The Best Cheap Cigar Cutters, And How To Use Them

Your Guide to Cigar Cutters on a Budget!

Not all cheap cigar cutters are good, and not all good cigar cutters are cheap. But we’ve identified seven thrifty cigar cutters – from Palio, Vertigo, Jet Line, Firebird and more – that way outperform their price. And if you’ve never used these cigar tools, we’re including how -tos as well

If you’ve frequented a cigar lounge, you’ve seen them: the gadget geeks and their cigar jewelry. Carbon fiber, swanky designs, rare woods. Inlays and sculpted handles. Over-engineered accessories that probably required a bank loan and a co-signer to get that shiny cigar bling down from the B&M window. I mean, if you’ve got it, by all means flaunt it – but the rest of us 99-percenters out here, we can’t justify carrying a $500+ cigar tool. (Yeah, so what if I’m jealous?)

For us smokers on a budget, it’s not necessary to leverage your 401K to get your next cigar ready to burn. I’d even argue you could save more money for cigars if you choose to “invest” in one of the cheap cigar cutters we’ve selected below.

And by “cheap,” I mean a modest allowance of 25 bucks or less.

Does this cut some accessory brands out of the conversation? Yes. But are these sub-25 dollar brands below just as reliable? Also, yes!

Because that’s the point, isn’t it: all those lavish attributes a cutter may have - none of those extras do anything more to cut your cigars. If you’re a get-it-done guy that favors function over flash, I’ve got 7 solid cutting tools that will class up your pocket for sure - along with pro tips to get you the perfect cut, every time.

Vertigo Famous Shark Cutter

There’s a good reason this cutter is not only on the list, but listed first. It’s the only one in our price range that allows you to create a perfect cut without having to eyeball anything – all for less than the price of a 5 Guys meal. Cuts cigars up to 64RG, and the closed back design offers the convenience and foolproof-ness of the more expensive “perfect cutter” style tools – so you get a flawless cut for a lot less money. Serrated blades are a nice touch, too. If you can’t tell from the picture, it additionally makes a nice cigar rest. We like it so much, we put our name on the green ones.

How To Use It: Retract the handles on each side to open the blades and then center the cap of your cigar firmly against the guard inside. Once centered, close both sides quickly in a single motion, and you’ll get that perfect cut every time. This guard only allows you to slice a thin layer of the cap off, so if your cut didn’t remove enough for your liking, you can always repeat the process and cut deeper.

Jet-Line H-Steel Cigar Cutter

A significant improvement over the cheapest of guillotine cigar cutters. You know, the black plastic ones behind the counter at every gas station and Cokes-‘n-Smokes “tobacco outlet.” These are, for all intents and purposes, throwaways: use a couple times until they’re dull, then toss. Jet Line is one of many accessory makers who have improved on that design by upping the quality of the materials, while still adhering to the “cheap cigar cutter” mantra. Meaning, this will last significantly longer than your plastic cheapie – but losing this cutter in the clutter won’t cause you palpitations the way misplacing your expensive gear might. Classic double guillotine cutter design, delightfully cheap price.

How To Use It: This double-bladed guillotine cutter uses a similar technique as described above, but if you cut off too much cap, the cigar will unravel (what’s left of the cap is what holds it together). Look closely at the head of your cigar: you’ll notice a seam where the wrapper meets the cap. Cut above that seam to avoid removing the cap entirely. Some cigars have several turns or seams, so be sure to take a minimal sliver of tobacco off the top. My technique is to line up where I want to make my cut, and then slightly pinch it with the blades to make sure that it’s not too far down. If it looks good, I give it a quick and firm squeeze and my cigar is ready for smoking.

Firebird Viper V-Cutter with Key Ring

Colibri pedigree, v-cut precision, bonkers low price. Firebird’s Viper V-Cutter really is the whole package. A delightful array of colorways are available: silver, orange, blue, and green. And with the convenience of a key ring, you’ll always have it with you, wherever you go – which also means if you lend it to someone, you have much higher odds this cheap v-cutter will come back to you. If you like applying this kind of cut to your cigars, you’ll like that this one does it well, and for such mad short cash.

