During last year’s IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, S.T.Dupont introduced two brand new cutter designs, both of which had a double guillotine cutter as well an additional function: one has a double guillotine cutter that transforms into a cigar stand, while the subject of today’s review features two different cutters in one product, specifically a double guillotine cutter and a v-cut cutter.

WHAT IS IT?

At its most basic, the S.T.Dupont Double Cigar Cutter is exactly what it looks like: a two-in-one cigar cutter that features both a double guillotine cutter and a v-cut cutter in a single product. When viewed vertically, the v-cut cutter is on the top, while the double guillotine cutter is on the bottom, with the trigger bar located to the left of both openings.

Physically, the cutter measures 3.07 inches long, 1.85 inches wide when it is closed—increasing to 2.75 inches when open—and .4 inches thick while weighing a total of 3.63 ounces. While I could not find a spec sheet on the cutter, after doing a bit of testing I determined that the double guillotine cutter can cut the cap off of anything up to about a 70 ring gauge cigar with ease—and is able to cut a 60 ring gauge cigar completely in half if needed—while the v-cutter can handle anything up to about 64 ring gauge fairly comfortably.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The S.T.Dupont Double Cigar Cutter is available in three very distinctive finishes, all of which carry the same price tag of $209:

  • Red + Black
  • Chrome + Chrome
  • Chrome + Black

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The S.T.Dupont Double Cigar Cutter features two very different options for cutting your cigars: a v-cut on the top and a double guillotine cutter on the bottom. When the trigger is activated, both cutters open at the same time using the same rail, meaning both blades are pushed closed even if you are only cutting a cigar in one of them.

In terms of operation, both blades are released by pushing down on the aforementioned long trigger bar located to the right of the openings. When pushed in with a bit of force, the trigger releases the spring-loaded section outwards with a nice snap, ending its journey when both blades are totally clear of their respective openings. You then put the cap of the cigar into the opening of your choice and apply pressure to the trigger bar, which pushes both blades through the cap and comes to the end of its journey, locking in place with an audible click until you push on the trigger again.

For a period of about six weeks, I used the S.T.Dupont Double Cigar Cutter for pretty much every cigar I smoked, which gave me plenty of time to determine that it has no issues whatsoever in cleanly cutting caps of cigars. I found this to be the case using both the double guillotine cutter and v-cut cutter, regardless of the size or vitola of the cigars, the wrapper the cigars were covered in, or pretty much any other external factors.

THE GOOD

  • Both Cutters Give Great Results — I ended up with nice, clean cuts 99 percent of the time I used both blades, regardless of which of the two styles of cutter I decided to use.
  • Looks Great Visually — The look on the black and red color way I reviewed is very attractive: sleek, stylish and as an added bonus, the fact that the trigger bar is not chrome on this version means that it does not collect fingerprints.
  • Options, Options, Options — Well, actually only two cutting options, but it is extremely convenient to be able to pull one cutter out and have the option to get either a straight cut or a v-cut, depending on your mood or the specific cigar you are smoking.
  • Lightweight, Extremely Portable & Very Well Balanced — Easy to pick up, put in your pocket and forget about while walking around, but with enough weight to give you a nice balance in your hand when actually cutting cigars.
  • Easy to Tell Which Side to Use on the Double Guillotine Cutter — To this day, I still have to make sure that I check to confirm where the bevel is when using straight cutters—the beveled side of the blade goes on the same side as the smaller part of the cap that falls off after you cut it—but because of how obvious it is which side of the opening you stick the cap into for the v-cut, it is a simple matter to determine the same thing for the straight cut.

THE BAD

  • Price — Sure, you are getting two extremely capable cutters in one product, but a price above $200 is still difficult to swallow.
  • Trigger Bar Feels a Bit More Chintzy Than I Expected — Speaking of the price, you would think S.T.Dupont could spring for a trigger bar that does not feel like it has a better than average likelihood of breaking at some point during the cutter’s lifetime. Having said that, at no point during my testing did the trigger give me any issues whatsoever.
  • Fingerprints and Dirt Very Obvious on Chrome Versions — While I did not specifically test a chrome version of this cutter, I played with all three versions at a store, just to compare weights and balance between them. Even in that short amount of time, I found that the chrome was almost impossible to keep clean and shiny, with fingerprints and dirt easily visible after using it just once.
  • Made in China — Some of S.T.Dupont’s cutters are made in France, but this is not one of them.

 

THE COMPETITION

There is a curious lack of options in the category of dual cutters in one product, but the most obvious competition to the S.T.Dupont is the Colibri SV-Cut ($75), which features the same cutter combinations. While the SV-Cut is much less expensive and is built like a tank, the fact that it is much larger, heavier and has a noticeably bulkier case are definitely strikes against it. In addition, it features a design that makes it means that you can’t see both ends of the straight cut when the cut is being made.

Additional Competitors

  • XIKAR VX Key Chain ($44.95) & Craftsman’s Bench Double Blade Cutter ($4) —  Instead of one product, what about two? Both the XIKAR and the Craftsman’s Bench together cost less than $50 and are extremely portable—the XIKAR attaches to your keychain after all—while also not taking up that much room or weighing down your pockets. And while both will give you very good cuts, you still have to have two products with you, and both the XIKAR and the Craftsman’s Bench suffer from minor physical damage when carried around.
  • Palió Table Top Cutter ($125) — Features four different cuts of varying sizes, albeit for less money: two v-cuts and two straight cuts. However, it is so heavy and has such a large footprint that it is not portable in any way, shape or form. In addition, it can only cut up to about 60 ring gauge cigars and it has one of the same issues as the SV-Cut, in that you can not tell exactly how much of the cap you are cutting off since you cannot see the other side of the blade.
  • Colibri Quasar Desktop Cutter ($125) — Although this cutter is both smaller and more portable than the Palió Table Top Cutter, it is basically a square brick with blades and is still not even close to small enough to carry around comfortably. However, it does have the same combination of a double guillotine cutter and a v-cut cutter in one product as the S.T.Dupont. It is built to last and definitely has the advantage when it comes to visual appeal. Unfortunately, it too suffers from the fact that you just can’t pinpoint where the blade is actually cutting, leading you to guess how much of the cap is being taken off every time you use it.
  • 2-in-1 Cutter ($5)— I have not used one of these before, but they are sold in a variety of places and retail for about $5 while featuring a v-cut on one side and a single guillotine cutter on the other. However, the exterior is made of ABS plastic and both cutter choices can only cut cigars up to about 54 ring gauge.

SHOULD YOU BUY IT?

Yes.

I have often wondered why cigar smokers don’t clammer for more options when it comes to products that combine cutting styles, especially when it comes to portable cutters. With that said, when it comes to combining a v-cut cutter and a double guillotine cutter, I can’t think of many improvements that can be made to the S.T.Dupont Double Cigar Cutter. Both blades are sharp and cut extremely well in a variety of circumstances, the cutter itself is extremely portable and it features a design that does not sacrifice balance for size or weight. Yes, the price is hard to swallow, but for your money you are not only getting two extremely capable cutters in one product, but you are also paying a premium for the S.T.Dupont name and design. For me, the bottom line comes down to control: every other dual cutter I have reviewed feature designs that actively work against me when I am trying to cut a cigar, and the fact that the Dupont gives me that control—not only how much I am cutting off, but also in any exact location I want—gives me more than enough reason to pay a premium for it and should be considered by those who like to use straight cuts and v-cuts interchangeably.

Overall Score

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Brooks Whittington

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.