Xikar Cutter

Spike from Ft Lauderdale, FL reviewed the XIKAR HAVANA COLLECTION 5 COUNT CASE

What I love about this is that it can stay in my golf bag - in my trunk regardless of the temperature and the cigars stay fresh. The longest I have left it sealed for was 6 months because my golf clubs were out of town. When I opened it up I was so surprised to see the cigar was just right.Not Classy looking, extraordinarily durable Just a couple drops of distilled water and your are good to go.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Durable, Highly Functional
Cons: Not Sleek, Wont fit in pocket
Describe Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

Sleek, classy, and functional are the words that come to mind when describing this Havana Collection travel case. Features include:

1 mini humidifier

Super-strong ABS molded plastic construction

Airtight, watertight silicone seal

Stainless steel hinge and latch hinges

High density urethane foam

Manufacturer's lifetime guarantee

Made in the USA

Holds 5 cigars!

Q from Billings. Montana reviewed the XIKAR HAVANA COLLECTION 5 COUNT CASE

Golf course

Bottomline:

Rating:

Pros: Great Value, Highly Functional
Best Uses: Everyday
Describe Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

Sleek, classy, and functional are the words that come to mind when describing this Havana Collection travel case. Features include:

1 mini humidifier

Super-strong ABS molded plastic construction

Airtight, watertight silicone seal

Stainless steel hinge and latch hinges

High density urethane foam

Manufacturer's lifetime guarantee

Made in the USA

Holds 5 cigars!

stogiedan from Bakersfield, Ca reviewed the XIKAR HAVANA COLLECTION 5 COUNT CASE

Very solid, secure, keeps fresh & undamaged. Small enough to carry in car, suitcase or golf bag.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Easy travel companion, Great for golf bags, Great Value, Highly Functional
Best Uses: Business trips, Golf trips, Weekend getaway
Describe Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

Sleek, classy, and functional are the words that come to mind when describing this Havana Collection travel case. Features include:

1 mini humidifier

Super-strong ABS molded plastic construction

Airtight, watertight silicone seal

Stainless steel hinge and latch hinges

High density urethane foam

Manufacturer's lifetime guarantee

Made in the USA

Holds 5 cigars!

The Bat from Aberdeen, Ohio reviewed the XIKAR GIFT SET SAMPLER

Very good cigars, great smokes, and the cutter is no slouch. I enjoyed this set.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Enhances Smoking, Great Value
Best Uses: Gifts, Special Occasions
Describe Yourself: Cigar Aficionado

Put together precision German engineering, high quality Central American cigar-artisanship, and a huge Thompson-size discount and what do you get? Answer: the perfect gift, our Premium 5pk Xikar Set. First, you'll get a Xikar Xi2 Cutter made in Solingen, Germany. The Xikar Xi2 Cutter sports the hardest, sharpest cutting blade in the industry and a lightweight nylon-fiberglass composite body. Next, you'll get five premium Robusto size cigars from some of the biggest names in the business, one each of Zino Classic, Avo Classic, Ashton Magnum, Montecristo Afrique, and Gold by Rocky Patel. Finally, the big ole' Thompson discount. Normally this set would retail for more than $75 but, while supplies last, it yours here for only $59!

Goalieguy from San Jose, CA reviewed the XIKAR GIFT SET SAMPLER

This sampler was much better than i had expected. The cigars were first rate and the cutter is the best ive had.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Great Value, Highly Functional
Best Uses: Events, Everyday, Gifts
Describe Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

Put together precision German engineering, high quality Central American cigar-artisanship, and a huge Thompson-size discount and what do you get? Answer: the perfect gift, our Premium 5pk Xikar Set. First, you'll get a Xikar Xi2 Cutter made in Solingen, Germany. The Xikar Xi2 Cutter sports the hardest, sharpest cutting blade in the industry and a lightweight nylon-fiberglass composite body. Next, you'll get five premium Robusto size cigars from some of the biggest names in the business, one each of Zino Classic, Avo Classic, Ashton Magnum, Montecristo Afrique, and Gold by Rocky Patel. Finally, the big ole' Thompson discount. Normally this set would retail for more than $75 but, while supplies last, it yours here for only $59!

