Welcome back once again my friends to another week of me battling this dang cold with a sore throat, cough and taste buds that seem to have been burnt off at the roots.

I am going to talk just a little bit about different cuts on cigars this week. I know most of you will groan but there are a lot of newer smokers or even veterans that have never seen nor tried anything other than the standard straight cut, so this is for you. I will not go into much depth on these cuts as you can ask questions in the comments or email if you wish. I just wanted to give a nice picture of each cut and tell you what I like or dislike about each one so hopefully you can broaden your cigar experiences by giving them a shot yourself.

Straight Cut

Let us start off with the most common type of cut that most people have used at one point or another in their smoking lifetime.

Basically this cut can be performed with and single blade guillotine, a dual blade guillotine, or even a pair of scissors. You have so many choices for straight cutting a cigar that you could get overwhelmed right up front.

For personal experience with this type of cut you can start off with a cheap plastic job and then progress up through the nicer cutters or you can start off in the higher end if you want, it really doesn’t matter except for the following. I will say the MTX scissors and the Xikar cutters have a bit of a learning curve but Kurt does a great job explaining the use of the Xi series of cutters in this video.

I received both my Xi and the MTX cutter as gifts from a very nice and generous man (whom I still need to bomb the hell out of – I did not forget you my friend, I need to build up some good sticks worthy of a nuclear attack) and they both stay in my pocket at all times.

V-Cut

As you can see the V-cutter creates an inward V to get you past the cap(s) but not totally remove it the entire way around the cigar.

I have heard of a lot of people having trouble with this cut as you have to make sure to keep the cigar firmly planted the the inset of the cutter so the notched V cut will evenly remove tobacco the whole way through. I admit, I have to run a cigar through the v-cutter twice sometimes to get it even the whole way across.

I only have experience with the Wolf plastic v-cutter which is okay but dis not last very long for me. I am going to try and get my hands on one of the Xikar VX cutters which is an all metal v-cutter. I think that one will do a much nicer job than the plastic ones.

V-cutters are bulky. No way around it. If you compare the size of a v-cutter to a normal gullotine or the MTX it is 3 to 4 times as deep (yes, I am guesstimating). I do not keep one in my pocket for this reason. I do however have it at the house, on the table right next to my big red comfy chair.

Punch

In my estimation, the punch is the second most common type of cut people use on a cigar. I myself used this cut almost entirely for my first 2 years of smoking cigars. Well smoking cigars that needed to be cut.

By far, this is the most troublesome cut I have ever used. I had tar problems, horrible draw problems, cracked cigars, etc. I would end up straight cutting over the punch at least 50% of the time. It could be because I always used cheap punches but I am leaning more towards the fact that I used smaller gauge punches.

Oh yea, as you read above you can get different sized punches for different ring gauge cigars or even just personal preference.

I still like the punch but the v-cutter would be my second favorite next to the straight cut right now.

Bye

As I said in the beginning this was just a simple look at 3 types of cutters, the most prominent ones, just to show everyone a picture of each along with a bit of a personal view on how each has worked for me.

Ask any questions in the comments below about the cutters mentioned above or even what your favorite way to cut a cigar is.

After typing all of this up, I noticed Walt did a much better look at cutters two years ago.

For those of you who come here often, you already know or at least have an idea of what The Little Robusto Project is. “Little Robusto” was the affectionate nickname I gave my son JJ. Sadly, JJ passed away on November 2, 2007 from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) while at daycare when he was just 3.5 months old. When JJ was born, the first cigar I smoked to celebrate his birth was the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ. A cigar blended by father (Jose Pepin Garcia) and son (Jaime Garcia) team at My Father Cigars. Even though JJ isn’t with us anymore, I still celebrate his birthday. Every July 22nd, I light up a Series JJ just like I did when he was born. Many of you have joined me every year and so, Smoke a JJ for JJ Day was born.

