Picture this: you are out on a solitary hike, and when you reach the peak of the hill, you plan to enjoy the cigar you packed just for the occasion. You finally arrive at the summit, sit down, and pull out your cigar and lighter. “Oh no,” you think as you frantically pat your pockets — the cigar cutter was left at home. So what do you do? Put the cigar away and trek back, defeated? Nonsense. you can cut that cigar in a variety of ways, and we’re here to show you how.

Poke Through the Cap

If you have a pen, pencil, sharp twig, or anything of that nature on hand, this is likely the easiest solution. However, if you’re smoking a torpedo or any kind of cigar with a tapered head, this approach could prove more challenging. Simply push the sharp end of your poker through the cap at the cigar’s head. Of course, you don’t want to go too deep or else you might ruin the cigar. Just think about how deep a punch cut goes and try to mimic that.

Use Your Thumbnail

This is arguably one of the most reliable methods short of using a real cutter. Even if you keep up on trimming (or biting) your nails, don’t worry — this could still work. Simply expose the corner of your thumb nail and press it into the cap of your cigar. Now, slowly rotate the stogie to cut a circle. Once the circle is complete, simply pull it off. The result will likely be larger than a punch would create, but smaller than a guillotine.

Use a Knife

If you have a pocketknife handy, this might seem like the most obvious course of action. But smoker beware: this method of cutting isn’t as easy as it sounds. The goal is to make one swift, precise chop while doing as little damage to the wrapper as possible. Alternatively, you can slowly trace a circle where the cut should be with your blade or a sharp key, carefully removing the wrapper once the circle is completed. This is a little tricky but could minimize wrapper damage when you make your cut.

Give It a Bite

Okay, we have arrived at the worst-case scenario. You have no knife, keys, or any instrument to poke through the cap. Your fingernails are worn down to the nail bed. The only option is the dreaded bite. What’s there to say? Chomp down hard and fast where you would make the cut and pull the cigar away. If you’re lucky, there will be minimal damage to the wrapper.

It should go without saying, but all of these options are inferior to using a quality cigar cutter. You know, like the kind you can find at Best Cigar Prices.