The better the cigars you smoke, the more attention you'll want to pay to the cut. A bad cut
will ruin a cigar.
The object of the cut is to create an ample, smooth opening for smoking without damaging
the cigar's structure. With most cigars, this means cutting away part of the cap or flag leaf
that closes the cigar, while leaving some of it glued around the end to keep the filler leaves
together. If you are making a wedge cut or a bull's-eye cut, it means not penetrating too
deeply into the cigar. You want to create a large, exposed surface of cleanly cut filler leaves
that will allow equal draw from the core and the rim of the cigar.
On most cigars, you'll want to make the cut about one-sixteenth of an inch (about two
millimeters) from the end. When you aren't carrying a precision measuring device, you can
simply look for the shoulder--the place where the curved end of the cigar starts to
straighten out--and make your cut there.
Another alternative is to make a V-shaped wedge cut in the end of the cigar. This style of
cut exposes a lot of surface area and makes it easy to draw smoke through the cigar.
Unfortunately, the draw is sometimes too good, and the cigar will smoke too hot. Wedge
cuts are a particularly bad idea for people who tend to chew their cigars. If they chomp down
hard enough while the wedge is horizontal, the opening may collapse and tear the structure
of the cigar, closing off the draw.
Cutting Tools
There are a number of devices that will help you cut your cigar in a single, swift motion that
minimizes the chances of tearing the wrapper. Many aficionados have several cutters, from
compact wafer-thin cutters that nestle in a pocket to more massive cutters that are less
likely to be misplaced.
Suggested strategy: buy yourself your first cutter and drop gift hints for the rest. Engraved
initials make sure that valuable cutters find their way back to you after they have been
borrowed.
Of course, you already have a set of cutters: your teeth. But there are a few drawbacks to
the biting method. First, it's hard to see what you're doing. Second, your teeth aren't as
sharp as a cutter's razor blade. And third, you end up with an unsightly wad of tobacco in
your mouth.
Knives, on the other hand, are easy to keep sharp. But it takes great skill and very steady
eyes and hands to cut cigars properly with a knife. If you do choose this method, you'll want
to avoid cleansing your pocketknife with oils, which may pollute your cigar.
Double- and single-bladed cutters, scissors and desk-top devices are designed to make a
cut across the end of the cigar. These are generally the best options.
When you are using a single-bladed cutter, the cigar should be placed against the far side of
the opening--away from the blade--and the blade brought down to touch the cigar before
you make the cutting stroke. This keeps the cigar properly positioned, and prevents motion
that might lead to tearing or to the cut happening in the wrong place. Once the cigar is in
position, cut boldly, using swift, even pressure. A true aficionado cuts like a surgeon: quickly
and confidently.
With single-bladed cutters it's important to make sure the compartment that sheaths the
blade doesn't fill up with bits of tobacco. This will gum up the works and impede quick, clean
cuts. All cutters should be kept as sharp as possible. Note that it is more difficult to sharpen
some of the smaller, more intricate cutters.
The advantage of double-bladed cutters is that the cutting proceeds from both sides
simultaneously. There is less chance that the cigar wrapper will be torn as it's pushed
against a dull surface. Again, the technique is to rest the cigar against a blade before clicking
the cutter shut.
Special cigar-cutting scissors can make extremely clean cuts and are an elegant accessory,
but they must be wielded with some care. The fit and balance of cigar scissors is important
and as unique to an individual as those of golf clubs. Try a pair out before investing in them.
They should balance easily in one hand so that you'll be able to hold them steady through
the cutting motion while you hold a cigar in the other hand. If the handles and blades don't
balance with each other when you hold them, the scissors aren't for you. Also, if the hinge is
placed so that you cannot move your fingers without stretching past your hand's normal
span, then try another pair.
It's worth investing in a good cutter. Remember that a bad cut will ruin a good cigar, and it
doesn't take a lot of ruined cigars to add up to the cost of even a very elegant cutter.
HOW TO LIGHT A CIGAR
Lighting a cigar is not like lighting the tip of a cigarette or the wick of a candle--it takes
longer. Light your cigar the same way you would toast a marshmallow over a campfire--keep
the cigar above and near the flame, but don't let them touch. Burning a cigar directly in a
flame makes it too hot. And, as with a marshmallow, you'll want to rotate the cigar so all
parts of its tip are equally heated. Be patient, and keep at it until there's a glowing ring all
the way around the cigar's tip. Once the cigar is lit, gently blow on the embers to create a
smooth, completely rounded ash.
Then, raise the unlit end of the cigar to your mouth and take the first puff. The question is,
which way to puff? Many aficionados blow the first puff out through the cigar in order to
avoid unsavory flavors such as sulfur from matches or gasses from lighters. No one, of
course, should ever apply more than one outward puff.
To Relight, or Not to Relight
Some purists think that it's shameful to ever have to relight a cigar. Realistically, even the
best cigars will go out on those occasions when the conversation becomes so absorbing that
you forget to take a puff for a couple of minutes. It's no worse to have to relight a cigar
than it is to have to fish a bit of cork out of a fine glass of wine. It will generally take you less
time to relight an already-warm cigar than it does to light one for the first time.
Do not, however, intentionally let your cigar die out and then relight it the next day. This will
lead to stale, harsh flavors that will ruin your fine memories of the first few puffs.
If you have to relight a cigar several times, you may have a badly rolled cigar. Premium cigars
are made by hand, not by machine, and they are made from organic materials that retain
much of their natural, irregular structure and character. Despite dedicated quality control
efforts, a substandard cigar occasionally makes its way to the market. Don't hesitate to
bring a badly rolled cigar back to your tobacconist. Most will happily replace it.
Choosing Your Flame
Never light a cigar with a flame from a source that will alter the essence of your cigar. Using a
candle, for example, is a temptingly theatrical gesture, but the burning candle wax can add
an odd flavor to your cigar. So can the fluid from an isobutene cigarette lighter. Many
smokers also object to the sulfur used in most match tips.
If you insist on using a candle or a fluid lighter, use it to light a strip of cedar, called a spill,
and use that to light the cigar. If you insist on matches, try to get extra-long, wooden sulfur
less ones. If you can't find them and are using regular, short matches, be prepared to use a
number of them. Be sure to let the sulfur burn off before starting the lighting process and
try lighting two at a time, so you get a broader flame.
Cigar lighters are the easiest way to get an even light. What makes a lighter a cigar lighter?
A cigar lighter uses odorless gas, and often "fatter" flame, or even two adjacent flame
sources, and adjustable flame heights.
Cigar lighters come in a wide range of designs and materials, so it will be easy to find one
that's an appropriate accessory for your sense of style. Your first requirement should, of
course, be performance. A good lighter, like a good pen, should fit your hand. The cap
should open easily, and swing back so the whole flame is available for lighting.t
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