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Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Ok so about 2 maybe 3 months ago I mistakenly gave away my last Palio at a herf to a guy that didn't have one. So now I am without a cutter for my cigars. Not one to be thwarted by such a thing I decided to use my pocket knife, I am never without my Kershaw Onion, or my Boker Magnum Gentlemens pocketknife.
I did this one night and actually found it was a good way to settle into the enjoyment of my cigar, kind of a little ritual. I mentioned it too Al that I do this and he suggested that I post up the technique. This I imagine will not work for Torps as they need to be clipped but I could cut the end of with my knife I am sure, it is very sharp enough. Anyway, this is how I go about it. Clearly the first step is to have the right equipment, I would never use anything but a very sharp knife. http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...g?t=1234125900 http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...g?t=1234125926 Most cigars I smoke are triple capped (the cap is the round piece of tobacco that is at the head of the cigar the foot is the open end) as you can see by the three seams just a few mm past the rounded edge towards the band. Here is a closer look where I am indicating approximately where the cut line will be. Be sure not to cut below the last seam or it is likely that your cigar will unravel. http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...g?t=1234126058 Grasp the Cigar firmly in your one hand and place the knife on your cutting edge with your thumb on the otherside to add pressure. Apply just enough pressure so that the knife cuts the cap leaf but does not penetrate the binder. You can feel this quite easily. http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...g?t=1234126150 Continued in next post |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Then proceed in a circular motion fully around the cigar meeting your starting cut on the other side taking care to apply even pressure and not to cut yourself.
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...g?t=1234126369 Once you are fully around the circumference of the Cigar I use the knife to gently pry up the cap away from the head of the cigar and remove. http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...g?t=1234126460 As you can see I get a perfect piece of cap with no damage to the Cigar and no removal of binder or filler which I like. http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Cut1007UP7.jpg http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...g?t=1234126628 This may not be the fastest or most efficient way to cut the Cigar but like I said I find it to be an enjoyable little ritual that sets the tone for a great smoke. The next part would be lighting the cigar. Maybe I will post up a thread on that ..Later. Hope this was useful or you at least enjoyed. http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...g?t=1234126732 |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Very cool, and different thank you for this I will have to try this tonight.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Nicely done... I always admire the step by step posts.
A quick little nibble with the teeth is also a pretty good way to do it...Rotating the cigar and carefully nibbling. |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
You're about an hour late! I just destroyed 2 cigars trying to cut with a knife.I hate losing my cutter!!!!!
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
That looked great Shawn.
I was once stuck without a cutter and used a knife, but a little differently than that. I didn't trust the sharpness of the knife to try a straight cut, and didn't think to try what you did. Instead, I used the point of the knife to cut a circle in the cap, similar to what a punch would do. It certainly wasn't as clean a job as what a punch could do, but it worked well enough in that situation. Well done.:tu PS Nice looking knifes you have, and SHAWN NEEDS A NEW CUTTER!!!! |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
That is kinda cool. Thanks for posting it. :tu
I may have some concerns with someone trying this after a few, I don't know, glasses of scotch? :al Perhaps an addendum on some first aid techniques would be in order. :r Just sayin.... |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
I get a similar result in "biting" the cap off.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
That Boker Magnum Gentlemens pocketknife is gorgous and using a RA, just makes a man drool. Thanks for the "how to", great reading.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
I'll have to remember this, and try it sometime. Whenever I'm stuck with just a knife, I always just made a v-cut.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Great post! I've used a stanley blade in a pinch! :tu
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
I have been using my middle finger nail for a while in the same fashion. It seems to not mash the filler together which I think can sometimes tighten the draw.
Are we all overthinking this...... yes, but still, its good to know when you are without a cutter. Nicely done. |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Just great Shawn, now I need a Boker Magnum Gentlemens pocketknife :dance:
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Great Post, I will keep it in mind if I ever find myself withought a cutter, because I am never withought a pocket knife.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
I used to use that technique before I got my Palio, works great!
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Nice!
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Very cool Shawn :)
But what you're really saying is that you need a palio ;) |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Nice post!
