In this guide
The short version
- Guillotines split on the back: the XIKAR Xi1 is open-backed so you set the depth; the Lotus GT and Vertigo Shark add serrated blades and a closed back that limits the slice.
- Most cutters here are rated to 64 ring gauge; the Lotus GT is the only one rated to 70.
- Punches differ by diameter: 8mm on the Vertigo Torpedo, 8.6mm on the S.T. Dupont Maxijet. Punches suit flat caps; V-cutters suit pointed ones.
- One tool for every shape: the Lotus Omni (V-cut, guillotine, two punches) or the Vector Gemini (V-cut, straight cut, punch).
Our cigar lighters and cutters guide explained what a straight cut, a V-cut and a punch each do to the cap. This post goes a step further and puts the cutters themselves side by side: how big a cigar each one takes, whether the blade is serrated, whether a back plate stops you cutting too deep, how wide the punches are, and what else is built into the body. Every number below comes from the product data for the cutters on our shelf.
The cutters, side by side
Cutter | Cut | Max ring gauge | Blade and back | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
XIKAR Xi1 | Straight, double guillotine | 64 (designed for 54) | Stainless, open back | Spring-loaded, aluminum body |
Lotus GT | Straight, double guillotine | 70 | Serrated, closed back | Clean-out slot, spring lock |
Vertigo Shark | Straight, twin guillotine | 64 | Serrated stainless, closed back | Cigar rest, rubberized finish |
Lotus Meteor | Extra deep V-cut | 64 | Stainless | One-finger action, soft case |
Vertigo Marlin | Deep V-cut | 64 | Stainless | Removable poker, cigar rest |
Vertigo Torpedo | 8mm punch | Not listed | Locking blade | Self-cleaning button, key ring |
S.T. Dupont Maxijet | 8.6mm punch | Not listed | Stainless, spring-loaded | Key ring, 50g |
Lotus Omni | V-cut, guillotine and two punches | 64 | Steel | Spring-loaded lock, textured grip |
Guillotines: open back or closed back
A double guillotine closes two blades on the cap from opposite sides and takes the top off flat. The three we compared differ in two things: whether there is a wall behind the blades, and whether the edges are serrated.
The XIKAR Xi1 is the open-back version. Its black stainless steel blades sit in a green aluminum body with the teardrop shape XIKAR patented, and the action is spring-loaded. XIKAR designed it around a 54 ring gauge cigar and rates it to 64 ring gauge depending on how far in you set the cigar. That phrase is the point: with no back plate, you decide the depth of the cut yourself, which is what an experienced hand wants and what a new one gets wrong. The spec sheet lists plain stainless steel blades and says nothing about serration. XIKAR covers it with a limited lifetime warranty.
The Lotus GT and the Vertigo Shark take the opposite approach. Both specify serrated blades and a closed back. The serrations grip the wrapper leaf the instant they touch it, so a slick wrapper cannot slide or split before the blade bites. The closed back is a plate inside the opening: the cap can only go in so far, so the blade takes a thin slice (Vertigo puts it at about a sixteenth of an inch on the Shark) and never reaches the shoulder where the wrapper would start to unravel.
Between the two, size is the separator. The Shark stops at 64 ring gauge and adds a built-in cigar rest and a rubberized finish. The GT takes cigars up to 70 ring gauge, which covers the largest sticks sold, and has a slot in the base for shaking out cut debris, a spring-loaded lock and an all-metal body.
A closed-back cutter trades depth control for consistency. If you want a deeper cut than the plate allows, the Xi1 is the better fit; if you have ever unraveled a wrapper by cutting too far, the GT or the Shark removes the problem.
V-cutters: the Meteor, the Marlin and the Viper
A V-cutter slices a wedge into the cap rather than removing it, so the shoulders stay intact and the opening is deep but narrow. Lotus and Vertigo both make one rated to 64 ring gauge; the difference is in depth and what else is on the tool.
The Lotus Meteor is the deepest cut of the three. Lotus calls it an extra deep V-cut, the stainless steel blade is worked with a single finger, and a spring-loaded lock holds it closed. It is flat and round, comes with a soft case and a gift box, and carries a lifetime warranty. Lotus's own answer on tapered cigars is that the angled guide holds a torpedo tip steady while the blade cuts a channel into the taper, with no need to clip the point off first.
The Vertigo Marlin makes a deep V-cut with a stainless steel blade and bolts two more jobs onto the body: a removable cigar poker for opening up a plugged draw, and a built-in cigar rest. The finish is rubberized. If a V-cut is your usual cut, the poker is the reason to pick it over the Meteor.
The Lotus Viper is the table version: a single V-cut blade for 64 ring gauge, a spring-loaded lock, rubberized grips on an all-metal body, and a free-standing design that sits upright beside the ashtray.
