Cigar Cutter vs Punch for Each Cigar Shape and Size

A guillotine works on almost every cigar, according to Mardo Cigars, while a punch works only on round caps that are wide enough to take the hole. A guillotine is the straight cutter that slices the cap off. A punch presses a small hole into the top of the cap.

Cigar shape or ring gauge	Guillotine	Punch	Source
Traditional sizes (Robusto, Churchill, Toro, Gordo, Corona)	Yes	Yes	Mardo Cigars: "you can use either one with no problem"
Lancero, under 40 ring gauge ("often a 38 or a 36")	Yes	No. The punch is "too wide" and forcing it risks "cracking the wrapper right down the side"	Mardo Cigars
Torpedo and figurado	Figurado: yes (Mardo Cigars). Torpedo: not addressed by the sources	No	Corona Cigar Co. and Case Elegance (torpedo, figurado); Klaro Cigars (torpedo tips); Mardo Cigars (figurado)
Pigtail cap	Not addressed by the sources	No	Klaro Cigars
Box-pressed	Yes	Yes. "This one comes down to preference"	Mardo Cigars
Very large ring gauge (above 60)	Can be hard or impossible. Case Elegance says a 70 ring gauge may not fit a guillotine's cutting hole	Varies. Mardo says "a punch is easier," while Case Elegance warns of too little airflow on tightly packed cigars	Mardo Cigars, Klaro Cigars, Case Elegance

Mardo Cigars tells beginners to start with a guillotine because it "works on almost every cigar," and to add a punch once they smoke bigger ring gauge cigars. Corona Cigar Co. says a punch "typically performs best on cigars with a ring gauge size over 40."

To punch a cigar, press the blade into the center of the cap, twist, and pull it out, which leaves what Mardo Cigars calls "a small, neat hole."

Skip the punch if most of your cigars are lanceros, torpedoes, figurados or pigtail caps. In those cases a guillotine is the one tool you need. Our guide to the best cigar cutters covers what to look for in one.

A guillotine removes the tip of the cap and gives a more generous draw, while a punch opens a small hole and concentrates the draw. Each tool fails in its own way. A guillotine cut too deep makes the cigar airy and hot. A punch can leave the draw too tight. The V-cut is included below for reference, since Corona Cigar Co. and Case Elegance both compare it with the other two.

Cut	Opening	Draw, per the sources	How it goes wrong
Guillotine (straight cut)	Removes the tip of the cap	"A generous draw," so "you get more smoke with each puff" (Case Elegance). More smoke flow if you remove only the tip of the cap (Klaro Cigars)	Cut too much and the draw turns "too airy" and "very hot," and the wrapper can unwind and flake off (Corona Cigar Co.). A poor cut can give a loose draw that burns fast and harsh (Case Elegance)
Punch	A small hole in the very top	Concentrated (Case Elegance). "A very smooth draw" from a dead-center punch (Klaro Cigars)	A restricted draw that burns unevenly or not at all (Case Elegance). A draw that is too tight even when punched correctly (Klaro Cigars)
V-cut	A deep wedge	"A more controlled draw and a cleaner cut," with "a much smaller opening than a straight cut" (Corona Cigar Co.)	Less draw; Corona Cigar Co. says "Some smokers like this, others do not." Harder on pigtail and flag caps (Case Elegance)

Mardo Cigars says of the punch and guillotine that "Both get you a good draw." The difference shows up in how much smoke you pull. Klaro Cigars says a punch is used "when a tighter draw is needed," and adds that "there is such a thing as too much cigar smoke."

Corona Cigar Co. sees the small hole as a drawback of the punch. The hole "doesn't leave very much room for a huge draw," which many smokers may find restricting.

Case Elegance names one case where the tighter draw helps. A cigar with a loose bunch or an open draw can benefit from a punch, because the restricted airflow helps keep the smoke from getting too hot.

Wrapper Damage with Each Tool

The guillotine's wrapper risks in these guides come from cutting too deep or using a dull blade. Mardo Cigars says "Cut too deep and the cap can unravel" and "A dull cutter tears the wrapper instead of slicing it." Corona Cigar Co. agrees that a dull blade "will drag and pull instead of slice."

Klaro Cigars warns that cutting past the lower seam can unravel the cap, and that a severed cap is hard to reattach. It recommends a double guillotine cutter, because single-blade straight cutters can crack caps by applying uneven pressure.

On the punch side, Case Elegance says it "greatly reduces the risk of damaging the wrapper." Corona Cigar Co. is more cautious. It introduces the punch's tight draw and low chance of flaking with the words "The theory is that."

A punch needs a round cap and enough diameter to take the hole, and a guillotine needs a cigar that fits through its cutting hole. Ring gauge is a cigar's diameter in 64ths of an inch, as our page on long versus short cigars explains. Converting the gauges the sources mention gives the widths in inches.

