Not everyone likes the bladed cutter approach to cigar preparation. Some prefer to punch a hole, rather than slice off the tip, and with good reason. The advantage of using a punch is that you leave the cap intact, reducing the chance of flaking, and creating a tight draw. There are, however, a couple of things to note:

Punches are built to work on cigars with rounded caps. Cigars with shaped heads like Figurados will require a cutter. Also, punches work better on larger gauge cigars (perhaps over 40). And if you’re after a monster draw, you may find punches too restrictive.

Okay, now that you’ve been fully educated on the pros and cons, please feel free to browse our selection of twist and pull out cigar punches.