How to Cut and Light a Cigar
Two small steps that decide how the next hour goes.
4 min read
A good cigar can be ruined in the first thirty seconds by a bad cut or a rushed light. Neither step is hard. They just reward a little patience.
Choosing a cutter
- Straight cutter (guillotine): the most common choice. A double blade cuts cleaner than a single blade because it slices from both sides at once.
- Punch: bores a small round hole in the cap. It's quick and pocket-sized, and it works best on cigars with a rounded head and a medium ring gauge.
- V-cutter: cuts a wedge into the cap, which opens up the draw while keeping most of the cap intact.
Whatever you use, keep it sharp. A dull blade crushes the head and can unravel the wrapper.
Where to cut
Look at the head of the cigar and find the line where the cap meets the wrapper. Cut just above that line, usually about an eighth of an inch or less. Cut too deep and the wrapper starts to come apart in your mouth. Cut too shallow and the cigar will draw tight. If you're unsure, take a little off, test the draw, and trim more if you need to. You can always cut more, but you can't put it back.
For a pointed cigar like a torpedo, snip the tip at the point where the opening is about the width of a pencil.
Toasting the foot
Use a butane lighter, a wooden match, or a cedar strip. Avoid gasoline lighters and the sulfur end of a fresh match, since both add off flavors.
- Hold the cigar at a slight angle and keep the flame just below the foot, not touching it.
- Turn the cigar slowly so the whole end chars evenly. This is called toasting.
- When the foot is glowing all the way across, put the cigar in your mouth, keep the flame near the foot, and take a few gentle draws while turning it.
- Look at the foot. If one side isn't lit, give that spot a little more flame.
Keeping it going
Take a draw about once a minute. Puffing too fast overheats the tobacco and turns it bitter. If one side starts burning ahead of the other, rotate the cigar so the slow side faces down, or touch up the slow edge with your lighter.
If the cigar goes out, don't worry. Knock off the loose ash, gently blow back through the cigar to push out the stale smoke, then toast and relight the foot as before. A cigar relit within a few minutes usually tastes fine.
Most Tulsa shops keep a cutter and a torch at the counter, and the staff is usually happy to show a newcomer how they do it.