Introduction
The cutter is available in the various Island Lifestyle lines so you can get it in various colors with different logos, but they all have the same build and functionality. The MSRP of the cutter is $75. It measure in at 2 and 3/4 inches tall, an inch and 3/4 wide and the depth is 3/16 of an inch. There is a switch on the front that releases the two German T440 Stainless Steel blades and each blade travels independently when opening and closing. The cutter opening will allow you to cut cigars up to a 64 ring gauge. The design of the cutter allows you to have four touch points in what they call the Accu-Body-Cast-Design on the top, bottom and both blades to give you quite a bit of control when lining up your cigar and cutting. The cutter comes with a leather sheath and a 2 year warranty.
Aaron Loomis
Jiunn Liu
Evaluation
In getting a chance to use the cutter, I found that it cut very well. The cutter has a nice heft to it, so it makes the cuts quite complete. The blade is recessed a bit from each side, so you do need to take a peek in the blade area to make sure everything is lined up well. After making a full cut, the blades lock into place. There is quite a bit of space between the blades and the front and back of the frame, so there is a bit of area where tobacco pieces can fall in, so you’ll want to make sure you blow out the cutter just to make sure it’s all clear not to create a buildup.
Not a knock on this particular cutter, but a preference I would have for all cutters that use this design with the locking button is to have a setting where you can disable the locking mechanism when cutting so that when you make the cut, the blades fold back out when you release so that the tobacco that comes off clears the blades and to me just provides a more natural finger movement.
The cutter carries a premium price, but knowing that everything with the Tommy Bahama name on it carries a higher price tag, it’s to be expected.
Pros
+ Nice feeling in the hand
+ Clean, precise cuts
+ Attractive artwork
Cons
– Only a 2 year warranty
Evaluation
My obvious question is, can a cutter be actually worth $75? In the sea of $25 to $35 Xikar and Palio cutters that are readily available, what (if any) are the differentiating factors to this cutter.
First, seeing and feeling the cutter, it is quite heavy and sturdy in the hand. Blades feel sharp to the fingertips. The flat base creates a nice hold point/pivot point. The look is quite sharp as well with its nicely embossed features and painted surfaces.
Second (and more importantly for me) is the functionality. There’s two ways to ideally cut the cigar of which one in my opinion is better than the other. The first way is to hold the cutter in one hand and the cigar in the other. This way works fairly well aside from needing to closely eye the cap of the cigar as the width of the cutter does play a role. The second (and better) way to cut is to lay the cutter on a flat surface and put the head of the cigar flat against the surface. This worked like a charm every single time giving razor sharp cuts. Given the vast majority of cigars produced nowadays providing a thick double/triple cap, the possible issue of cutting past the head is a non-issue.
Overall, a justifiably pricier cutter with great cuts and great looks. If ST Dupont charges ~$200 for a comparable Maxi Cutter, I don’t see why Tommy Bahama can’t charge a steeper price as well. Purchase this cutter to class up your cigar accessories.
Cigar Accessory Review: Island Lifestyle Tommy Bahama Cigar Club Series Cutter
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