Cigar cutters

The old style cigar needed a cutter to cut off the closed end of the cigar. When you bought a single cigar at a real tobacconist, you could find a huge cutter in showily design on the counter. Most complete this stand was fitted with a continuous gas flame to light the cigar at once.

At home one could have a smaller cutter on the desk or a hand held cutter in luxurious shape. In general the size goes down over time, until the smallest pocket cutters that are hardly noticeable on a key chain. They were make in silver and even in gold.

Most practical are the cigar cutters with an opener for the cedar cigar boxes at the other end. The narrow slit is meant for extracting the small iron nail form the wood. The handle can be decorated in various ways.

In Amsterdam and the north of Holland a pocket cigar cutter functioning as a miniature guillotine is called a ‘lubmolen’, named after tobacconist Lub who made these instruments popular.

Each kind and size of cigar needs a specific kind of cutter, with a knife adapted to the cigar. Most of the knifes cut of the end perpendicularly, others make a V-shaped incision resulting in another draft through the cigar. The factory made cigar is cut before packed in a box, so the cutter gets out or use, except for the quality cigar such as the hand rolled Cuban cigars.
Cigar cutter for the shop counter, on a nicely turned wooden block a metal cutter that works when pressing the button on the top. France ?, 1890-1920. A counter cutter for the small shop in cast iron, on the top a blade for three types of cigars. Germany, 1890-1920.
A table cigar cutter with on the wooden block an eagle with spread wings, the dish for collecting the cut offs. France, 1880-1910.
A desk cutter shaped like a steering wheel of a boat, the base is the reservoir to collect the cut offs. Germany, 1910-1930.
A desk set consisting of two cigar cutters based on the navigation, the third object is an anchor to be used as presse papier. Germany, 1900-1930.
Cigar cutter meant to hang on a watch chain in gold, the cutter in steel. American ?, 1880-1900.
Cigar combination with on one side the cutter, the other a blade to open the wooden boxes, a slit to remove the nail. France, 1920-1960.
Cigar combination with on one side the cutter, the other a blade to open the wooden boxes, a slit to remove the nail. France, 1920-1960.
Cigar cutter in niello silver with a simple knife with spring system meant to hang on a watch chain. Russia, 1900-1920.
Two more simple cigar cutters, on the left a cutter like a domino, on the right a simple one with a printed decoration, Germany, 1920-1950.
Cigar cutter together with a cigar drill, iron in a silver cover. Germany, 1930-1960.
The so-called 'Lubmolen' cigar cutter named after an Amsterdam cigar dealer, nickle and iron. The Netherlands, 1920-1950.

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