A good punch

[mateo]

I misplaced my xikar cutter and am thinking about trying a punch. I was leaning towards the self-sharpening Xi 008 Punch cutter because it has a honing rod built in to sharpen the punch.

Anyone like these or have other suggestions?

 

[CRQuarto]

Greg (Kingantz), punches the majority of his cigars and uses THIS. A lot of people ask him where he bought it, and he provides that link. I've yet to buy one, but seeing as it is Victorinox I think it is safe to say it is of high quality. The multiple punch sizes would come in handy too I can imagine. Ask him about it, I'm sure he can give you some good information!

 

[mateo]

That looks nice. I owned a cigar lighter but could never get it to work. I tried filling it many times but it would not light. The ignition would spark but it was like it was not getting any fuel. So anyways I think the lighter is not working and am thinking about getting a lighter punch combo from colbri. The only drawback is that punches tend to dull and I don't want to spend money on a cutter as well. Is there an easy way to sharpen a punch? Also, can you think of anything I could have done wrong with the other lighter? I don't want to buy another butane lighter only to have it not work again.

Thanks in advance.

 

[CRQuarto]

Uh, if you are considering getting a punch/lighter combo, why did you say you were thinking of buying the Xikar? Your statement about not wanting to spend money on a cutter as well is confusing, as the initial point of your thread was to ask for recommendations on a good punch cutter. Perhaps you could clarify so as to get better input? As for your lighter not working, do a search and you will find a ton of topics on lighters not working, as well as how to fix them.

If you want a lighter/cutter combo, I'd check out Xikar's Element lighter that fits that bill, I just bought one and love it. Colibri recently went out of business and then reopened after being bought by another company, and their warranty is not as good now. I'd imagine the quality is suffering as well, so I would stick with a higher end company and get your money's worth.

 

[souldog]

Hey mateo, here is my recommendation on something like a punch vs. a cutter:

Try punching a few sticks before springing for a $60 USD rig like the Swiss Army Punch. Go to your local B&M and see if they can hook you up with a cheesy little $5 USD punch. Take it home, test it out on CCs, NCs, small ring gauges, and large ring gauges. I personally don't use a punch as every cigar I've ever punched ends up with tar buildup at the head. I've read most of Kingantz' reviews, and whenever I hear him say, "...the initial draw was a little tight..." it is almost always preceded by, "I punched the cigar..." and sometimes followed later by, "...there was some tar buildup at the head..."

Think about it; depending on the diameter of the cutter and the ring gauge of the cigar, air circulation may be restricted and the smokes tar and residue can accumulate around the opening. Granted this won't happen ALL THE TIME, but tar buildup occurs more often with a punch cutter.

As far as your lighter situation, I own about 10 lighters. Some are for when I'm out on the shooing line and can accidentally drop it in the dirt, others are when I am camping and know I need one to light in windy weather and high altitudes, and others are for showing up at a function and wanting to bring a nicer one. That said, two lighters have never failed me: The Blazer Pb-207, and Blazer Z-Plus insert for your Zippo. Are you seeing a running theme yet?

If you already have a Zippo case, the Z-Plus slides right in and costs you 10 bucks. The reservoir is a bit smaller though. If you're a heavy touch-up cigar lighter like me, it'll last you about 20 sticks.


So, there you are. I'm trying to save you some money. You could potentially have a $15 USD lighter and punch cutter deal, and be the coolest kid in the neighborhood. :thumbs:

 

[mateo]

Uh, if you are considering getting a punch/lighter combo, why did you say you were thinking of buying the Xikar? Your statement about not wanting to spend money on a cutter as well is confusing, as the initial point of your thread was to ask for recommendations on a good punch cutter. Perhaps you could clarify so as to get better input? As for your lighter not working, do a search and you will find a ton of topics on lighters not working, as well as how to fix them.

If you want a lighter/cutter combo, I'd check out Xikar's Element lighter that fits that bill, I just bought one and love it. Colibri recently went out of business and then reopened after being bought by another company, and their warranty is not as good now. I'd imagine the quality is suffering as well, so I would stick with a higher end company and get your money's worth.

Well, after I posted I remembered that I would need a lighter that worked so I thought a punch/lighter might be a good idea. I meant to say that I would not want to have to replace the punch after it dulled, and that cutters don't have this problem. Also what if a punch does not work well in all cigars, I may need a cutter. I am confusing myself and everyone else so I will just show you what I decided to buy. xikar eris Hopefully this will fit the bill and I actually win. I think I will try the punch first to see how it works out, and then if I like the way it works on different cigars, I may invest in a nicer one. If not then hopefully my xikar will show up or I may buy a new cutter.

 

[CRQuarto]

I would recommend having a quality cutter like the Palio or a Xikar for when you have to cut, such as on a torpedo or large ring cigar where a small 9mm hole might not be the best idea. I also use a punch, more for when I smoke a lancero or a cigar that is very expensive or rare, as it lets me slowly step up on the amount of the head being opened up, just in case the draw is on the loose side.

Most anyone here will agree: Buy something with a good reputation, and you will save yourself a lot of grief and annoyance. Cost isn't always relative to quality, a perfect example of that is a Blazer torch. You could pick one of those up, and a Xikar cutter and punch on Cbid for a fairly good price, and be set. Or, you could buy a Palio from Cigarswag.com and support this website. Again, spend the money, get quality tools.

 

[RaveDigger]

I've got the Xikar Element and I love it. I haven't noticed any dulling of the punch, although I do not use the punch too often. I tend to cut big cigars, and punch small ones, but since I mostly smoke big cigars, the punch doesn't see much use. As a lighter, it's great. It has a nice solid feel to it, and the dual flames make quick work of any size cigar. Plus, you really can't go wrong with Xikar's warranty.

