Siglo Hexagon Scissors

While there is no lack of new cutters released by companies every year, most have fairly predictable designs. However, every once in a while, I stumble across a new cutter that looks different than almost any other cigar cutter on the market. One of the most visually unique creations I have seen recently is the Siglo Hexagon Scissors, which is a cutter with two blades and that is designed in the shape of a hexagon that opens and closes in a way that is reminiscent of Pac-Man.

The Siglo brand is part of The Pacific Cigar Co. Ltd., which is also the distributor of Cuban cigars in the Asia Pacific region. In addition to cutters, Siglo sells numerous other cigar accessories, including lighters—like the aptly named Chameleon—cigar cases and ashtrays.

WHAT IS IT?

The Siglo Hexagon Scissors has blades that look like they are from a pair of cigar scissors. It also has handles that look like they are from a pair of cigar scissors. But due to how the blades and handles are assembled together, the result is a cutter that neither looks nor functions like a pair of scissors.

In terms of design, the Hexagon Scissors has two handles that are connected via a single hinge that, when opened, reveals two blades. In addition, while the blades do not come apart on their own, there is not a separate lock of any sort keeping them closed.

There are two different options when it comes to size—Siglo has helpfully labeled them “Small” and “Large”—and according to the company, both the bodies and the blades are made of stainless steel. The “Small” version weighs in at 22 grams and measures 2 inches wide, 2.25 inches high when closed and 2.5 inches high when fully open. The “Large” cutter is what I am reviewing; it weighs just 38 grams and measures 2.5 inches wide, 2.75 inches high when closed and 5 inches when fully open.

Like the rest of Siglo’s products, the Hexagon Scissors comes with a one-year warranty that covers manufactory defects as long as proof of the original invoice is provided.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The Siglo Hexagon Scissors is available in only one color—black—but there are two different sizes: the “Small” version priced at $109 and the “Large” version priced at $116. The prices of both versions include a fitted leather pouch.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The short answer is “not consistently well.”

When I saw the Hexagon cutter for the first time, I knew that it would involve trying out numerous different combinations of angles and positions, which I did. After testing it in different ways, I found a method that seemed to work the best, though it admittedly wasn’t the most intuitive.

My preferred method is as follows:

1. The blades and opening of the cutter are facing down, so the hinge is pointed up in the air.
2. My right hand is going to hold the cutter and my thumb is going to be placed in the handle that is closest to my body. It’s going to go right on top of the blade, smushed in between the outside of the blade area and the inside of the handle. It will be the only finger touching this handle.
3. My middle finger is going to go on the opposite of the blade, basically in the same position as my thumb. In addition, I found it best to put my ring finger towards the bottom area of the handle for more stability.
4. My index finger goes towards the top of the outside of the handle, while my pinky goes on the outside of the bottom of the handle. This is all for stability.

I then place the cap of the cigar in the opening at whatever depth will give me the cut I am looking for and begin to push my fingers closed slowly. That action causes the blades to cut through the cap simultaneously before coming to the end of their journey with a metallic “clink” when the cutter is fully closed.

After testing the Siglo Hexagon Scissors on a total of 46 cigars—some of which were cut for reviews, and some of which were not—19 cigars (41 percent) ended up with issues spanning from minor cracks in the tobacco at the top of the cigar to major damage to the entire cap causing the wrapper to unravel.

In addition, although my method outlined above allowed me to cut cigars with decent results, it is not exactly a comfortable process. This is because my thumb is shoehorned in between the blade and the inside edge of the cutter, although I freely admit that might not be as much of an issue for someone who is not as large as I am.

CAN THIS EVEN BE CONSIDERED A PAIR OF CIGAR SCISSORS?

No.

Scissors are going to look like handles, then the connecting point, then the blades. The Siglo Hexagon Scissors has the handles and blades more or less in the same spot, but the connecting point is placed at the far end.

Cigar scissors provide two big advantages:

1. You can see the cut a lot better than most cutters — because the hand you are holding the cutter with is far away from the blades, it’s a lot easier to line up the cut.
2. The handles can be a lot larger and more comfortable — because the blades and handles are separated, the design of a pair of scissors means you can make the handles as large as you want without making the ergonomics awkward, something that happens with the Hexagon Scissors.

We debated whether the hinge location is a mechanically inefficient design but the halfwheel staff would not be considered experts at things like physics or engineering, so that remains unclear to us. It’s also unclear whether the potential mechanical inefficiency is what’s to blame for the poor cuts. The cutter’s awkwardness causes the blades to move in more than one direction once pressure is applied, which probably doesn’t help. That said, it took noticeably more effort to push the blades through the cap of a cigar compared to a normal pair of actual cigar scissors like the Donatus Big Cut. This became more apparent the thicker the cigar was.

