How to Cut a Cigar
The first thing you do to a cigar is the easiest to get wrong. A short course in the cleanest cut.
There's a scene that plays out in every cigar lounge in the world. A man takes a fine cigar from his pocket, puts it in the cutter, and squeezes it closed like someone trimming a hedge. Half the head drops onto the table. The wrapper begins to peel back. For the next hour he picks tobacco off his tongue and wonders why a cigar this expensive smokes so badly.
The cut is the first thing you do to a cigar, and it's done in a second. It's also the step most likely to ruin a good one. The good news is that it's the easiest to master. You need a sharp tool, a steady hand, and an understanding of what you're cutting into. With those, you'll never waste another cigar at the first step.
R. Ashby writes for Madison Hour. He wears a gold watch, smokes a Davidoff when the evening allows, and answers his letters by hand. He prefers not to say much more than that.
