Palio, XiKAR, Zino cutter comparison (PICS)

C

ca21455

Humi Project Leader
A theme seen in many cutter reviews is sticking. A light coating of Silicone spray (apply with a small paint brush) will produce amazing results. My XiKAR stuck when purchased about 6 months ago. One coat of silicone did the trick. Also lubricated the Palio and Zino which greatly improved performance.

Now, off to the review. BTW I threw in the Club Stogie cutter just for the heck of it.

Here is the lineup:

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The Palio comes with a case. You can order a free case from the manufacturer of the XiKAR. Could not find a case for the Zino.

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The Review:

Opening (actual ring gage size of the hole):

XiKAR: 54
Palio: 51
Zino: 48
Club: 44

For larger cigars, the XiKAR is the one to go to.

Precision and ease of operation:

The Palio wins hands down. The blades run on tracks and are super stable. Zino is next, operation is smooth but not as stable as the Palio. XiKAR operation is slick and easy to make a quick cut, however the mechanism is sloppy compared to the other two. The Club Stogie cutter spring is stronger then needed but the operation is OK. Nice feature is the locking mechanism which ensures the cutter will not open in your pocket.

Sharpness

With little doubt, the Palio is the sharpest. I used a cheap cigar and chopped it up with the cutters. The Palio required the least resistance to make the cut. The Palio, Zino and Club Stogie cutters all made a clean even cut. The XiKAR always leaves a small bulge in the center of the cigar due to the loose blade track.
Sharpness of the three premium cutters is guaranteed by the manufacture for life.

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Style and Fashion

The XiKAR wins hands down here. There are many styles of the basic cutter available from plain to down right wild.

Price

XiKAR: 40 to 300
Zino: 40
Palio: 36 to 51
Club: 5??

The three premium cutters have lifetime warranties.

So which is the best?

The best operation and sharpness for an excellent cut is the Palio. However if you what a cool mechanism, high style and need to cut large ring gage cigars - XiKAR. For price the Club Stogie can't be beat (also great on the golf course, I donate balls and cutters to the golf gods frequently). With the above three in my arsenal, the Zino is left out in the cold, but it is a nice compact cutter.
 
CA21455,
Thank you for your analysis/review. I'm in the market for a good cutter and your input is very helpful. Great job!:cb
 
I am a big fan of Xikar cutters, both their regular and their bullet cutter. I've used them for years and have never had them tear up a cigar.....
 
Great review! It's nice to see all of em stacked up and compared to one another. I wanted a Xikar when I saw them, but went with the Palio and have no regrets.
 
Nice job, I have three of the four. Like the style of the Xikar and have used it for a couple of years. I'll attest to its sharpness with some bleeding digits when carrying in my pocket before I got the leather case. But it doesn't cut as well as the Havana or Palio. Got my first Havana cutter bout three years ago and its still sharp and cuts well. I gave Mark a Havana the first time we herfed together(almost 2 years now)and he still uses it. He has a Xikar and Palio as well, his Palio is dull and he's gonna send it back. I don't have a Zino but a BOTL I hold in high regard swears by the Zino, and thats good enough for me. I use the Palio exclusively now, simply think its as fine of a cutter as can be found, and see no change for many years. As the cigars we smoke, a cutter is a subjective thing. We have our favorites, I think all are good cutters and have their strengths and weakness's. For me its the Palio. I like the design and performance over the others. :2
 
:tpd: Great review...I have all the cutters you reviewed and find the exact same results as you. Thanks
 
I also wanted to mention the Xikar Multi-tool cigar cutter. The cut is very nice for a scissor (in my experience better than a regular palio) and I love the look and convenience when I'm on the go. At home I use my Palio but on the go its my xikar multi-tool.

I bought the bead-blasted tool and a xikar executive lighter for 29.99 shipped on Ebay. The set shows up for sale ever so often.
 
Thanks Anthony, I wondered about the Havana cutters. When you mentioned this I did go back and search on CS and found them.
 
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