Xikar

Xikar is the American brand that set the modern standard for cigar cutters — and then did the same for lighters. Founded in Kansas City in 1996, Xikar built its reputation on one idea done exceptionally well: a cutter that delivers a flawless, consistent cut every time. Today its cutters and torch lighters are among the most trusted, hardest-wearing accessories a cigar smoker can own, backed by one of the best warranties in the business.

Xikar was founded by Kurt Van Keppel and designer Scott Almsberger. The story began in 1994, when Van Keppel — a keen cigar smoker — grew frustrated that even expensive cutters underperformed. With Almsberger, he set out to design a better one, working from their garages. The result was the Xi cutter: a teardrop-shaped, double-guillotine cutter whose leverage-and-pivot design dropped the cap cleanly into your palm and cut like nothing before it.

The name is a clever twist: Xikar comes from "sikar," the early Spanish spelling of the Taíno word for cigar — with the "S" replaced by an "X" to represent the two blades of the cutter, the X "cutting" the i like a blade clipping a cigar. The first 200 were made by hand in a garage in 1997; series production began in 1998, and Xikar quickly became the market leader in cigar cutlery. In 2004, at retailers’ request, Xikar applied the same engineering to lighters — and its HP-series torch lighters have earned a devoted following ever since.

• Cutters — the legendary Xi double-guillotine cutters, plus scissors, V-cutters and punch cutters, engineered for a clean, consistent cut on a wide range of ring gauges.
• Torch lighters — the acclaimed HP (High Performance) series and others: single, double and triple-jet flames, precision-engineered for a reliable, even toast in any conditions.
• Ashtrays, cases and accessories — the same over-engineered, built-to-last approach across the range.

• Performance first — Xikar built its name on cutters and lighters that simply work, every time.
• Legendary warranty — Xikar is renowned for standing behind its products with a lifetime warranty.
• Built to last — famously durable, "over-engineered" tools that survive years of daily use.
• The market benchmark — the Xi cutter is the cutter others are measured against.