 

[junkman_56]

Here is a site I use to buy punches:
http://www.cigarworld.pt/index.asp?cat=221

It has lots of different sizes.
One of them is a 16.5mm punch. That's about the diameter as a 42 ring gauge cigar.
It works very well for cigars that are a 50 ring gauge or larger

 

[CRQuarto]

Here is a site I use to buy punches:
http://www.cigarworld.pt/index.asp?cat=221

It has lots of different sizes.
One of them is a 16.5mm punch. That's about the diameter as a 42 ring gauge cigar.
It works very well for cigars that are a 50 ring gauge or larger

Nice link! Thank you for that!

 

[360]

Hey mateo, here is my recommendation on something like a punch vs. a cutter:

Try punching a few sticks before springing for a $60 USD rig like the Swiss Army Punch. Go to your local B&M and see if they can hook you up with a cheesy little $5 USD punch. Take it home, test it out on CCs, NCs, small ring gauges, and large ring gauges. I personally don't use a punch as every cigar I've ever punched ends up with tar buildup at the head. I've read most of Kingantz' reviews, and whenever I hear him say, "...the initial draw was a little tight..." it is almost always preceded by, "I punched the cigar..." and sometimes followed later by, "...there was some tar buildup at the head..."

Think about it; depending on the diameter of the cutter and the ring gauge of the cigar, air circulation may be restricted and the smokes tar and residue can accumulate around the opening. Granted this won't happen ALL THE TIME, but tar buildup occurs more often with a punch cutter.

As far as your lighter situation, I own about 10 lighters. Some are for when I'm out on the shooing line and can accidentally drop it in the dirt, others are when I am camping and know I need one to light in windy weather and high altitudes, and others are for showing up at a function and wanting to bring a nicer one. That said, two lighters have never failed me: The Blazer Pb-207, and Blazer Z-Plus insert for your Zippo. Are you seeing a running theme yet?

If you already have a Zippo case, the Z-Plus slides right in and costs you 10 bucks. The reservoir is a bit smaller though. If you're a heavy touch-up cigar lighter like me, it'll last you about 20 sticks.


So, there you are. I'm trying to save you some money. You could potentially have a $15 USD lighter and punch cutter deal, and be the coolest kid in the neighborhood. :thumbs:

Thanks for the link to the Zippo insert. I might have to invest in that beens one of my favorite lighters is an anniversary Jack Daniels Zippo :thumbs:

 

[DesertRat]

I use a Colibri punch similar to this one. Works great for me.

 

[lurch]

As far as your lighter situation, I own about 10 lighters. Some are for when I'm out on the shooing line and can accidentally drop it in the dirt, others are when I am camping and know I need one to light in windy weather and high altitudes, and others are for showing up at a function and wanting to bring a nicer one. That said, two lighters have never failed me: The Blazer Pb-207, and Blazer Z-Plus insert for your Zippo. Are you seeing a running theme yet?

If you already have a Zippo case, the Z-Plus slides right in and costs you 10 bucks. The reservoir is a bit smaller though. If you're a heavy touch-up cigar lighter like me, it'll last you about 20 sticks.

Thanks Jon... My wife got me a Zippo not to long ago because the guys at the cigar shop told her a Zippo was the best way to light a cigar. :angry: :laugh: (some shops blow my mind)

Anyways... She had it engraved with my initial but I can't use it...........until now.

Thanks for the link man...

 

[Smokin'Sims]

I agree with Jon on the potential drawbacks on using a punch; however, the benefit is a concentration of smoke coming out per puff. If you do decide to go the punch route I recommended getting on that you turn to expose the punch not a two piece punch. In my limited experience the two piece always starts coming loose and I lose the punch somewhere during the day as it falls off my key ring. There are plenty of one-piece options from a few bucks and up.

 

[junkman_56]

Punch cutters are not "one size fits all".
Using the the same size punch on a Corona and a Robusto (or larger ring gauge) is not a good idea.
The hole will be too small on the Robusto.

I have multiple punch sizes. This allows me to cut the largest hole possible for the ring gauge cigar I'm smoking.

 

[mmburtch]

I like my Swiss Army punch.

As for Colibri, most of their lighters fail after 6 months.

 

[souldog]

As far as your lighter situation, I own about 10 lighters. Some are for when I'm out on the shooing line and can accidentally drop it in the dirt, others are when I am camping and know I need one to light in windy weather and high altitudes, and others are for showing up at a function and wanting to bring a nicer one. That said, two lighters have never failed me: The Blazer Pb-207, and Blazer Z-Plus insert for your Zippo. Are you seeing a running theme yet?

If you already have a Zippo case, the Z-Plus slides right in and costs you 10 bucks. The reservoir is a bit smaller though. If you're a heavy touch-up cigar lighter like me, it'll last you about 20 sticks.

Thanks Jon... My wife got me a Zippo not to long ago because the guys at the cigar shop told her a Zippo was the best way to light a cigar. :angry: :laugh: (some shops blow my mind)

Anyways... She had it engraved with my initial but I can't use it...........until now.

Thanks for the link man...

Glad to hear man!! I had the same thing happen to my wife. She bought my first Zippo, and was all excited about it, but I couldn't use it to smoke until a couple years ago when I purchased that insert. It's still working like a champ too!

 

[tmoney2007]

You can also get a really nice swiss army knife with a cutter on it.

 

[mateo]

well it turns out I don't need a punch after all. I found my xikar cutter and yesterday I smoked my first cigar in over 2 years. a Cohiba Corona. I don't know the exact type of cigar it was but it cost 7.99 at a tobacco shop. I am bidding on a Xikar eris again since I lost the last one. I had to light the cigar with a crappy BIC.