Ring gauge	Diameter	What the sources say at this size
38	38/64 = 0.59 inch	Mardo Cigars: a typical lancero, too narrow for a punch
40	40/64 = 0.625 inch	Corona Cigar Co.: a punch performs best above this
50	50/64 = 0.78 inch	No source gives a rule at this exact size
60	60/64 = 0.94 inch	Above this, the sources disagree on the punch

Mardo Cigars puts lanceros under 40 ring gauge and says a punch is too wide for them. Corona Cigar Co. says a punch works best over 40. Both guides put the punch's lower limit near 40 ring gauge.

Cap shape also rules the punch out. Corona Cigar Co. says a punch works only on round-capped cigars and is "ineffective on torpedoes or figurados." Mardo Cigars says of the figurado, with its shaggy tail and wide foot, "A punch simply cannot do the job here." Klaro Cigars adds that a punch does not work on pigtail caps or torpedo tips.

The guillotine has a limit at the top end. Case Elegance says a 70 ring gauge may not fit a guillotine's cutting hole. Klaro Cigars calls large ring gauge cigars "oftentimes... challenging, if not impossible to cut." Mardo Cigars adds that with a big cigar and a guillotine, you "have to seal your lips all the way around the cigar to get a good draw."

None of the four sources publishes punch hole diameters, draw-resistance numbers or a price comparison between cutters and punches. Use the ring gauges above as the guide for matching a tool to a cigar. See our cigar sizes guide.

For more detail on straight cuts, see our guide on how to cut a cigar.

Using a Guillotine

1. Pick a double-blade guillotine, which Klaro Cigars recommends over single-blade cutters that can crack the cap.
2. Line the blade up just below the cap line, as Mardo Cigars describes. Klaro Cigars advises removing only the tip of the cap and staying above the lower seam.
3. Close the blade in one motion (Mardo Cigars).
4. Test the draw. Corona Cigar Co. says cutting too little is "easily remedied by a quick trim," while cutting too much makes the draw "too airy" and "very hot."
5. If the cap cracks, moisten it with saliva, as Klaro Cigars suggests.

Using a Punch Cutter

1. Check that the cigar has a round cap and is not a lancero, torpedo, figurado or pigtail.
2. Place the punch dead center on the cap (Mardo Cigars, Klaro Cigars).
3. Press in with slow, steady pressure (Klaro Cigars).
4. Twist the punch (Mardo Cigars, Klaro Cigars).
5. Pull it out, leaving a small, neat hole (Mardo Cigars).
6. Test the draw. If it feels tight, Mardo Cigars uses "a slightly bigger ring gauge punch" and tries again.
7. If the cap cracks, moisten it with saliva (Klaro Cigars).

Klaro Cigars notes that punching is slower and more demanding than cutting.

The guides agree on keeping a punch away from torpedoes and figurados, but they split on cigars above 60 ring gauge. A second point of tension comes down to how much smoke you want. Case Elegance's post and the Klaro Cigars post share an author, Micah Wright.

Above 60 ring gauge, the advice runs in two directions:

• Mardo Cigars says "Very big ring gauge (above 60): a punch is easier."
• Klaro Cigars says larger ring gauges that "cannot accommodate a cut" suit a punch, or a V-cut.
• Case Elegance says that on tightly packed cigars over 60 ring gauge, the small hole may not provide enough airflow.

You can reconcile these by checking how the big cigar draws after punching. If it pulls hard, Case Elegance's warning applies, and Mardo Cigars' fix is a slightly bigger ring gauge punch.

The second split is about draw. Case Elegance and Klaro Cigars describe the punch's draw as concentrated or smooth. Corona Cigar Co. calls the small hole restricting for many smokers. Mardo Cigars says both tools give a good draw. Which view matches yours depends on whether you prefer a tight or an open pull.

Smokers whose cigars are mostly lanceros, torpedoes, figurados or pigtail caps should skip the punch and use a double-blade guillotine. The sources rule the punch out for each of those shapes. A punch also suits you poorly if you want a big, open draw, which Corona Cigar Co. says the small hole limits.

Our cutter guide says a budget cutter under $15 is a fine starting point for an occasional smoker, and suggests a $25 to $60 double-blade for someone cutting several times a week. See our page on cigar cutter brands compared.

This recommendation summarizes published retailer guidance, and Humidorist did not run cutting trials for it. Two things would change the answer:

• If a cigar draws too tight after punching, follow Mardo Cigars and try a slightly bigger ring gauge punch.
• If a punch maker publishes hole sizes matched to ring gauges, you could pick a punch for your exact cigars instead of relying on the 40 ring gauge rule of thumb.

Buy a double-blade guillotine from our list of the best cigar cutters, then add a punch when you start smoking round-capped cigars of about 40 ring gauge and up. If you fly with your cutter, read our page on cigar cutters on planes first. Once you have settled the cigar cutter vs punch question, keep track of your humidor in the Humidor Tracker.