Smoking a fine cigar is not an event to be taken lightly!
For those of us who are passionate about cigars, the entire routine – from taking one from the humidor, examining it by sight, then cutting the end and lighting it – that comes before is just as important as the actual smoking of the cigar itself.
In a hurry? Here’s my top 3 picks!
In fact, cutting a cigar can be an art in itself, and there’s more than one way to do it!
Now, if you’re a purist, you might insist that a cigar cutter is the only way to go if you want the full flavour. Across the years, however, I’ve found that a cigar punch can be a more convenient and versatile tool.
What’s the difference?
Simple: the cutter cuts, the punch punches! Take your standard guillotine cigar cutter: you put the cigar in, and it – quite literally – chops the end off. A punch works in a different manner: you insert the cigar into the punch, activate the mechanism, and it punches a hole in packaging at the end.
Here’s a great video on the differences.
There are a couple of points that some smokers don’t like about this; the first and main one is that the opening is smaller than had you used a cutter. This can result in a build-up of tar, but smoking more slowly is the answer to this. Also, it won’t work well for certain cigars – the fatter versions to use simple language – as well as a cutter.
Personally, I prefer a cutter; it’s easy to use, harder to make a mistake, and a convenient and handy tool to carry – and carry one I always do.
So, to give you a better idea of what the cigar punch is all about, here’s a few that we’ve reviewed for you!
Let’s get down to business!
Our Top 5 Cigar Punch Reviews
The following are a selected few of what we believe to be among the very best cigar punches available right now, so have a read and let’s see if we can help you find the right one for you!
1. JIFENG Cigar Punch
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Our first choice is a very neat little cigar punch that is designed with a ring attachment, so can be linked to your keyring. This one is simple and yet smart, and the body is 100% pure copper.
It is engraved with a rather nice effect that is just decorative enough – you don’t want something as sophisticated as a cigar punch to be over the top – and is suitably small not to take up too much room in your pocket.
We also like the fact this model can be had in four different finishes – including rose gold and polished silver – and it’s a sensible price.
The punch itself is retractable and you get a choice of two blade sizes: one punches a hole of 0.28 inches, the other 0.35 inches. It is rather beautifully made and comes in a very smart presentation gift box so makes for an excellent present for a cigar lover.
- Copper body
- Compact and light
- Retractable punch
- Choice of two hole sizes
- Four choices of finish
2. Mr Brog Stainless Steel Cigar Punch
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The Mr Brog brand offers a range of impressive and nicely-made cigar accessories, and this very neat cigar punch is one that we like a lot. It’s made from stainless steel so will be durable and tough for a long time, and the finish – it is styled to look like a bullet when not in use – is very nice indeed.
The gold finish may not be to everyone’s taste, however, but it does look good hanging from a keyring (there is a lop attached).
The sharp end unscrews to reveal a built-in punch that delivers a ¼ inch hole quickly and easily, and it’s very easy to use each time with consistent results.
The screw top fits nice and firmly and, weighing it at under an ounce, this is a small and convenient cigar punch that makes for an excellent gift – once again, it comes in a very nice presentation box so is a great choice for cigar lovers.
- Bullet design
- Screw top
- Keyring attachment
- Gold finish
- Small and light
3. Select Draw Cigar Punch
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This is a cigar punch with a difference, and it’s rather a clever difference too. So far, the punches we’ve looked at have a single point to punch the hole. This model, from Select Draw, has several and for good reason.
The fact that you can choose whether to use all or one of the prongs means you can regulate the speed at which you smoke the cigar. You can also choose to perforate the sides of the cigar, should you wish, in order to get a fuller flavour.
This one s made from aluminium for lightness, and can also be utilized as a cigar pick so you waste nothing, and is extremely efficient. It comes with a screw-on protective head, and is light and very compact. It comes in a very nice velvet pouch so is suitable as a gift for a cigar lover, and it’s nicely finished in a polished silver.
It is, however, one of the more expensive here – although not by much – and we feel the multiple prongs might be more of a novelty than anything else. It’s very nice though, so worth checking out.
- Several prongs
- Silver finish
- Protector cap
- Neat design
- Aluminium and steel
4. Proper Materials Cigar Punch
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This model follows the familiar style of being a cylindrical cigar punch with a screw-on top for protection. It’s finished in polished silver, made from durable metal and with a key chain attached for added convenience.
