Sigmund Freud’s famous quip, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar,” has become a standard trope of our time. But the reality, with no offense to the great doctor, is that no cigar “is just a cigar.” Like automobiles, these hand-rolled tobacco products have their own version of makes and models, serving to distinguish a Montecristo #2 from Onyx Churchill just as easily as a 1957 Buick convertible from a 2002 Toyota 4Runner.

Previously, this column delved into the varying world of cigars’ ring gauges (width) and length. But these statistics are only as thorough as a car’s seating and trunk space; the real finesse lies in the intricacies of the engine, dashboard and power features.

Consider first the actual shape of a cigar. Sure, they are all round in essence, but a careful examination will reveal some to be more polygonal in nature than others. Numerous cigars become almost perfect squares, while others take on rectangular form with varying degrees of sharpness on the edges. The straighter the sides become, the more likely it is that the tobacco has been “box pressed.” And while this technique can make cutting cigars a tremendous challenge, it often lends a more established surface for a smoker to sink his or her jaws into while also providing a more even burn as the ash works its way closer to one’s mouth.

Moreover, the end of a cigar can take on any number of forms. While the “classic” smoke simply domes off, some finer stogies take on a torpedo shape, with a pointed end. This generally allows for an easier and smaller cut, which in turn leads to a smoother draw on the smoke and — like a box press — a more even burn.

If you ever see a cigar referenced as a “#2,” it will almost always have a torpedo-like end. But if you ever see a cigar advertised as “The Torpedo,” it is a reference to a Cuban Montecristo #2, a cigar that many — including this critic — consider to be the finest in the world.

Another vital dimension to any cigar is its color. Now, unlike cars that can come in any number of eye-catching tones, stogies are slightly more limited by the variety of tobacco wrappers available. A lighter brown outside is frequently referred to as a “natural,” while a darker, more chocolaty wrapper is deemed a “maduro” and carries a slightly smoother taste. Truthfully, it takes an awfully sophisticated smoking palate to distinguish between these two wrappers, but if one is to have a leg up over the other, it is worth noting that almost every elite cigar comes with a natural wrapper.

Now all of this tobacco jargon is little more than simple ramblings unless you can put it to use. So if you would like to lay your hands on some more diverse cigars, all at student-friendly prices, consider the following selections from Knuckleheads’ humidor (above Qdoba, on State Street):

The best value on a torpedo lies in the Indian Tobac Cameroon Legend Torpedo, an almost football-shaped stogie with a natural wrapper and sharp points on either end. Light one side, clip the other, and for $6.95 you’ll find that this deceptively short cigar will last a whole lot longer than it ought to.

If you’re interested in an even more unique cigar butt, pick up any one of the numerous Victor Sinclair stogies, which all boast of mammoth ring gauges and ends consisting of twisted wrapper that you have to rotate before smoking. The taste in these sticks doesn’t have many subtleties, but for $5.95 a pop and up, your jaw will get a decent workout trying to hold a firm clamp.

If you’re in search of a real bargain, consider the smaller, more traditional Punch from $3.79 and up. For some reason, Punch has never been able to see its non-Cuban sticks hold a candle (or a lighter, for that matter) to its Cubans and has overcompensated by keeping prices on the former way down. So anytime you see one of its cigars in the United States, you know you’re in for a bargain. These have a classic round shape and natural wrapper, but beware that they pack quite a punch (pun very much intended).

Now Punch is one of those makers that doesn’t seem too interested in maduro wrappers, but if you’re looking for an equally good bargain in a darker shade, Knuckleheads also carries the 1958 Cuban Counterfeit. Don’t get too excited; these sticks surely aren’t 46 years old and most certainly have never traveled through Havana, but they have a smooth rectangular shape, firm body, even draw and, just like the Punch, can knock you off your feet for under $4.

Finally, if you’d like to experience one of the liquor-drenched cigars that this column discussed last time around, Knuckleheads offers a rum-dipped Olivero for $6.95. The asking is a penny pricey, given the quality of the stogie, but if you’re new to the world of hand-rolled tobacco and would like a novel experience, it is probably worth a burn. If nothing else, the Olivero, when compared to some of the aforementioned stogies, ought to serve as definitive proof that a cigar is not “just a cigar.”