In 2010, for Smoke a JJ for JJ Day, my good friend Barry from acigarsmoker.com and others raised money for SIDS. It was a such a popular social media event that it caught the attention of My Father Cigars who joined and participated, even matching the money that Barry and others raised. This was the beginning of The Little Robusto Project. From retailers to bloggers, many had a hand in this and I’m really not sure whose idea it actually was but there was enough support for My Father Cigars to make a special “Little Robusto” version of the Series JJ to raise money for SIDS.

At IPCPR this year when we were talking to Jose Ortega, it was officially announced that the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ “Little Robusto” (pictured above) would be made. Earlier this week I heard from Jose that the “Little Robusto” was rolled, boxed and started shipping. The “Little Robusto” is a 4.5 x 50 short robusto. It features a Broadleaf maduro wrapper with Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo filler. 300 (24 count) boxes were made with a MSRP of $6 a cigar (doesn’t include any taxes).

Where Does My Money Go? – This will vary by retailer as I’ve left it up to them to decide what percentage will go to two charities:

The Center for Infant and Child Loss works with Maryland families and communities facing the sudden unexpected death of their infant or child as they learn to live with their loss. The Center is committed to increasing the understanding of sudden infant and child death, risk reduction practices, grief, and compassionate intervention.

First Candle – First Candle is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life. Their current priority is to eliminate Stillbirth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) with programs of research, education and advocacy.

Like I said, I left the actual percentage up to each individual retailer. Your mileage will vary but I’m happy to say some retailers have already committed that 100% will go to charity.

Where Do I Buy The Little Robusto? – There are a dozen or so shops that agreed to carry the “Little Robusto” months ago. I haven’t received confirmation from all of them indicating that they are still onboard but I can tell you some retailers like W.Curtis Draper, Buckhead Cigar, Cigar Connections, Delaware Cigars, Ruben’s Smoke Stack, Smoke Inn and Atlantic Cigar have confirmed and the “Little Robusto” should be showing up at those locations this week. I believe some already got them in. I’ll update this post as I hope the retailer list grows.

Personal Note – I want to thank My Father Cigars especially Jose Ortega and Janny Garcia for making this happen. Like true friends you asked nothing of me and offered to do this out of the goodness of your heart. I also want to thank my retailer, blogger, online and real life friends (some of you fall into multiple categories). Whenever you guys saw Jose Ortega at events you always asked about the status of The Little Robusto Project. You never forget about him. You know, when JJ passed away we had prayer cards made. One part of that prayer card read:

When you are lonely and sick of heart,
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing
good deeds.

I hope this classifies as a good deed and that my “Little Robusto” is a little prouder of his papa.

1. Size Matters – Size matters but I’ll keep this in the context of cigars. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve smoked a particular cigar and completely wrote the cigar off as not being enjoyable only to try it again in another size and be a completely different experience. Size matters and the more I do this blogging thing I’ve realized the importance of trying cigars, for the most, in all the sizes. Personally robusto and corona seem to be the two sizes that fit me. There are exceptions and in the past this hasn’t been true. But right now, thats where I’m at. Size matters.

2. It’s Okay to NOT Follow the Rules – We’ve all seen the list of rules for smoking cigars. From how to cut, light, hold and ash your cigar to how to extinguish it. From where to buy your cigars and for us bloggers, how to properly review a cigar. What a sad and boring world we’d live in if we all did everything the same. Fuck em! Cut and light your cigar the way you enjoy it. Buy your cigars from who you want. Review your cigars the way you want to. If anyone tells you differently…fuck em. It’s okay to NOT follow the rules.

3. Cigars Can be a Band Aid – Not literally. For the past four years the month of November has always been mentally challenging for me. There are days where I’m more zombie like than human. As most of you know on November 2, 2007 I lost my Little Robusto to SIDS while in daycare when he was 3.5 months old. I can’t tell you the outpouring of support I received then and still do from the cigar community. Recently when we had to rebuild the site, I came across a page that was severely outdated that had the following quote from George Sand:

How true…When I’m in the dumps missing the Little Robusto. I’ll step outside, light a cigar and relive the million gracious smiles JJ blessed us with. Sarah Kay says she writes poems to figure things out…I smoke cigars to relive gone but not forgotten smiles. Cigars can be a band aid.