OV Paul from Ventura, Ca reviewed the XIKAR CRYSTAL HUMIDIFIER

Purchased one month ago and working fine. The only problem was it leaked the water absorbent crystals before I added solution but no leak afterwards.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Highly Functional
Cons: Leaks crystals
Best Uses: Everyday
Describe Yourself: Cigar Aficionado

This crystal humidifier from Xikar has a slow and steady release of constant 70% humidity. Each fill lasts up to 90 days before the next re-fill. The unit regulates humidity for up to 250 cigars, but will easily fit into smaller humidors. This unit is compact and can fit anywhere in your humidor, stand it up if you have room or put it on the bottom and it will work just fine. Ideally the best place is the inside of the lid so you can pack your space with more precious cigars. Humidifiers don’t come easier to use. Just unscrew the top, re-soak, and place it back in your humidor! Use our PG solution that regulates the RH (relative humidity) at 70%, the perfect environment to keep your prized smokes.

Jet Green from NJ reviewed the XIKAR CRYSTAL HUMIDIFIER

This is the best and easiest product to buy to maintain your humidors.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Great Value, Highly Functional
Cons: None
Best Uses: Everyday
Describe Yourself: Aspiring Aficionado

This crystal humidifier from Xikar has a slow and steady release of constant 70% humidity. Each fill lasts up to 90 days before the next re-fill. The unit regulates humidity for up to 250 cigars, but will easily fit into smaller humidors. This unit is compact and can fit anywhere in your humidor, stand it up if you have room or put it on the bottom and it will work just fine. Ideally the best place is the inside of the lid so you can pack your space with more precious cigars. Humidifiers don’t come easier to use. Just unscrew the top, re-soak, and place it back in your humidor! Use our PG solution that regulates the RH (relative humidity) at 70%, the perfect environment to keep your prized smokes.

Paramedics from Hartford, CT reviewed the XIKAR CRYSTAL HUMIDIFIER

Way easy to use and reuse. Works at tehy said it will work.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Enhances Smoking, Great Value, Highly Functional
Cons: None At This TIme
Best Uses: Events, Everyday, Gifts, Special Occasions
Describe Yourself: Cigar Aficionado, Special Occasion Smoker

This crystal humidifier from Xikar has a slow and steady release of constant 70% humidity. Each fill lasts up to 90 days before the next re-fill. The unit regulates humidity for up to 250 cigars, but will easily fit into smaller humidors. This unit is compact and can fit anywhere in your humidor, stand it up if you have room or put it on the bottom and it will work just fine. Ideally the best place is the inside of the lid so you can pack your space with more precious cigars. Humidifiers don’t come easier to use. Just unscrew the top, re-soak, and place it back in your humidor! Use our PG solution that regulates the RH (relative humidity) at 70%, the perfect environment to keep your prized smokes.

Ahab from Cleveland, GA reviewed the XIKAR EXECUTIVE LIGHTER GUNMETAL

This is a good, hot lighter. Fully adjustable flame and doesn't use fuel at an unreasonable rate.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Enhances Smoking, Great Value, Highly Functional
Best Uses: Everyday
Describe Yourself: Special Occasion Smoker

XIKAR proudly presents the next step in a renowned line of innovative cigar accessories. The Executive lighter was developed for our customers seeking high quality, functionality and sophistication in every facet of their smoking. By targeting and solving problems of other lighters, XIKAR has truly broken the mold with affordability in mind by introducing the Executive.

This design places the trigger along the body of the lighter so one’s finger no longer needs to be perilously close to the flame (goodbye burned fingertips!) The oversized adjustment wheel ensures a quick flame adjustment for any occasion. A simple push on the side of the lighter simultaneously opens the lid and ignites a powerful jet flame perfect for cigars, cigarettes or that campfire that needs a little encouragement.

Nephew Ned from Pocono Mtns. PA. reviewed the XIKAR EXECUTIVE LIGHTER GUNMETAL

This lighter is reliable, provided you use good butane fuel. I used Ronson and it performed awful, but now use Vector and it lights up every time. I recommend this lighter.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Great Value, Highly Functional
Best Uses: Everyday
Describe Yourself: Cigar Aficionado

XIKAR proudly presents the next step in a renowned line of innovative cigar accessories. The Executive lighter was developed for our customers seeking high quality, functionality and sophistication in every facet of their smoking. By targeting and solving problems of other lighters, XIKAR has truly broken the mold with affordability in mind by introducing the Executive.

