In theory, it makes some sense—buying a longer version of your favorite cigar if the shorter one’s not available—and chopping it into two. Two cigars for maybe a little more than what you’d pay for one. Not a bad idea, right?

Uh, wrong. In practice it makes no sense at all. When you damage the integrity of a cigar’s construction by cutting it in two, you’ll end up with one smokeable part and one that’s not. Cigars are constructed the way they are for a reason. When you lop them in two, the lower half, which is no longer anchored to the head of the cigar in any way, will come unwrapped. You can absolutely count on it.

Cigars aren’t like pills; you can’t save money by buying bigger and cleaving it in two. Don’t try it.