A Guillotine From France You Don’t Need To Fear
The infamy of the guillotine remains potent to this day. During the French Revolution, this machine was utilized by reformers to carry out thousands of executions. Though it was intended to be a more humane form of capital punishment, its reputation as a weapon of death is hard to shake. In the cigar space, however, the term “guillotine” is quite innocent, referring to the most common apparatus for cutting a cigar. Remarkably, French accessories manufacturer Les Fines Lames, despite a packed portfolio of cigar tools, hasn’t previously offered a standard guillotine cutter in its product line. That’s changing now with the La Guillotine – Rotor, the company's newest cigar cutter, which will debut at the PCA trade show this week.
“Some say it takes the French to make a proper guillotine. We would not disagree,” says Pierre Jourdan, founder and creative director of Les Fines Lames. “For years, our community has asked us for a guillotine cigar cutter. Today, with the Rotor, we are proud to unveil our own take on this timeless classic.”
The La Guillotine – Rotor joins other cutters in the Les Fines Lames portfolio, such as the Le Tag, the Punch Bracelet and the Le Petit cigar knife cutter, all of which have seen various iterations.
The latest release has a rounded shape with two holes on either side to place your fingers. Simple, sleek and sturdy are descriptors that quickly come to mind, and the action is smooth and the cutters slice easily and cleanly through the wrapper of a cigar, lopping off the head with ease. The cutters are made of metal, but they’re lighter than you would expect based on appearance. The La Guillotine – Rotor can cut cigars up to 80 ring gauge and comes in two chic finishes: Chrome or Matte Black. The suggested retail price per cutter is $79.
Les Fines Lames will be showcasing the new product, along with the new Le Tag – Clip, at the PCA trade show that starts this weekend. Readers may remember the Le Tag – Clip, which debuted in February, as an accessory that’s built to be part cigar cutter, part money clip.
The La Guillotine – Rotor will officially debut on May 11, after its showcase at PCA. As with the Le Tag – Clip, the La Guillotine – Rotor will only be available via the company’s network of roughly 700 retailers for the first six months, from May 11 to November 11.
