Best Budget Cigar Cutters Under $20

Here's the thing about cigar cutters: you don't need to spend a lot. You need to spend smart. I went through four garbage cutters in my first year of smoking before someone at my local B&M told me to just get the Xikar Xi1 and stop wasting money. Eighteen bucks. Lifetime warranty. I've had mine for six years and it still cuts like it did on day one.

That warranty changes everything. A five-dollar cutter from Amazon lasts six months before it starts tearing instead of cutting. Do that math over three years and you've spent more than the Xikar. But not everyone wants a guillotine, so I've got picks across all three types.

Xikar Xi1 Double Guillotine — $18

My daily driver. Dual stainless steel blades that close from both sides, centering the cut perfectly. No tearing, no cracking, no pushing the cap sideways like single-blade cheapies do. Handles up to 54 ring gauge, which covers ninety percent of what I smoke. The polymer body has a thumb groove that makes placement consistent even when I'm not paying full attention.

One knock: no lock. The blades can open in your pocket and dull against keys. I keep mine in a small leather case. Minor inconvenience for a cutter I'll never need to replace.

Cuban Crafters Perfect Cutter — $13-16

If you're new to cigars and worried about cutting too deep, this solves that problem mechanically. There's a built-in backstop that limits depth to about 2mm regardless of ring gauge. Insert, squeeze, done. Perfect cap removal every time.

I bought one for my brother-in-law when he started smoking. He hasn't unraveled a cigar since. The blade isn't Xikar-sharp, but it's clean enough. The tradeoff is you can't control depth at all — I like a slightly deeper cut on certain vitolas, and this won't let me. Great training wheels, slightly limiting once you know what you're doing. Handles up to 56 ring gauge.

Vertigo V-Cut — $12-15

V-cuts create a wedge notch instead of removing the cap entirely. More concentrated draw, less risk of unraveling, works beautifully on torpedoes where a guillotine takes too much cap. The Vertigo is the cheapest V-cut I've used that actually creates a proper deep notch instead of a pathetic shallow scratch.

Plastic body, metal blade insert. Feels cheap. Cuts well. I keep one in my travel humidor for figurados. The self-sharpening blade slot helps it last longer than it has any right to at this price.

Xikar 9mm Pull-Out Punch — $10-12

Lives on my keychain. I forget my cutter maybe once a month and this bails me out every time. Twist to extend the circular blade, punch the cap, twist to retract. Ten seconds, no thinking required. Lifetime warranty applies here too.

Punches work best on 50+ ring gauge — on skinny coronas the 9mm hole is disproportionate and you get tar buildup. But for the robusto-and-up sizes I usually smoke, it works great as a backup. Will never be my primary tool. Will always be in my pocket.

Amazon Basics Cigar Cutter — $8-10

The disposable lighter of cutters. Does the job. Won't last. Don't care. I have one in my golf bag, one in the tackle box, and one in the car's center console. When I inevitably lose one, I feel nothing. Eight bucks buys about 150 clean cuts before the blade starts dragging. That's a summer of outdoor smoking covered.

Don't compare it to the Xikar. That's not the point. This is the cutter you don't mind losing in the lake.

MANTELLO Guillotine — $9-12

A step up from Amazon Basics without reaching Xikar territory. Stainless steel body, not just blades. Spring-loaded snap that gives a quicker, cleaner cut. 54 ring gauge capacity. Looks decent enough on a table in chrome or matte black. Gets you about 300-400 cuts before you notice degradation.

Honestly? If the Xikar Xi1 didn't have that lifetime warranty, the Mantello would be a better value at half the price. But the warranty exists, so the Xikar still wins on total cost of ownership. The Mantello is the pick for people who want a solid metal cutter and don't want to think about warranties.

Which Type Should You Get?

If you're buying one cutter: double guillotine. Most versatile, works on everything, biggest draw opening. If you're buying two: add a V-cut for variety and torpedoes. The punch lives on your keys for emergencies. That's it. Don't overthink this.

One rule regardless of what you buy: cut decisively. A single firm squeeze is always cleaner than a slow, hesitant close. Slow cutting tears. Budget blades are more forgiving of a confident squeeze than a timid one.

Bottom Line

Spend the $18 on the Xikar Xi1 and never think about cigar cutters again. If you can't swing $18, the Mantello at $10 is honest steel. Everything else on this list is a backup, a gift, or a gateway to understanding which cut type you actually prefer. The cutter is the least romantic part of this hobby. Get a good one and move on to the cigars.