How To Use It: V-cutters by their design have built-in guards that prevent you from cutting off too much of your cigar, so the cutting technique will be fairly simple. Pull the blade out – these cutters only have a single blade on one side – and place the head of the cigar inside the concave bowl so that it’s resting against it. With your thumb holding the bottom of the cutter in place, use your fingers to quickly depress the blade. Faster cuts mean a lesser chance of tearing the cap, so the quicker your motion, the better. To achieve different results, you can experiment with the amount of pressure you place on the cigar when pressing it into the bowl. The more pressure you use, the deeper the cut will be. Just be careful to push too much, or you can risk damaging your cigar.

Vertigo Big Daddy

In a crowded field of irrationally-priced cigar accessories, Vertigo and Lotus have carved out a niche (and a name) for themselves by nearly cornering the market on high-quality, discount-priced cigar accessories. And I may argue that the Vertigo Big Daddy might be the best value of them all: large enough to cut even the biggest of ring gauges (up to 80RG), it’s a versatile workhorse double-blade guillotine that offers reliability instead of frills. If you fancy larger ring sizes, this is the budget cutter for you.

How To Use It: Larger ring gauge cigars are a bit easier to cut than their smaller counterparts because you have a larger surface area to work with. Add to that, a Belicoso or Torpedo head cigar has a much larger cap simply due to the nature of their shapes – which makes them even more forgiving than a Parejo, or straight-shouldered cigar. Without cutting too far down the cap, again pinch the cigar where you want to cut and close the blades quickly. Tapered-head cigars allow you to adjust where the cut is made to dial in the perfect amount of draw, so I recommend starting high, then cut more deeply if needed. Just remember that you can’t go back if you remove too much!

Lotus Deception Serrated Cigar Cutter

Ok, ok – I said I wasn’t spending over 25 clams on any of these cheap cigar cutter options. But you see those fancy, big-name “butterfly” style cigar cutters out there, and they’re hard to turn away from. You know, the ones where you squeeze the wings of the cutter together to form your cut. Thing is, many of them come with a big-ticket price tag, too. Enter Lotus: the Deception displays Gordo-gauge cutting prowess with a pair of ultra-sharp serrated stainless blades, a rare find at this price point. Matter of fact it’s all metal construction, making it feel substantial in the hand. All of these attributes are worth the extra 99¢, I feel. Easily one of the best all-rounders on the market. Highly rated, too.

How To Use It: A little practice goes a long way here, but a couple of tries and you’ll get the hang of it quick. The serrations in the blade exert greater pressure on each point of the blade, essentially making it cut cleaner and faster. More control and grip comfort when closing the twin blades means you get a better cut, and are far less likely to botch the job. Line up your cutting point on the cap, pinch, cut, and enjoy.

Palio Original Cigar Cutter

A classic piece of cigar EDC for many years, this Palio Original is highly regarded for its low-cost/high performance ratio. The uniquely designed, surgical steel blades cut convincingly, dispatching the cap of anything up to 64RG. Doubles as a cigar rest when you lay it flat, too. So many swear by Palio because it’s an absolute GOAT for under $25 – and for what you get in return for such a small price, you’ll probably feel like you’ve stolen it (you have not stolen it, trust us). Exceptional quality for short money.

How To Use It: Similar to any of the double-blade guillotine cutters above, just with a little more unique design.

Firebird Punch Cutter

One of the worst things that can happen to any cigar lover is to make your way to the lounge, only to find that you left your cutter at home. The Firebird Punch Cutter avoids going AWOL by hitching a ride on your keys - meaning it will never stray farther away than your pocket. Available in various color options, and reliable as it is convenient, this punch hides away TWO stainless steel punch cutting tips (7mm and 10mm) so you can control the amount of airflow through your cigar. Choose 7mm for smaller cigars and more focused flavor; or go up to 10mm for larger ring gauge sticks and greater airflow. Sports a built-in plug ejector, too.

How To Use It: Separate the middle section to reveal the circular cutting edges of the punches. Center the blade on the cap before applying any pressure. While holding the cigar firmly in your other hand, ease the blade into the cap straight and slow. The motion you need is similar to that of using a screwdriver, except that you’ll twist slowly clockwise and counter-clockwise, back and forth, until you break through the wrapper. You can go as deep as the length of the punch blade will allow, or as shallow as you prefer. While a fast cut is better with the other cutters we’ve outlined, a slower cut is better with a punch. When finished, the plug will usually come out with the punch. If not, you can easily pull it out of the cigar with your fingers.