Xi1 Double Guillotine Cigar Cutter — Phantom Black

The cut comes before the light, and it is the one step that cannot be taken back. Get it wrong and no lighter saves you — a crushed cap means a tight draw for the whole cigar, which is a poor way to mark a verdict that finally came back right, or the evening on the courthouse steps after it.

The Xi1 is where Xikar's reputation was built. Two 440C stainless blades, hardened to Rockwell 57, close from opposite sides in a single squeeze — a double guillotine rather than a single blade dragging through the wrapper. The teardrop body is aluminum, light enough to forget in a pocket, and it locks closed so it never opens against your hand.

• Patented double guillotine action
• 440C stainless steel blades, Rockwell HRC 57
• Anodized aluminum body, ergonomic teardrop shape
• Spring-loaded, locks closed for safety
• Cuts a 54 ring gauge in half; up to 60 depending on cap
• Phantom Black — black body, black blades

On the cut. In A Cigar, Counselor? we take the position that a clean cut matters more than a costly cigar. This is the instrument that argument assumes.

Built to travel in a pocket. To carry the cutter and the flame as one piece, see the Ultra Mag combo; for a cutter that stays on the desk, see the S.T. Dupont Cutter Stand.

Questions we get

What ring gauge will it cut? It cuts a 54 ring gauge in half, and up to a 60 depending on the cap. That covers most of what a lawyer actually smokes; if you live on 60-plus parejos, measure before you buy.

Why a double guillotine rather than a single blade? Because two blades closing from opposite sides meet in the middle instead of dragging across the wrapper. A single blade pushes the cigar ahead of it and crushes the cap, and a crushed cap is a tight draw for the whole cigar.

Will it open in a pocket? No. It is spring-loaded and locks closed, which is what you want in a jacket beside a phone and a set of keys.

Are the blades any good? 440C stainless, hardened to Rockwell 57. That is a cutlery-grade steel and a hardness that holds an edge rather than rolling it on the first dense wrapper.

Cut or light first? Cut, always, and it is the step that cannot be undone. Why the cut matters more than the cigar is argued in A Cigar, Counselor?

Barrister & Bespoke Curated Collection — hand-selected from Xikar, for its craftsmanship and fit within our world. Curated pieces carry their maker's own identity rather than ours; our house collection, designed and branded exclusively for Barrister & Bespoke, is marked separately throughout the shop.

Why we carry it. Most of what a maker claims about quality cannot be checked before you buy. A warranty can. Xikar covers these pieces for life against manufacturing defects, with no registration and no receipt required, and states plainly that it may return a refurbished equivalent rather than a new one. That is a commitment written down and honored by a named distributor, rather than a claim about craftsmanship you would have to take on faith. We curate Xikar on that.

Warranty. Covered by Xikar's limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, and by Barrister & Bespoke's own Thirty-Day Assurance for the first thirty days after delivery. After that, claims are handled directly by Quality Importers, Xikar's distributor — no registration or receipt required. Normal wear, misuse, and tampering are excluded. Xikar determines the remedy at its discretion and may replace an item with a refurbished equivalent. Full terms are stated in our Warranty Policy.