Interview with the co-founder of Xikar

A conversation with Kurt Van Keppel, president of Xikar, an emblematic brand of cigar cutters and smoking accessories. Here is a summary of the interview and of the questions he was asked.

The interview with Xikar

First of all, could you please introduce yourself in a few words, along with the Xikar company and its origins?

I am Kurt Van Keppel, president and co-founder of Xikar.

The story of Xikar began in 1994, when I wanted to buy a good cigar cutter. I ran into a few problems, because I found the cheap models and the high-end models alike to be poor performers. So I set out with Scott Almsberger in search of a bold design that would combine ergonomics and function, matching the best design with a careful choice of materials. The result was the Xi cigar cutter, which we made in our garages and which is still the market leader among cigar cutters today.

Xikar comes from the word Sikar, said to be the first Spanish spelling of the Taíno word for cigar. The Taíno were the indigenous people of Hispaniola and Cuba, where Christopher Columbus landed when he reached the « New World », and discovered tobacco at the same time. We decided to change the S to an X (representing the two blades), with the I cut by the X, like a blade cutting the cigar.

Xikar is one of the few companies whose products cover the entire cigar world. A smoker can literally take a cigar from their « Xikar humidor », itself kept at the right humidity by a Xikar humidifier, then cut it with a Xikar cutter and finally light it with a Xikar lighter. Is that still the company’s aim?

We started with the Xi cigar cutter, and a wish to supply excellent products and quality service. We listened to our customers, who suggested new areas for us to explore. Each time, we carried out our own research and set out to create the best product we could offer our customers. When a customer, whether occasional or committed, smokes a cigar, they can choose between several brands, but they cut and light that cigar with one brand only.

We want our customers to look at our brand every time they smoke a cigar, and we believe that most cigar enthusiasts own at least one of our products. Our aim is to create an excellent product, whether it is a knife, a lighter or any other cigar accessory.

With so many different products, how does Xikar excel in every area?

Xikar is a company dedicated to bringing value to its products through honest, ergonomic design at a fair price. It is a design approach that takes account of function and practical comfort, with simple, clean lines and no superfluous decoration on the product. Good design improves how the product looks, how it feels in the hand and how it works. Innovation at Xikar is therefore built around four key elements: function, form (design), feel (ergonomics in the hand), all at a fair price.

Xikar is known for making the best blades in its field. What makes them so exceptional?

Our passion for innovation and our commitment to quality are part of everything we do. Our blades are all made from 440 stainless steel, with a hardness that will last for years, cut after cut. The spring-mounted double guillotine design cuts a cigar quickly, simply and cleanly. Our first goal was to design the best cigar cutter available, and that is still our priority today.

Design, style and variety are part of the Xikar product line. Is that a deliberate choice, to speak to every kind of cigar smoker?

I think it is an effort to get closer not only to cigar smokers, but above all to meet their different needs. Someone cutting and lighting a ring gauge 64 cigar has different needs from someone smoking a small corona. Some smokers prefer a V-cut or a punch, a powerful flame or a soft flame, cigars or pipes. Beyond functional needs, some smokers have different styles. We want to offer our customers a variety of innovative options for cutting, lighting or enjoying a cigar.

Cigars and technology are not often mentioned in the same sentence. Is Xikar bringing technology to the world of the cigar?

I believe so, yes. We have worked hard to make progress on how cigars are cut, on Xikar torch lighters, and on how cigars are stored and enjoyed. To name only a few innovations, we created the ergonomic and emblematic Xi cigar cutter. We are getting very good feedback on our MTX multi-tool cigar scissors and we also have a strong line of windproof lighters. So yes, I believe we have brought technology and innovation to the cigar industry.

How much weight is given to customer comments and reviews of Xikar products?

Customer feedback and interaction are very important to Xikar. Every success we have had outside cigar cutters has come from customers and retailers suggesting it. We simply listen to our customers, who give us feedback on the products and ideas about what we might do. Our commitment to a quality customer experience is focused on building a lasting relationship with Xikar customers, based on trust, loyalty, exceptional service, training and reward. Xikar is also committed to keeping all its customers satisfied by offering a lifetime guarantee on all its products.

Is Xikar planning to launch new products?

Our design team is constantly working to create, design and test new products for cigar enthusiasts. We aim to bring genuine innovations to the market on a regular basis.

What would you like to say to your customers?

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Xikar would not be where it is today without the remarkable number of retailers and the base of followers and customers we call « Xikar Nation. » We will keep working hard to exceed your expectations in innovation and quality.

I am honoured to be in the cigar industry. It is a world genuinely built on camaraderie and mutual support. Along the way I have met very kind, generous and warm people, and I have learned a great deal from this world. I can honestly tell anyone disappointed by human nature to step into the cigar trade, because there really are a great many wonderful people in it. I love this job.