GOOD

• It Is Both Incredibly Thin & Extremely Light — The cutter is almost astoundingly light when held in my hand, which is booth good and bad. While the surface area of the cutter is similar to the XIKAR XO, it is so thin and light that I could put it in my back pocket and forget it was there.
• Visually Interesting — Unique does not even begin to describe the look of this cutter, and while it seems almost too delicate to use at first glance, once you pick it up, you realize that is not an issue.
• The Included Leather Case — Not only is the case well-designed and feels great, but it is also thin enough that it does not add all that much to the overall bulkiness when the cutter is inside of it.

BAD

• It Damaged Around 40 Percent of the Cigars I Cut — The best cutters will cut nearly every cigar without damage. In my experience, that number is probably around 95 percent or better. This cutter cut the majority of cigars well, but 59 percent is not 95 percent, though it does have the same two digits. There are very inexpensive cutters that cut cigars with virtually no issues, which means when a cutter like this has repeated issues, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
• It’s Not a Pair of Scissors — This is the second cutter review in a row of a product that has elements of cigar scissors and the word “scissors” in the name but is definitively not a pair of scissors. As is proven in that review, a good cutter is a good cutter, but if you are looking for the benefits of cigar scissors in a pocketable format, this doesn’t provide them.
• Unintuitive and Awkward — Show this cutter to 10 different people, and nine of them are going to struggle on how to even hold it, let alone actually put it to use. Sure, I got pretty good at using the cutter—eventually—but it took far too long to get to that point, and even after I worked out the best way for me to use it, the awkwardness of using this cutter never disappeared completely and there were still times when I had issues with the resulting cuts.
• Surprisingly Difficult To Use On Thicker Cigars — I had issues actually pushing the blades through the caps of cigars from about 56 ring gauge and up. It is not impossible to get good results with those types of cigars, but it does take significantly more effort and the results are even less consistent.

THE COMPETITION

The most obvious competitor is the 360 Scissor by Elie Bleu ($290.) Neither cutter is actually a pair of cigar scissors, but the Elie Bleu cutter actually works at consistently cutting cigars well. In addition, the 360 Scissor by Elie Bleu is much easier to use and has some added features, like a magnetic closure system. There are some advantages for the Siglo: it’s less than half the price, comes with an included case and is arguably more interesting to look at. That said, only one cutter works well, so the 360 Scissor by Elie Bleu gets my vote over the Siglo Hexagon Scissors.

Additional Competitors

• Fox Figaro 747 ($55) — While it comes in at about half the price of the Siglo Hexagon Scissors, the Figargo 747 is also slightly heavier and a tad thicker than the Siglo. While both cutters struggle with cutting larger ring gauge cigars and both are designed with smaller finger holes, the price difference would push the Fox over the Siglo for me.
• XIKAR Ensō ($99.99) — This might seem like a weird comparison, but if you are looking for a unique-looking cutter at around $100, the Ensō is a great option. Although it is heavier and features a different design compared to the Siglo—it is opened and closed with a handle that you push down from the top—the Ensō cuts cigars significantly better, is easier to use and is better build, all at about the same price as the Hexagon Scissors. I’d recommend the Ensō.
• Davidoff Stainless Steel Pocket Scissor Cigar Cutter ($280) — If you want a pair of pocketable cigar scissors, there are a few options. Although this cutter has a much larger footprint and costs quite a bit more compared to the Siglo, it is also made in France and utilizes a more traditional method of cutting cigars. However, I have not reviewed the Davidoff Scissor Cutter yet, so I can’t provide a direct comparison between the two.
• XIKAR MTX Multi-Tool ($54.95) — The MTX scissors are noted for their ability to fold up—making them the smallest cigar scissors I’ve ever seen—and cut cigars extremely well. In addition, despite the diminutive size, it also includes a bottle opener, a cigar poker and a screwdriver to adjust flame height on lighters. I believe the MTX is still Patrick Lagreid’s preferred cutter and was at one point Charlie Minato’s preferred cutter (I think I even have a pair of his that I borrowed in Cuba and haven’t given back.) The MTX works very well and has a lifetime warranty, it’s a much better product than the Siglo and one every member of halfwheel not only recommends but has personally used as their go-to cutter at one point or another.
• Sisuman Cigar Scissors ($65) — Unlike the other two options, these are smaller cigar scissors that don’t appear to fold. I haven’t used them yet, but a review is likely in the future.

SHOULD YOU BUY IT?

No.

The Siglo Hexagon Scissors is a classic example of form over function: sure, it has a unique visual appeal, but you are going to work considerably harder and pay more than you should have to in order to get decent cuts, and even after spending all that time, effort and money there will be times when you still end up with inferior results. If you are looking for a pair of cigar scissors, there are plenty of products on the market—some of which cost quite a bit less than the Siglos—that will give you much better cuts with significantly less trouble.