The operation is simple and gives you one hole, of around ¼ inch, every punch, with a button to push out any debris or excess that may be left within. This is something that all cigar punches should have for clean operation.
The only downside we can see to this model – which is, after all, in every single way a conventional cigar punch – is that it is not of as high a level of quality as some of the others here. That’s not to say it’s poor quality – indeed, most customer reviews are very positive, with the most common complaint being that it sometimes unscrews when in the pocket – but it is not made to such a high standard.
However, as you can buy this with change from $10, we think it a great choice for occasional use or just having in your pocket as a spare.
- Screw top
- Silver finish
- Light in weight
- Compact
- Key chain attached
5. Modus II Cigar Tool
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Our final choice is this one, from Modus, and it’s a very clever device that gives you three functions in one handy tool. First, it’s a cigar punch; it provides one hole of around 1/3rd of an inch with a simple punch motion, and has a screw on cover for protection.
It also acts as a ‘draw tool’; this means it can be used to clear cigars that have been overfilled or become plugged, using its small and very effective harpoon function – and we like this very much.
Then, it has a third function: it becomes what is known as a ‘nubber’. This means you can attach the final, often discarded, parts of a cigar – the ‘nub’ to the holder, and smoke them through the nubber right to the end, thus wasting none of your treasured cigar!
This is a very neat feature that tops off a very nice cigar accessory, albeit one that is the most expensive on our list. Make no mistake, however, that this is a top quality device made to a high standard, and worth every cent.
- 1/3 inch hole punch
- Nubber feature
- Quality item
- Nice finish
- Harpoon function
That’s five of the best cigar punches on the market right now, and we have tried to find one for every budget. So, what’s our verdict? Before we attempt a conclusion, let’s have a look back at some of the features and factors you need to consider.
What to Look For
Whether you are convinced as to the benefits of a punch over a cutter or not is personal choice, and of course you could choose to carry both! The fact remains that punches are very simple to use, and also extremely convenient, and as we have shown in our selections above, also very versatile in design and capability.
What to look for in a cigar punch is function first then added performance. Let’s talk about some of the main attributes:
- Hole Size – the bigger the hole, the quicker your cigar will draw. In other words, you get a shorter smoke with a large hole, but you may also get more flavour. Most of the above provide a hole of around ¼ inch, which is adequate, but a couple make a bigger hole. There is one that also allows you to perforate the sides of the cigar, which is a novelty and something we may try one day! Anything under ¼ inch will not be enough, so stick with that as your standard size.
- Convenience – you want a cigar punch to be small enough to fit into your pocket – or wherever you choose to carry one – but also robust enough to last. Those listed above are all of a sensible size, and also made from durable material, so each fits with this particular criteria.
- Quality – now, as with all cigar accessories, you want to look and feel the part as well as get the job done when you use your punch! There is a variation in quality among the above selections, but we should say that each is good enough to use and be seen with, and some are very well-priced indeed.
- Cost – this is the obvious point, and while we advise that you buy the very best you can, it does not always follow that the best is the most expensive. That said, the model that is the costliest here – the Modus II – is among the very best, mainly because it offers more functions than simply being a punch. Among our list you can buy a perfectly decent cigar punch for under $10, or spend four times that for a top quality model – the choice is entirely yours!
Now that we’ve summed up the things to consider, let’s see if we can come to a conclusion as to which of the above is the one for you.
Which Cigar Punch is Best?
Is there are winner among the above five cigar punches? It’s hard to say, because each of us cigar lovers has our own personal taste. One factor to remember is that you must make sure a punch will work with the sizer and type of cigar you smoke. For every day, thinner cigars any punch will do the job, but for specialist cigars you need a device that offers versatility.
This is why we like the first one on the list – the Jifeng Cigar Punch – as a first choice. Why do we say this? Because it has a choice of two sizes of punch holes, so you can vary your smoking intake as you want.
We also like the final one, the Modus, as it offers a trio of features in one very neat package, and especially the nubber function which is unique among these.
As with all products that fall into the luxury bracket – and a quality cigar punch certainly fits that bill – it pays to look for the best features and the elements that attract you to make a decision. If you want a gold finish, a couple of these will do the job, for example, and some have a push-out button to clear the device while others do not.
So, it’s down to you!
Have a look at our selections again – and by all means check others too – and see if you can find the right cigar punch to add to your accessories!