This design places the trigger along the body of the lighter so one’s finger no longer needs to be perilously close to the flame (goodbye burned fingertips!) The oversized adjustment wheel ensures a quick flame adjustment for any occasion. A simple push on the side of the lighter simultaneously opens the lid and ignites a powerful jet flame perfect for cigars, cigarettes or that campfire that needs a little encouragement.

Corvettebyron from New York reviewed the XIKAR EXII HAVANA LIGHTER BLACK

This lightrt is very functional and really finished well enogh to be a great gift.

Bottomline: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Rating:

Pros: Enhances Smoking, Great Finish, Great Value, Highly Functional, Really is Windproff
Best Uses: Gifts, Special Occasions
Describe Yourself: Cigar Aficionado

The bold beauty of Havana can now be yours with the EXII Havana Collection windproof lighter. To create this collector-quality item, we gave our original EX windproof lighter a complete upgrade, including polished steel casings and the finest Havana cigar band reproduction art ever made. Each of the 5 color variation patterns on the EXII contains unique cigar band designs taken from original decoupage artwork that made Xikar’s Xi3 Havana Collection Cigar Cutters an instant classic. The artwork shown here adorns both sides of the EXII lighter, inside an extremely durable dome label.

Flip the protective lid and push down on a large thumb trigger to ignite a single windproof flame that will stand up to the most rigorous lighting conditions. A large adjustment wheel ensures easy flame height changes. LIFETIME WARRANTY

I'm about to do something I rarely do and recommend a product I can't own myself. Don't worry ... I can explain.

Though as I get older I'm taking better care of my possessions, in some areas I'm still someone who can't have nice things. Cigar lighters are among these categories. I lose them far too often to be trusted with anything too valuable, as they are as likely to wind up in my friends' or acquaintances' pockets as they are my own at the end of the night.

But if I could have nice things, I would get myself the Xikar EXII Havana lighter. Like the rest of the Xikar Havana collection, it has a retro look to it, with the old-school cigar band design that looks like it should be sold in a gallery or museum shop along with online at Thompson Cigar.

It's guaranteed to cause everyone around you to take a closer look at it. Well, that's not technically true. That's just extremely likely. But it does carry with it a lifetime warranty, as well as a large thumb trigger that makes lighting a breeze and a flame stable enough to light your premium cigars in winds that would make an ordinary lighter ineffective.

But the fact that it looks so striking makes me reluctant to buy it for myself. I know that I'll lose track of it as it's being passed around, and when I pat my pocket at the end of the night it won't be around. If you are better able to monitor your prized possessions than I am, however, this is one cigar accessory that will make you stand out from the crowd.

As a gadget guy and an amateur camper, I have a bunch of Swiss Army knives and Leathermans in my arsenal. You never can have too many of those, I always say.

But if you know someone with similar tastes who uses those tools to cut their cigars, do them a favor and point them towards the cigar multitools available at Thompson Cigar.

These cigar multitools, from the geniuses at Xikar, start with the principle that everyone deserves the right to have every cigar accessory they need in the same compact and convenient package. They not only are a cigar scissors, but also have a cigar box opener and cigar poker, as well as a screwdriver and bottle opener. And it weighs just an ounce and fits on a key chain.

I'm not saying that the Xikar cigar multitools should replace your deluxe Swiss Army Knife in your camping gear. It's not going to be quite as useful as that if you're roughing it in the nature and could find yourself attacked by a bear. But if you're planning on attacking premium cigars instead of wildlife, you need something that will do those Perdomo Cigars justice, and this does the trick. It's a lot better than trying to saw through your cigar by the campfire, and believe me, I speak from sad experience on that count.

When buying cigar accessories, do you focus more on looks or functionality?

