[MarkinAZ]

Originally Posted by Silound

Most people overlook the fact that, beyond the actual sharpness of the blade, the tolerances of the cutter and the angle of attack on the blade make the difference between a good cut and a bad cut. A sharp blade that has less curve will not always cut as well as one that has a deeper curve. The Palio, for example, has a deep curved blade that allows for more shearing action and less pressure required to achieve the cut. The Xikar cutter has a shallower curve.

Also, the composite bodied Xikars are notorious (at least in the B&M world they are) for having looser tolerances that allow the blades to deflect side to side. This means the blades don't come together cleanly, leaving what I refer to as the "stair cut" where one blade cuts lower on the cap than the other.

Other factors that influence the quality of the cutter's cut are the thickness of the blade and the bevel. My Palio has a thinner blade that cuts round cap cigars better, but fails miserably on torpedo tips because it doesn't stabilize the cap as it cuts very well. In contrast my Xikar has a thicker blade that allows it to support the cigar as it cuts resulting is a cleaner cut on torpedo tips.

The bevel of the blade also factors deeply into the quality of the cut. The bevel is ground with the idea that it creates an edge that is sufficiently sharp to cut cigars, but also capable of withstanding substantial use before it goes dull. As the angle of the bevel gets smaller it means a sharper cleaner cut (*up to a point), but means the blade will wear and go dull much faster. A larger angle of bevel means it will retain it's cutting edge longer, but will not be as sharp for cutting.

Good follow-up information