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When are punch cutters appropriate?
Aland84
Posts: 60
What's happnin' people of the leaf? My question today is (Jerry Seinfeld voice) Whats up with the punch cutters?
My Bugatti lighter has a punch on the bottom and I can effectively punch a stick, but how does one know when it is appropriate to use it? Some sticks gather too much tar at the end. I've had a few that have done just fine, but a few have also been the victims of second cuttings midway through. I hate to use the word newb/noob. I love the convienience of my new lighter in case I've had one too many drinks and can rely on my punch to make an opening. You get at my point. So please any words of wisdom will be greatly valued. If I had a crystal ball I'm sure it would say a perfecto cutter is in my future. Any tips?
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I think it all comes down to personal preference. Punch vs cut vs v-cut....go with whatever you like best.
A few off the top of my head:
1 - If the cigar is rolled tight, a punch may not work well because the cigar needs a full cut to allow for proper draw.
2 - Some blends/vitolas benefit from a punch (like the LFD chisels)
3 - And then there's obviously some sticks that you just can't punch due to the shape/size...tiny RGs like petit coronas (& smaller), and vitoals with "pointy" tops like torpedos and belicoso come to mind. No idea how you'd punch one of those.
Other than that I think it's just requires experimentation. Heck I smoked multiple LFD chisels and tried cutting, punching, and even just pinching the cap open before I decided the punch was the way to go.
I haven't found a good reason as to "why" certain blends work better with a punch vs a cut.....maybe something to do with the tobaccos used, as you hinted at with tar build up.....construction.....or even ambient smoking environment.
* I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *
If you're having problems with tar collecting it's most likely because you're smoking too fast. If it's draw problems you're experiencing, try making two punch cuts slightly overlapping each other leaving a cut shaped like a figure 8.
I have a v-cutter and numerous guillotine cutters but I still prefer my punch.
Well, you CAN use a punch in a pinch (yuk, yuk). I've used one on a torp or other pointy-headed sticks a time or two when I didn't have my punch handy. It works - after a fashion - but a guillotine is better for those.