The generosity of the cigar community never ceases to amaze me. I’d like to thank our long time friend JerseyJay who is graciously holding a tribute and contest on his blog, CigarPhoto.net. You can read more about Jay’s contest to raise awareness for this event and for SIDS in general. I appreciate everyone who helps me keep the memory of my Little Robusto alive. Thanks Jay.

We are deviating from cigar photography today to recognize a special day – ‘ JJ for JJ Day.’ Cigar community gathers every year on July 22nd to honor the memory of the ‘Little Robusto.’ For those who are not familiar with this tribute, ‘Little Robusto’, who passed away at the age of 3.5months from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is the son of widely recognized and respected cigar blogger – Jerry Cruz (stogiereview.com). This special day is recognized by smoking a cigar made by Don Pepin Garcia, appropriately called ‘Series JJ.’

In 2010, my fellow blogger and a friend – Barry Stein from acigarsmoker.com has initiated a generous fundraiser to recognize the ‘Little Robusto.’ We are now in 2011 and I would like to echo Barry’s generosity and continue with the tradition.

This year we are announcing a very simple contest. Tomorrow, on July 22nd, 2011, gather virtually with the rest of the cigar community and smoke a Don Pepin Garcia ‘Series JJ.’ Take a photograph of yourself smoking a ‘Series JJ’ cigar and submit it via email to jay at cigarphoto.net. Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm EDT on July 22nd, 2011. Random winner will be selected and announced on Monday, July 25th, 2011. All photographs will be posted on cigarphoto.net blog. Winner will receive a box of My Father Le Bijou 1922.

Take your time, enjoy your ‘Series JJ’ cigar and remember our ‘Little Robusto.’

Wow! Its hard to believe my Little Robusto would have been 4 years old this year. Even after 4 years I remember his day and all the smiles and belly laughs that came in his short life. I often wonder what he would be like today. Would his personality be more like mine or his mama’s. I wonder if he would still look like me. I wonder what his voice would sound like. Four years and you can’t help but still wonder about so many things…

July 22nd is the 4th Annual Smoke a JJ for JJ Day. It is in celebration of my Little Robusto, my son JJ, who as many of you know, passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) while at daycare when he was 3.5 months old. This July 22nd would’ve been his 4th birthday. The Don Pepin Garcia (DPG) Series JJ was the first cigar I smoked after his birth and holds a truly special place in my heart.

The event is simple, whenever/wherever on July 22nd, spark up a DPG Series JJ and enjoy the time. If you don’t have a Series JJ, no worries. I’ll be thankful for any cigar smoked on July 22nd in JJ’s memory. I can never fully express my gratitude to all of you who participate. Whether this is your first year, fourth year or somewhere in between…I thank you.

A bit late notice but the family and I are participating in a SIDS Charity Walk tomorrow (Saturday, May 7). This is the 13th Annual Walk for SIDS sponsored by the Center for Infant & Child Loss. The Center for Infant & Child Loss works with Maryland families and communities facing the sudden unexpected death of their infant or child as they learn to live with their loss. The Center is committed to increasing the understanding of sudden infant and child death, risk reduction practices, grief, and compassionate intervention.

The Center for Infant & Child loss was there for us when we lost JJ to SIDS. This is our first year participating in the walk and we hope to add to the $22,000 raised in 2010. Any support is greatly appreciated. If you wish to contribute online, at the bottom of the form under “Other Information” – select you are supporting the walk and your donation is in memory of Jeremiah Cruz Jr. (JJ) your donation will count towards our Team JJ totals.

Thanks to Jose Flores Jr for creating the above logo.