and effortless guillotine snip. One strong, confident motion is all you need.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: It might be a little pricey, but a cigar cutter isn’t a pair of sneakers. It should be a one-time purchase staple. Thanks to Xikar’s lifetime warranty, you’ll never have to buy another cigar cutter again.
Type: Double Guillotine | Material: Stainless steel, titanium | Colors: 5
Why it’s Great: When it comes to cigar cutters, you get what you pay for, but if you do go budget, Anntuck should deliver. It’s clean, it’s straightforward and it has self-sharpening stainless steel double blades that cut with precision. Works up to a 60 ring gauge cigar.
How to use it: I like a cigar cutter with some weight to it, maybe that’s just a personal preference, but this one is solid and feels nice and weighty in the hand. It’ll give you the Eastwood confidence to snip and light.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: A few customers didn’t find the cut sharp nor clean enough, but the majority of reviews found it more than satisfactory.
Type: Double Guillotine | Material: Stainless steel | Colors: 1
Why it’s Great: Coming in either blue, white, or red, the colors of the French flag, this cutter commemorates 10 years of the famous endurance sports car race paired with the iconic French brand S.T. Dumont. Perfect for the guy who has everything, this cutter elevates the process with a beautiful inkjet printed design that symbolizes movement, speed, and the spirit of motor racing. Carefully crafted by Maison’s artisans, one side bears the Le Mans logo and the other the lucky number 8, Maison’s first address.
How to use it: It takes a bit of confidence-induced skill to utilize the single guillotine blade cutter, but does come with a golden kickstand on each side to assist in the process.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Obviously, it comes with a pretty price tag, but it does make for a thoughtful gift if it’s within budget. Better yet, put it on your Christmas list this year!
Type: Guillotine blade cutter | Material: Metal | Colors: 3
Why it’s Great: Much like Anntuck, Alaska Bear makes a simple, affordable cutter with solid, self-sharpening blades. I do happen to prefer the slightly more elevated look of the brushes stainless steel here, but that’s a personal preference. Works for cigars up to 60 gauge and even comes with a protective gift bag.
How to use it: Simply place the cap inside and cut. Be careful not to cut too far down and unravel the cigar.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Some reviewers say blades could be sharper, but most seem happy with them.
Type: Double Guillotine | Material: Stainless steel | Colors: 2
Why it’s Great: It may look like any other cutter, but Cigar Boulevard’s perfect cutter is uniquely designed to cut the exact amount of tobacco from the head of any cigar—including Figurago and Torpedo shaped cigars. You can tell this by the patented star shape at its middle. It makes cutting that evening cigar a breeze. Oh, and don’t forget the precious lifetime warranty.
How to use it: Simply place any cigar up to 64 gauge into the surgical-grade stainless steel star tip and cut.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: There’s always one reviewer that finds the blades to be dull, but I have a feeling you’ll be happy with this one.
Type: Double Guillotine | Material: Stainless steel | Colors: 1
Why it’s Great: Cigar enthusiasts love a v-cutter and Colibri makes it easy (not to mention gorgeous) thanks to a stainless steel blade and spring-loaded release. It cuts at a deep angle for a deep, clean cut that penetrates up to 7mm into the cap for rich, robust draw. Great for larger cigars with a 60+ ring gauge.
How to use it: It claims to be contoured for beauty, but I find it really enhances the security of grip in the hand. Cut confidently.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Some customers had some issues with the spring mechanism, but the limited 2-year warranty can solve that, should any trouble occur.
Type: V-cutter | Material: Stainless steel | Colors: 8
Why it’s Great: Want to leave an impression with the cigar-lover in your life this holiday season? Hit ‘em with this beautiful gift set that has everything you need to light up, including one ultra-thin double jet butane lighter. A visual fuel window lets you know how much gas is left. As for the cutter, it’s forged in tough 420 carbon steel with a max cutting diameter of 0.86 inches.
How to use it: The tool provided helps adjust the flame valve and the double guillotine cutter works like a swift, precise charm.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The lighter is meant to be refillable, but more than one customer has difficulty refilling it with butane.
Type: Double Guillotine | Material: Carbon stainless steel | Colors: 3
Why it’s Great: There’s something so appealing about the ease of a punch cutter, especially one as compact as this one. I love that it’s portable, and easily clips onto your bag, pocket, or key ring. The stainless steel is anti-rust, anti-impact and anti-corrosion. Who knew that you could get such an investment for such a low price? (Psst, this would make a great last minute gift for someone whose birthday you may or may not have forgotten about).
How to use it: To use, simply unscrew the cap to expose the puncher. A convenient push button removed any cigar leaves after use.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: While it does cut an 8mm hole in any cigar, you can’t use it with cigarillos.
Type: Punch | Material: Stainless steel | Colors: 2
Buying Considerations for The Best Cigar Cutters
Type
The best cigar cutter according to type depends on the ring gauge of the cigar and your cutting skills. A v-cutter and puncher can cut any cigar size, but a double guillotine is probably going to give you the best cut.
Blades Material
Without a doubt, the most trustworthy cigar cutter has stainless steel blades, preferably surgical-grade. This is going to ensure the cleanest, sharpest cut on your cigar. Self-sharpening is another key word to look out for, and indicates blades that won’t wear down over time.
Brand
Typically, name brands shouldn’t matter, but when it comes to the top cigar cutters, you want one from a company you can trust. Reviews are great, too, but so is a brand’s reputation. A name like Xikar, for instance, indicates strength, durability, and patented design.
Why you should trust us
I’m a fashion and grooming writer at FashionBeans, meaning I compare, test, and research all things clothing and accessories. For this review, I teamed up with a host of trusted sources and reviewed my own knowledge of all things cigars to truly understand what makes a great quality cigar cutter.
I started off examining dozens of cutters before narrowing it down to the top 8 that best fit a wide range of discerning consumers. Ultimately, I want to see everyone find the best cigar cutter for them.
Final Verdict
More than anything, the best cigar cutter should cut your cigar at the appropriate spot with swift and clean precision. Few do this as well as Xikar Xi1, a durable titanium cutter with spring-loaded stainless steel blades. That’s what makes it my top pick, and one I’d be shocked if you were disappointed by.
FAQ
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This comes down to preference. Double guillotine is probably the most popular, but cigar enthusiasts around the world love a v-cutter because it draws a richer flavor.
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A cigar punch is a type of cigar cutter. A punch places a hole in the cap of a cigar, while other cutters, including guillotine cutters and v-cutters remove a portion of the cap for smoking.
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