How do you trim a cigar properly? Every cigar aficionado has their own tried and tested method for trimming the cigar, but here are a few guidelines for the cigar novice.

 

First examine the cigar head, the closed end piece of the cigar. This end piece must be cut off in order to smoke the cigar. This piece, the cap, is the part of the cigar where the tobacco leaf closes the cigar. When you have found the cap, examine its exact length, because if you cut beyond the cap, the cigar may unwind.

 

Use a good cigar clipper to trim the cigar. Cheap clippers can fray or splinter the cigar. There are special cigar cutters in tobacco shops that achieve a clean cut.

 

If you have the right cutter, hold the cigar at eye level and cut quickly and decisively just behind the cap. When cutting the cigar, the rule is: less is more. If the cut is too shallow, you can simply cut a little further.