Cigars 101.4 - Cutters, Lighters, and Cases

    Hello and welcome to my fourth installment of the Cigars 101 series. This week is all about accessories. There are many to choose from and because of the large number of options, it can be difficult to decide. Let's start with the most obvious and important accessory.

(Cutters)

    When it comes to cutting your first (or one of many) cigars, the cutter will either make or break your smoking experience. First thing's first, you need a good one (Good functioning that is) and you need to know how to use it correctly. Let me first go over the different varieties and explain how each is used. 

Single Guillotine:

    This is the second most common cutter out there and typically the least expensive. The single guillotine cutter offers straight accurate cuts. However the drawback with this style is the blade must be kept extremely sharp to prevent tearing or crushing the head of the cigar, as there is only one blade pushing against the body of the cutter. [Can be used on: Parejo, Perfecto, Torpedo, and Pyramid]

Double Guillotine:

    This is the most popular type of cutter. It offers even cleaner cuts than the Single Guillotine. This is due to the double (scissor like) cutting action from the two apposing blades. I highly recommend the Craftsman's Bench double guillotine cutter for beginners. It's cheap and cut's perfectly. I will provide a link below. [Can be used on: Parejo, Perfecto, Torpedo, and Pyramid]

V-Cutter:

    The V-Cutter is a semi-popular cutter among enthusiasts. Some like the way it leaves a wedge like slice out of the head of the cigar. However, it can only be used on the Parejo varieties and in my opinion, if you are going to go with a Parejo-only cutter, go with the punch. [Can be used on: Parejo]

Bullet or Punch:

    The bullet (punch) cutter is fairly common but not as widely accepted as guillotines. They are perfect for travel and/or just carrying around on your key chain. As I stated before, the major draw back is their ability to cut only parejo cigars. Some prefer them because it eliminates the possibility of cutting the cap off. Others don't like them because they feel it restricts flow and gives you a more focused draw instead of the full draw you would get from a Guillotine or scissors. [Can be used on: Parejo]

Scissors:

    Scissors are honestly the least popular and, some say, most difficult way to cut a cigar. Enthusiasts will agree, it's the most elegant way to cut your cigar and can make anyone look like a veteran aficionado. I don't recommend this style for new folks because, due to its extravagant and difficult nature, it's unnecessary... even for the average smoker. [Can be used on: Parejo, Perfecto, Torpedo, and Pyramid]

    My final notes. Use what works and move on the the fancier stuff later on. The below link is for a Craftsman's Bench Double Guillotine cutter. I still own mine and it works perfectly after 6 years.

Recommendation: 

http://www.amazon.com/Craftmans-Bench-Double-Blade-Cutter/dp/B001MKBKVU

     In my opinion there is only one lighter you'll ever need for your cigars. A butane wind-proof (torch) lighter. There are other acceptable ways of lighting your cigars but the butane torch lighter is the quickest and most efficient way to do so while preserving the natural taste of the tobacco. Below is the list of acceptable forms of lighting your cigar.

Butane Wind-Proof: (of course)

    This is the best in many cigar smokers opinions. As I said before, it's fast, efficient, and does not taint the cigars flavor.  You can find them anywhere but below will be my Beginner's recommendation. 

Butane Classic:

    You can also use the classic (gas station) butane lighters. They take a little more patience since the flame is not as focused and they are not golf course friendly. You can take it up a level and go with a higher end classic butane lighter if that suits your fancy (some can set you back $2,000). 

Matches:

    Wood matches are the lighting method of choice for many cigar purists. It is the best (by opinion) at preserving the flavors in the tobacco since it's a near odorless flame and typically burns cooler than a lighter. If you do use matches however, don't use the paper matchbooks you get at a bar. Grab some medium to long wooden matchsticks. You can find Cigar Matches at your local tobacco shop but basic wood matches will work. 

    What about Classic Zippo lighters? NO! If you like your Zippo and vow to never part with it, they do make butane inserts. But any cigar smoker will tell you that a Zippo lighter will ruin the flavor of your cigar. This is because the fuel used in Classic Zippo's has a pungent aroma. Notice the distinct Zippo smell when you spark one up. That's going right in your stogie.  

Recommendation: 

http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Triple-Torch-Built-Gun-Metal/dp/B004K637LE

    You're probably wondering, "If I have a humidor, why do I need a case?" Cases are your friend when it comes to traveling or taking a couple cigars to a party. Plus it looks cool when you take out your fancy leather case in front of the guys. Now I will touch on the humidor subject when I talk about travel humidors but for the most part I'll stick to cases. They are the perfect tool if you want to go to the golf course and are essential if you travel allot.

Small Cases/Tubes:

    You can get a cigar tube, generally used for a single cigar but some have two chambers, and they are commonly made of metal or plastic. These are great if you and your buddy wanna go smoke a couple over a round of 18 holes. They are offered in air tight models and can keep cigars fresh for several hours, even days.

Medium/Leather Cases:

    If you want to get fancier, leather is the most popular style. They often carry between 2 to 5 cigars. So if you're headed to a party and you wanna have a few with the host and some friends, this is ideal. Depending on the manufacture, most leather cases wont keep your cigars fresh for longer than a few hours.

Large Cases/Travel Humidors:

    There are some pretty large cases out there. Some able to hold 20 or more cigars. However be weary of the advertisement. A "Case" will not keep your cigars humidified. They are typically made of metal and/or plastic and have soft protective foam on the inside but... they do not close with an air tight seal nor do they come with a humidifier. So you better be ready to smoke all those cigars in the next several hours. 

    Now if your looking for the long term travel case that will keep your cigars protected and humidified, you need a travel humidor like the photo above. They can hold 5, 10, 15, 20, or 50 cigars.They tend to be a bit more expensive than cases because they are precision made, totally air tight and have a built in humidifier under the lid. They are typicality made of high impact plastic and ranged from $20 to $60. I own a 10 count travel humidor and it's all I've ever needed whether I'm traveling with 2, 5, or 10 cigars.

Recommendation: 

Travel Humidor - 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZF1ZG/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004L25OTA&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0D56YAE76W6G3Y5AGSGE

Cigar Tube - 

http://www.amazon.com/Telescoping-Airtight-Travel-Humidor-Cigars/dp/B001CZNQ6C


    Thanks for visiting! Next time I'm going to cover a subject that a buddy of mine inspired me to do as a result of meeting him on one of his first trips to the cigar shop.

Take Care!

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