Cigar Aficionado

Perhaps you thought a redwood cutter was an ax meant to chop down those massive trees from California or a lumberjack who hews them. To cigar lovers, however, the phrase denotes the handsome new teardrop-shaped cigar cutter from Xikar that combines the ergonomic action of its earlier models with elegant wood trim.

For cigar aficionados, to whom a cutter is an extension of the hand, the Xi line has long been an easy and safe way to achieve the perfect cut. Locked shut when not in use, the cutter is opened by a spring into the shape of a V at the touch of a button. The puts the cigar head into the cutting hole and squeezes the wood wings shut in the palm of his hand -- you needn't fit your fingers into any holes. The double-guillotine stainless steel blades cut the cigar and the contraption is automatically locked safely again. The hardened blades provide increased durability and impressive cutting power. In addition, the Xikar has improved the mechanism that opens the guillotine for cutting.

As important as the cutter's function is, most connoisseurs are not going to purchase a product unless they're taken with its looks. This is a unit that is guaranteed to get stares at the cigar bar. While it shares the attractive shape of most Xikar guillotine cutters, the Redwood's look is the result of serious research -- a dozen types of wood, including four different redwoods, were tested before the final style was chosen. The stainless steel is polished to a fine luster and the cutter can be housed in an attractive black leather carrying case that is shipped to purchasers who their cutters via mail or the Internet.

The Xikar Xi3 Redwood cutter is available at fine tobacconists nationwide. It retails for $79.95.

 

For more information visit www.xikar.com.