Personally, I like a particular style of cigar humidor: Wood, natural-looking, with creative designs if possible but nothing too crazy.  To me, they are as much art or furniture (depending on the size) as functional objects. Obviously I expect them to be able to do their job of keeping my premium cigars fresh, but I'm willing to pay more to do so for a humidor that gives me pleasure to look at even when I'm not reaching into it for cigars.

The Art Deco 60-Count Humidor, for example, is my kind of storage device. It's obvious even at a glance that this is a humidor, thanks to the exterior hygrometer, but I love the tone of the wood and the way the colors merge. There are cheaper humidors available, but I have no regrets that I spent the money for this one.

For cigar cutters, on the other hand, I'm more concerned with functionality. They stay in my pocket or on the table until I cut some quality cigars, and then go back in my pocket. I usually pay more attention to price when I buy these, in part because I tend to lose them -- cigar cutters and sunglasses are the two things I lose often enough that I don't allow myself to buy nice ones because I can't be trusted to take care of them.

Now, if I had something like the Xikar Xi3 Havana Collection Cutter, that would be a dream come true. I love the idea of owning something that functional and beautiful. But unless any of you fine people are buying that for me for the holidays, none of the cutters I own will be treated with as much reverence as my humidors are.

How about you? Do you value appearance over functionality in your cigar accessories?

My house seems to have a front yard that draws migrating leaves from around the neighborhood. We have just one tree that sheds in the fall, but for some reason the wind seems to carry everything from our neighborhood, and possibly from Canada, onto my property for me to rake.

Raking leaves is not my favorite thing in the world, but I do it because I don't want to pay someone else to do yard work and my son isn't old enough to take over yet. But I can only do so with my iPod and my cigars, to make the time go faster and seem slightly more enjoyable.

And oh, one more thing. I need my cigar ashtray close at hand as well.

That's because I'm always afraid that a stray spark and some bits of dried leaves will combine to start a fire and burn everything down. It seems like an unlikely scenario, but a passing firefighter warned me about it once and that has stuck in my head ever since.

I use a cigar lighter for the flame, so there's no worries about matches. But because I don't have an outdoor ashtray near my garage, I put my Xikar Havana black ceramic ashtray there instead and use it every time I pass by. That makes everyone feel safer, and I am proud to report that I have not yet burned my house down. Though, in fairness, I do still have a lot of leaves on the ground that I'll have to deal with at some point.

Every news source this time of year has a selection of the most outlandish presents to give the person who has everything, items costing a zillion dollars that look very cool and will be appreciated for at least 2% as long as it would take for most of us to pay them off.

Thompson Cigar doesn't have anything quite like that -- I checked, and there are no cigars made with rare minerals and encrusted with gold dust for $10,000 each -- but I thought it might be fun to put together a holiday gift set that would be perfect if you have a ton of money to spend and a recipient who would appreciate only the finest of the finer things in life. I'm not going to pick the smokes, but stick to the cigar accessories that would accompany the recipients premium cigars.

Since every cigar needs to be lit, the Davidoff China-Lacquer Palladium Lighter does so with style and panache, and while it won't make any king of Wall Street blanch at the price tag, its  $985 is the priciest of the lighters here. The Xikar Havana Collection cigar cutter is literally my favorite cigar accessory we sell, and is a relative bargain at $299.  And the cigars can all go in the new Davidoff Rosewood Century Humidor, as great a humidor as you'll ever find for a shade under $2000.

That means you can buy all  three for around $3300, plus all applicable taxes. If you need someone to get these for, let me know and I'll send you my name and address. But anyone who wants the best of the best and doesn't mind paying what it takes to get it can find plenty of winners here.

If you're looking to get a gift for a cigar lover and don't know what their tastes are, cigar accessories always make a safe gift. In particular, I'd like to extol the virtue of cigar cases as excellent options for when you are in doubt about what to get.

First, the caveat. You're very unlikely to be getting the recipient the first cigar case they have ever owned. Odds are good that they already have one or more lying around. If the only purpose of a case was to transport a cigar from the humidor to the smoking location, they would be purely functional objects that would sell for pennies and that nobody would care about.

