XIKAR Perfect Xi1

Earlier this year, Quality Importers Trading Co.—which owns the XIKAR brand of accessories—announced that it was releasing a new version of the well-known—and popular—XIKAR Xi cigar cutter. Known as the Perfect Xi1, the new double guillotine-style cutter is virtually identical to the classic Xi1 cutter, with one notable exception: the addition of a backplate.

According to the company, the backplate was included to help ensure users a smooth cut across the cap of a cigar. However, the most important function of the backplate is that it prevents the user from cutting off too much of their cigar—since you can never go back and take off less than you did the first time—which can cause damage to the wrapper, or worse, cause a wrapper to unravel.

Unlike the normal Xi1 that can be purchased from any number of retailers, the Perfect Xi1 can only be purchased from Smoke Inn, a retailer with locations located across the state of Florida.

“I wanted to make something special, different, for a Smoke Inn branded cutter,” said Abe Dababneh, owner of Smoke Inn, via a press release. “I have always been a fan of XIKAR® cutters and it is my cutter of choice. So when I brought up the idea of a ‘perfect’ style cutter to the QI team, they agreed it was a natural evolution. I am proud to have been part of the process of bringing this new cutter to the masses.”

WHAT IS IT?

The XIKAR Perfect Xi1 is a double guillotine-style cutter in a teardrop-designed case made of aluminum that contains two stainless steel blades. Rather than having two opposed blades that are opened via fingerholes, the XIKAR’s blades are released via a spring-loaded opening mechanism that is activated by pulling down a button on the middle of the cutter’s blades.

In terms of physical specifications, the XIKAR Perfect Xi1 measures 1.75 inches wide when it is closed, 2.75 inches when it is fully open and three inches tall. It is .25 inches thick while weighing in at 2.9 ounces. The cutter also features a backplate, meaning that the amount of cap that can be cut at any one time is limited to about .125 of an inch.

According to the company, it is capable of cutting a 54-ring gauge cigar inside of the body of the cutter—a fact that I can confirm—although you can obviously cut larger ring gauge cigars up to about 60-ring gauge if you are just cutting a bit off of the cap.

As with all of XIKAR’s products, the Xi1 Perfect is covered by a lifetime warranty.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The XIKAR Perfect Xi1 is currently available in seven different finishes, all of which are currently listed for $72.95. A press release said the cutters have an MSRP of $84.99.

• Black
• Silver
• Red
• Blue
• SI America
• SI Nuts & Bolts
• SI Wave

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The classic design of the XIKAR Perfect Xi1 is complemented by the familiar—not to mention exceedingly easy—operation of the double-bladed straight cutter. It features two stainless steel blades on either side, which are opened by pushing down on a small nub located near the middle of the cutter. When that nub is pushed downwards, both of the spring-loaded blades release outward with a surprisingly aggressive clicking sound, revealing the opening.

Next, you place the cap of the cigar into the opening of the cutter and push the blades together, resulting in a straight cut through the cigar. As both blades cut through the cap and come to the end of their journey, they lock in place with another, slightly less aggressive click and stay that way until you push down on the trigger again.

Interestingly, while each blade can be pushed inward separately, it will not lock closed unless both blades are closed at the same time. In addition, there is no way to open only one blade at a time since the cutter is designed to have both blades pop open at once.

After about four weeks of constant use, I can confidently say that the XIKAR Perfect Xi1 is one of the best double-bladed cutters on the market, easily tackling just about every cigar I used it on.

GOOD

• It Cuts Cigars Cleanly & Consistently — The purpose of a cigar cutter is to allow the user to easily cut the caps of cigars with no damage to the cigars, and the XIKAR Perfect Xi1 performs that function extremely well. Out of the 51 cigars I cut with it prior to writing this review, there were only three that had any sort of problem, and those were all extremely minor in nature.
• It Is Easy To Use — Just pick the cutter up, put the cigar cap into the opening until it won’t go any further and push the blades together. It is a process that takes longer to say out loud than it is to actually perform it.
• The Back Cover Catches Vast Majority of Tobacco Cuttings — One of the advantages of the back cover on this cutter is that any tobacco you cut off of the cigar is caught and held nicely by the closed blades. When you are ready, just push the button to trigger the blades and the remnants fall out wherever you want them to.
• A Great Choice To Give To Beginners — While it will work well for anyone, the XIKAR Perfect Xi1 might be one of the best cutters to give as a gift to people just starting out in their cigar-smoking journey due to its ease of use and low likelihood of screwing up the process. For someone like a novice—or someone who smokes with lots of novices—this cutter will most likely lead to fewer damaged cigars compared to using cutters sans back plates.