Makes we want to get a really nice knife,lol |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Nice clean cut. When I first started reading this post I thought Oh No you're going to butcher the cigar. Nice surprise with the clean cut of the cigar. :ss
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Very cool. I think all of us have tried unconventional ways of cutting. Anybody ever try the Clint Eastwood way of biting it off?
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
That looks kinda like peeling an apple. Never seen or heard of this being done, but looks like an excellent method to remove the cap before smoking. Great post!
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Well Apparently I forgot my Palio at Shaggy's today and he informs me that it will now be sold. So it looks like I'm going to be cutting some cigars with my Buck 110. So this info couldn't have come at a better time!!
Mike's a bastage by the way:r:r |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Beautiful knives. I have cut cigars with knives for years. I just make a vertical slit in the cap. It takes a minute or two to open up sometimes but it works very well. I often just use my little swiss army knife which is a very useful little cigar tool. Just don't let the nub burn down to far if you have it speared on the toothpick. :)
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Very Cool. Thanks.
Nice knives also BTW. |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
hhhmmmmm, wondering if there may be a gb for a new "cigar tool" :hm
:D |
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
I started out using a knife exactly as you described. I didn't even own a cutter for a while. The first time I tried to cut a torpedo I went and got a cheap cutter. I couldn't find my cutter the other night, so I actually used a knife for the first time in a while.
Great post! |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Nice post sir!
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
great pics, i've used a sashimi knife before.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
I think if I had to use a knife,I'd attempt a V cut first.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
nice indeed
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
I've adopted the same method for using a knife described in the original post. not out of necessity but preference. I'm just less likely to crack the wrapper even though my double guillotine works pretty well too.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
As a chef I do a lot of close knife work. The most important thing I've learned is hold the blade still and rotate what you're cutting. That way if you slip with the cigar you get an uneven cut, not a gash in yourself.
I've cut tons of cigars with a serated Spyderco pocket knife. Get the edge of the cap riding in one of the serations and rotate the cigar. It makes for a great cut. A good benefit of cutting with a knife is jokers are less likely to ask you to put it out if they see you cutting it with a big pig sticker.:cool2: |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Very cool and informative bro.....thanks!!! :tu
I once did a v-cut with my pocket knife. |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Great tip. I used to do it that way before I got a good cuter and you are rite, it works very well.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Great technique. I'll remember to use it when I'm sans cutter.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Nice, sucks to lose you cutter though. When this happens to me I will slice an "X" on the bottom of the cap and not actually remove any of the cap. Works every time and is a sure and easy way to have an even draw on what you are smoking.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
slicing an X? That sounds interesting. I will have to try that. Thanks!
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
I use a knife all the time, but not for a notch cut. I just use a sharp knife to remove the top cap, it works great. *edit* I just read the original post, yeah, I do it just like that and I get a cleaner cut than when I use my Palio - GASP!
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
If I don't have a cutter handy, I tear whatever needs tore off with my teeth. Then I chew on that stuff. Then I make my whole cigar a big slobbery mess while I'm smoking it, cause I chew on it, too.
I'm trying to become a little more gentlemanly about it cause the slobber makes really good cigars go out too quick. If I'm not real careful, like when I'm working, the slobber will run down the cigar and put it out. That's upsetting. |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Thanks for Sharing, one of my boys' favorite phrases is: "They don't have cutters in Cuba"! *lol*:r
Great Thread!:tu |
Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Haha, I should have posted this when I first joined! This is how I was doing it for about 3 months until I was given a cutter!
good post, pretty much exactly how I did it, except I was using a Blackhawk Tatang, so there were some complexities :P |
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You guys that do it this way have some patience. I know I would end up butchering it. If in a jam I usually try and find a razor or knife and cut a hole in the end like a punch. Anything more than that I guarantee I am going to be fighting unraveling and mouth fulls of tobacco chunks.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
This thread could also be known as: "How do lop off the end of your thumb".
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Why not use the cutter?
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Nice knives.
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Re: Cutting your Cigar with a Knife
Always have back-up!
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