But most cigar cases aren't like that. They're designed not just to serve and protect premium cigars, but to carry them around in the style that they deserve. Let's be honest -- whipping out a cigar from a Xikar Envoy Single cigar case is a lot different than breaking something out of a tubo. The latter is purely something that keeps a cigar fresh, while the former is designed to impress as much as the smoke that comes out of it.

That's why the cigar smokers I know tend to accumulate cases like golfers do golf towels or extra clubs. Just because you have a little bit of something doesn't mean that you don't want more, and that's particularly true with goods like cigar cases that come in so many different colors, sizes, and styles. It doesn't matter whether the person you're buying a present for already has a dozen cases ... he still will want more, and he'll realize that as soon as he opens the gift.

I think we've established at this point that I tend to lose things. Well, perhaps not lose, but misplace to a point where I probably won't find them again until we move and they crawl out from a forgotten box or the back of a little-used desk drawer. My mind may be organized, but my cigar accessories, not so much.

That sometimes leads to severe consequences, and I think I'm having one now because try as I might, I can't find my Xikar Ultra Slim Cutter.

The frustrating thing is that I remember the last time I had it -- the last time I traveled on business. I remember putting it in my laptop bag before going through security at the airport. I remember unpacking the laptop bag once I got home. And yet ... I have no recollection of what happened to the cutter. It has simply vanished.

That's more unusual because I'm always very careful with my cigar cutters, because I have kids and am worried that I will someday come home to a legless Barbie doll thanks to a son who finds one and tests it out on his sisters toys (or worse -- there's a scene in the movie "Darkman" where the villain cuts off appendages with a cutter that still gives me nightmares). So I always make sure that I put those and the cigar lighters someplace where they are out of reach and won't be easily found. This time, I apparently did too good of a job.

Are you more careful with your things? Make me feel less alone here by letting me know what's the most precious cigar or cigar accessory that you have ever lost (and if you really want to make me feel better, let me know that you found it again later).

If you keep cigars in the office, and particularly if you often smoke socially at work, you need some quality cigar accessories for the office. While any old beat-up cigar lighter might work in the privacy of your own home, you probably don't want to break that out when the boss or a valued client comes by for a quick puff.

For a cigar lighter that will win raves for both its looks and its performance, check out the Xikar Havana Collection Tabletop Lighter. It's something any CEO would be proud to own and use, both for its looks and its practicality.

No maker of cigar accessories does a better job of capturing the modern art vibe than Xikar does. You see that throughout the Havana collection, with the retro artwork and wrappers combining to make something that looks like it should be sold in a museum shop. Even for non-smokers, it is a conversation piece as much as any print or sculpture decorating the office.

But if you actually want to use this to, you know, smoke cigars, it's one of the best in its class at performance as well. The Xikar Havana Collection Tabletop Lighter has a squeeze ignition with a flame that can easily be tweaked with the large fuel adjustment wheel. The inversion safety, meanwhile, helps keep accidents from happening, a must for a cigar lighter that is crying out to be touched. With a cigar accessory like this one, even the non-smokers may be temped to give a cigar a try just to get a chance to see this baby in action.

My grandfather smoked cigars throughout his life, and as far as I know he never used cigar cutters. Indeed, he was famous for biting off the end of his cigars with a flourish and spitting it into a cup just before lighting up.

Because of that, when I first started smoking cigars I figured I would take on the tradition and handle my cigars the same way. And then I discovered that doing that is a great way to ruin a fine cigar.

More than anything else, I find that those who are new smokers ruin cigars by inadequate cutting methods, whether it is via the biting method or by using household objects like a dull kitchen scissors or knife blade in need of sharpening to do the job. Someone who doesn't smoke all that often and wants to spend money on cigars instead of cigar accessories can often find that money wasted by a poor cut.

That's why I tend to give cigar cutters, like the Xikar Cutter XI Burgundy, to people I know who are either new smokers or very occasional smokers. I know that many might prefer a selection of premium cigars, but I don't see a point in buying cigars if I don't think the recipient has a way of getting them ready to smoke properly. A fine cigar cutter like this one doesn't cost an arm and a leg and helps make any cigar a better smoke. Unless you're as much of an expert at biting the end off a cigar as my grandfather was, and based on my experience I assume that this is not genetic, but comes only from years of practice.