BAD

• The Backplate Makes It Impossible To See Exactly How Much Of The Cap You Are Going To Cut — While it can be a positive addition, I have long disliked backplates for two simple reasons. The first is that it means most of the usable visibility is blocked. With a normal double guillotine, you can not only see the cut as it’s happening but also can get a pretty accurate idea of how much of the cap is going to be removed. With the backplate, that visibility is mostly blocked. Yes, you could gauge how much is going to be taken off by looking at the bottomside of the cutter and seeing how much of the cigar will be left, but it’s not as telling as looking at how much of the cap is about to be cut.
• The Backplate Limits How Much You Can Cut Off In A Single Cut — The backplate limits you to taking off at most an eighth of an inch. You could cut off less, but I like the ability to make one cut. With pretty much any vitola that has a pointed cap, your cigar is likely going to need to have more than an eighth of an inch of the tip removed. While the XIKAR works well enough, I’d rather make one cut and not risk the cigar unraveling on a second cut. This would also apply to any cigar with a protruded cap like Drew Estate’s Liga Privada UF-13 Dark.
• It Is Already Showing Some (Minor) Wear — I used this cutter for about a month, which included carrying it around in my pocket with my keys and change as well as keeping it in my work bag. After that amount of time, the main body of the cutter is fine, but the edges are showing some noticeable wear in spots where the finish is coming off.
• Sometimes Tobacco Gets Stuck  — While it was great that I did not have to worry about little pieces of tobacco spilling everywhere after cutting—since they were caught between the (closed) blades and the back plate—sometimes, those pieces did not come out of said opening very easily. A sharp smack usually dislodged them, but there were times when I had to shake the cutter over and over to get everything out or worse, dig the pieces out with my finger.

THE COMPETITION

While the teardrop design of the XIKAR Perfect Xi1 is fairly unique in the cigar accessory world, double guillotine cutters are not. Having said that, perhaps the most obvious competitor is actually not yet out. XIKAR planned to have a Perfect Xi2 cutter on sale by the end of 2023, something that seems unlikely to happen.

For the moment, people considering this cutter will also probably consider the original version, the XIKAR Xi1 ($94.99.) The two cutters are the same in pretty much every way other than the addition of the back plate on the XIKAR Perfect Xi1: the same ergonomic design, the same ease of use, and the same excellent results. If forced to choose, I would take the original Xi1 due to the fact that it gives me more control over how much of the cap I can remove.

Additional Competitors

• XIKAR Xi2 ($54.99) & XIKAR Xi3 ($114.99) — Both of these feature the same design as the Xi1 but there are some differences between them. Most notably, the body of the Xi2 is made of a composite material instead of aluminum, while the body of the Xi3 is stainless steel. I have not reviewed either of the other XIKAR cutters, so I can’t give a detailed comparison or make a recommendation yet. Editor’s Note: Functionally, I have the Xi1, Xi2 and Xi3 to perform identical in terms of cuts. — Charlie Minato.
• Original Perfect Cigar Cutter ($26.99) — The body of this cutter is made of brushed stainless steel, it has stainless steel blades and it cuts up to 54-ring gauge cigars. It also comes in at a much lower cost compared to the XIKAR. I have not reviewed the Original Perfect Cigar Cutter, so I can’t give a detailed comparison or give a recommendation between the two cutters yet.
• Lotus Meteor ($59.99) — Both cutters are built with a back plate and are operated in very similar ways, but the Lotus can cut larger cigars up to 64-ring gauge as opposed to the XIKAR’s 60-ring gauge limit. In addition, the XIKAR is significantly lighter and has a smaller footprint compared to the Lotus, but also about $20 more expensive. Both cutters cut cigars very well, but if I had to choose between the two, I would take the XIKAR over the Lotus due to the Xi1 Perfect’s smaller size.
• Colibri S-Cut [ez-cut] ($49) — This is a version of Colibri’s S-Cut that is built with a back plate and comes in about $22 less expensive than the Xi1. While it can cut larger cigars compared to the XIKAR—up to 66 ring gauge—it has a larger footprint, comes in just one color option and only includes a two-year warranty. I have not reviewed this specific Colibri model, so I can’t give a detailed comparison or give a recommendation between the two cutters yet.
• Visol Xenon Brushed Finish Guillotine Cigar Cutter ($15.30) — The Xenon cuts up to 60-ring gauge cigars and costs quite a bit less than the XIKAR Perfect Xi1, but it features a more conventional design and weighs a bit more than the XIKAR. I have not reviewed the Xenon, so I can’t give a detailed comparison or give a recommendation between the two cutters yet.
• Visol Tahoe ($3.50) — While both cutters can cut up to 54 ring gauge with no problems and include back plates, the Tahoe has a body made of plastic and comes in at only $3.50 each. I have not reviewed the Tahoe, so I can’t give a detailed comparison or give a recommendation between the two cutters yet.

SHOULD YOU BUY IT?

Absolutely.

There is a reason the Xi is considered a classic cutter by many in the industry: it just works. The XIKAR Perfect Xi1 continues that legacy by giving me virtually no issues with the cigars I used it on over a month-long period. Sure, I find it annoying that the backplate stops me from being able to see exactly how much I am cutting off of the cap—and also limits how much of the cap I can cut at one time—but its inclusion will help some people quite a bit and does not negatively affect the actual cuts. In the end, the combination of great results, ease of use, great results and wonderful construction makes the XIKAR Perfect Xi1 a winner in my book and well worth the money it takes to purchase one.

The cutter for this review was purchased by halfwheel.