Les Fines Lames: The Complete Guide to the French Cigar Knife

By Michel Besson, Fine Cigars Club

Few names have shaken up the world of cigar accessories quite like Les Fines Lames. In barely a decade, this French house has taken the humble cigar cutter — an object most smokers gave little thought to — and turned it into a design statement, an everyday-carry object and a genuine collector's piece. Their signature creation, the Le Petit cigar knife, reinvented what a cutter could be, and their range now spans cutters, lighters, ashtrays and leather cases, all carrying the same DNA of French craftsmanship, simplicity and elegance. This guide tells the story of the brand, what they make, and why a Les Fines Lames piece is one of the most rewarding accessories a cigar lover can own.

The History of Les Fines Lames: A French Revolution in Cigar Accessories

The name says it all — Les Fines Lames means "the fine blades," and there is a deliberate wink in it. When you think of the French Revolution, you think of the guillotine; here, the revolution begins with a different kind of blade — the cigar knife.

From a Marseille passion to a global brand

Les Fines Lames began in 2015 in Marseille, in the beautiful south of France, as the passion project of founder Pierre Jourdan. Jourdan combined two things that ran deep in his life: a love of cigars, and his family's heritage in French cutlery. From that came a simple but radical idea — to reinvent the cigar knife.

With two trusted friends beside him — "the three musketeers of the cigar world" — Jourdan launched the brand's first model, L'Original: a cigar knife crafted and sold as unique, artisanal, one-of-a-kind pieces. It already carried everything the brand would come to stand for — craftsmanship, simplicity and elegance — and it gave birth to the now-famous Les Fines Lames logo.

Le Petit — the cigar knife that changed everything

The turning point came with the arrival of business partner Pablo Rodet. The French duo shared a clear vision: to craft a high-quality, 100% French-made cigar cutter at an accessible price. The answer was Le Petit — a compact, refined, everyday version of the original cigar knife.

Le Petit became a phenomenon. Backed by the most successful cigar-related crowdfunding campaign of its time and huge traction on social media, it turned into a global sensation — and the brand even made history by sending three Le Petit models into space, a first in the cigar world. When the community rallied again in 2021, the result was the Punch Bracelet, a wearable punch cutter that became an instant must-have.

Recognition, and a new era

In 2022, Les Fines Lames was named Best Cigar Accessory by Cigar Journal — industry recognition of what smokers had already discovered. In 2023, after years of friendship, Frédéric Vandermarlière of the Vandermarlière Family of Cigars became a partner in the brand, opening new doors — including US distribution through the Oliva Cigar Company. The range has kept growing since: Le Tag double-blade cutters inspired by the military dog tag (2023–2024), genuine leather cigar cases, the flat-flame Le Feu lighter shaped after a cigar band (2025), and La Guillotine (2026). In under ten years, Les Fines Lames has put itself firmly on the map — a complete range of premium accessories for a new generation of aficionados.

What Les Fines Lames Makes

The genius of Les Fines Lames is that every piece is genuinely designed — beautiful to look at, satisfying to use, and built to last. The range covers everything a cigar smoker needs.

Cutters — including the iconic Le Petit

The heart of the brand. Le Petit is a folding cigar knife — a genuine, beautifully made pocket knife with a stainless steel blade, opened one-handed via a lever, that doubles as a superb cigar cutter (cutting cleanly up to a large ring gauge). It is made in Thiers, France's historic capital of cutlery, and comes in an ever-changing array of handle materials — exotic and stabilised woods, carbon fibre, brass, micarta and more — so no two need be alike. Alongside it sit the Le Tag double-blade cutters and other cutting tools, each carrying the same design-led approach.

Ashtrays

The Monad and Dyad ashtrays are crafted from high-performance mortar concrete — weighty, tactile, modern objects that look as good on a desk or table as they do in use. They are a world away from the ordinary glass ashtray: sculptural, durable and unmistakably Les Fines Lames.

Cases

Made from genuine leather, the Les Fines Lames cigar cases protect your cigars in transit with the same understated elegance as the rest of the range — the perfect companion to a Le Petit in the pocket.

Lighters

The Le Feu lighter, launched in 2025, is an adjustable flat-flame lighter whose shape is inspired by a cigar band — a characteristically thoughtful piece of design that lights your cigar as beautifully as it sits in the hand.

You can browse our full range on our Les Fines Lames brand page.

Why Choose Les Fines Lames

• 100% made in France — the cutters crafted in Thiers, the historic French capital of cutlery, drawing on centuries of blade-making expertise.
• Genuine dual-purpose design — Le Petit is a proper everyday-carry folding knife and a precise cigar cutter in one elegant object.
• A limited lifetime warranty — Les Fines Lames stands behind its cutters, and each Le Petit even includes a tool to adjust the blade's cutting resistance to your preference.
• Collectible and giftable — the huge variety of handle materials makes each piece personal, and the presentation makes any Les Fines Lames accessory a superb gift for a cigar lover.
• Award-winning and community-built — named Best Cigar Accessory 2022 by Cigar Journal, and built on one of the most engaged communities in the cigar world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Les Fines Lames known for? Les Fines Lames is the French brand that reinvented the cigar cutter with the Le Petit cigar knife — a two-in-one folding pocket knife and cigar cutter, 100% made in France in Thiers, the historic French capital of cutlery. Founded in Marseille in 2015, it has become one of the most recognisable premium cigar-accessory brands in the world, and now makes cutters, lighters, ashtrays and leather cases.

Is the Le Petit a knife or a cutter? Both. It's a folding pocket knife with a stainless steel blade that opens one-handed via a lever, and it cuts cigars beautifully up to a large ring gauge. A true everyday-carry object that happens to be an excellent cigar cutter.

Where are Les Fines Lames products made? The brand was founded and is designed in Marseille, France, and the Le Petit cutters are crafted in Thiers — France's historic cutlery capital — 100% made in France. The range draws on centuries of French cutlery expertise.

Does Les Fines Lames offer a warranty? Yes — Les Fines Lames offers a limited lifetime warranty on its cutters, and each Le Petit includes an adjustment tool so you can tune the blade's cutting resistance to your preference.

What can I buy from Les Fines Lames? The range includes cutters (the iconic Le Petit cigar knife, Le Tag and more), ashtrays (the concrete Monad and Dyad), genuine leather cigar cases, and the Le Feu lighter. We stock a selection of Les Fines Lames ashtrays, cases, cutters and lighters — browse them on our brand page.

Explore our range of Les Fines Lames cigar accessories, or browse all our cigar accessories.