Punches: 8mm, 8.6mm and the two on the Omni
A punch bores a round hole in the center of the cap and leaves the rest alone. The cigar keeps its shape and there is nothing to overcut; the trade-off is the firmest draw of the three cuts. The number that separates punches is the diameter of the blade.
The Vertigo Torpedo is an 8mm punch on a key ring. Press the button and the blade pushes out and locks; press the red button and an internal plunger pops the tobacco core out of the cylinder, so it cleans itself. Vertigo says 8mm suits standard robustos and toros in the 48 to 54 ring gauge range as well as 60 plus ring gauge cigars. It is metal and plastic, 1 by 0.75 by 2.5in, and weighs under an ounce.
The S.T. Dupont Maxijet is an 8.6mm punch, slightly wider, with a stainless steel blade on a spring-loaded mechanism in a black lacquer and polished chrome body. It also lives on a key ring, measures 65 by 20 by 13mm, weighs 50g, and comes in a presentation box with a warranty card. S.T. Dupont's own guidance is that a punch works best on flat-headed parejo shapes such as a robusto, toro or Churchill; for a torpedo or belicoso, reach for a guillotine or a V-cutter instead.
On a very large ring gauge, one small hole can draw tight. That is where the two fold-out punches on the Lotus Omni earn their place: Lotus pairs a smaller diameter for slender cigars such as coronas with a larger one for 54 to 64 ring gauge.
Three cuts in one body
If you smoke a mix of shapes, two cutters here cover everything. The Lotus Omni carries an extra deep V-cutter and a guillotine on the same frame, both for cigars up to 64 ring gauge, plus the two fold-out punches above. Steel blades, a spring-loaded lock and a textured metal housing, at 3.268 by 2 by 0.669in.
The Vector Gemini does the same three jobs a different way: a V-cut blade and a straight-cut blade that open with spring-assisted release buttons on the side, and a fold-out punch on top that Vector describes as suited to smaller ring gauges. The blades are stainless steel in a metal alloy body, and Vector's No Proof Warranty means no receipt is needed for warranty service. Neither tool states a maximum ring gauge for its punch.
Match the cutter to your cigars
- Mostly 50 to 54 ring gauge with flat caps: any guillotine here; the Xi1 was designed around that size.
- Anything up to 70 ring gauge: the Lotus GT is the only cutter in this group rated past 64.
- Torpedos and other pointed heads: a V-cutter (Meteor or Marlin), or a closed-back guillotine with the tip set against the plate.
- You keep cutting too deep: a closed back (GT or Shark), or a punch, which cannot overcut.
- One tool for a varied humidor: the Omni or the Gemini.
- Smallest thing to carry: the Torpedo or the Maxijet on your keys.
The full range is in our cigar cutters collection, and our cigar lighters and cutters guide covers how to pair a cutter with a torch or a soft flame.
Keeping the blade clean
Cut tobacco builds up wherever the blade travels. The GT's slot in the base and the Torpedo's self-cleaning plunger are built for it; on anything else, shake out the debris after each cut. S.T. Dupont's advice for the Maxijet applies to every blade here: wipe the steel with a soft microfiber cloth now and then to remove tobacco oils, and keep the blade retracted or locked closed when it is not in use so the edge stays sharp.
Questions people ask
Which cigar cutter handles the largest ring gauge?
The Lotus GT is rated to 70 ring gauge. The XIKAR Xi1, Vertigo Shark, Lotus Meteor, Vertigo Marlin and Lotus Omni are all rated to 64.
What does a closed back on a guillotine cutter do?
It is a plate inside the opening that stops the cigar going in too far, so the blade removes only a thin slice of the cap. Vertigo puts it at about a sixteenth of an inch on the Shark. It prevents the deep cut that makes a wrapper unravel.
Can I use a punch on a torpedo cigar?
A punch needs a flat cap. S.T. Dupont recommends a guillotine or a V-cutter for torpedo and belicoso shapes, and the Lotus Meteor's angled guide is designed to hold a tapered tip while it cuts.
Are serrated blades better than plain ones?
Serrated edges grip the wrapper before they cut, which helps on slick wrappers; the Lotus GT and Vertigo Shark use them. The XIKAR Xi1's plain stainless blades cut cleanly and its open back gives you more control over depth.
Is an 8mm or an 8.6mm punch the right size?
Both are mid-size punches. Vertigo says its 8mm Torpedo suits 48 to 54 ring gauge cigars and larger; the S.T. Dupont Maxijet's 8.6mm blade is slightly wider. For a very large ring gauge, the Lotus Omni's larger fold-out punch is sized for 54 to 64.
