CC21- Cigar Punch and Drill in Gunmetal 77mm

• Length: 162mm
• Drill Length: 77mm

CC21 Cigar Punch & Drill – Gunmetal 77mm

There's little more irritating in the cigar world than finding a beautifully made cigar, cutting the cap, lighting it and discovering that you can barely draw any air through the thing. You've done everything correctly, the tobacco looks magnificent, and the cigar has apparently decided it isn't taking part.

That's where the CC21 Cigar Punch & Drill earns its place in the accessory drawer.

This compact gunmetal instrument performs two quite different jobs. The punch prepares the cap of a cigar for smoking, while the drill is designed to help correct a plugged cigar, opening a passage through tightly packed tobacco to improve the draw.

It's an important distinction, and one that makes this rather more useful than an ordinary cigar punch.

The first tool is a conventional circular punch cutter. Pressed carefully into the capped end of a cigar and rotated, it removes a small disc of tobacco, leaving a neat opening through which to draw. Many cigar smokers favour this approach because it preserves most of the cap and produces a tidy finish.

The second tool tackles an entirely different problem.

Occasionally, a cigar has an excessively tight draw because the filler has been packed too firmly or a particular section of tobacco is restricting the airflow. This is commonly described as a plugged cigar, and it's one of those unfortunate manufacturing inconsistencies that can occasionally affect even expensive handmade cigars.

The CC21's spiral drill is intended to help remedy that problem. By carefully working the slender drill into the cigar through the head, it can create a channel through the obstructed tobacco, potentially restoring a more comfortable draw.

It's a delicate operation rather than an invitation to start excavating. The idea is to ease the restriction while disturbing as little of the surrounding filler as possible.

I've encountered my fair share of plugged cigars over the years. It's particularly frustrating when the wrapper, construction and aroma all suggest you've got a fine smoke ahead of you, only for the draw to resemble trying to drink treacle through a drinking straw.

A tool like this can sometimes rescue the situation.

The CC21 measures 77mm when assembled, making it a convenient size for carrying in a cigar case or keeping alongside a lighter and cutter. Its gunmetal grey finish gives it an attractive, practical appearance, while the diamond-pattern knurling provides a firm grip when unscrewing the components.

The construction is rather ingenious. The various sections screw together to form a slim cylindrical instrument, enclosing the cutting and drilling tools when they're not in use. The supplied photographs show the individual components separated, including the circular punch, pointed prongs and long spiral draw correction drill.

The textured metal grips are a particularly useful detail. Small accessories can become awkward to handle, especially when the components are tightly assembled, but the knurling provides a reassuring purchase.

Once everything is screwed together, the CC21 has a neat, almost pen-like appearance, with a combination of smooth gunmetal surfaces and finely textured sections.

For somebody who regularly enjoys handmade cigars, the draw correction drill is arguably the most interesting feature. A punch cutter is useful every day, but a tool capable of improving a restricted draw can be particularly welcome when the occasion arises.

Naturally, it won't cure every badly constructed cigar. Sometimes the problem is too severe, or the tobacco is obstructed in a way that cannot easily be corrected. Nevertheless, having the means to attempt a careful repair is considerably better than sitting there wondering whether the cigar might improve through sheer determination.

The CC21 Gunmetal Cigar Punch & Drill combines an everyday cigar punch with a practical solution to one of cigar smoking's more irritating problems, all contained in a compact 77mm metal instrument.

A useful little addition to the cigar kit. Hopefully, the drill won't be needed very often, but it's reassuring to have it available when a cigar decides to be difficult.