My New (Old) Plug Cutter

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May 31, 2012
4,295
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A heads-up to all who are interested in owning a functional cutter (as opposed to a man cave decorative antique):
Getting old choppers to actually work the way today's pipe smokers ASSUME they will takes a bit of refurb & enhancement.
The blades they were originally equipped with were thin and flexy, designed to cut off lengths of sold-by-the-inch rope in general stores. That's it. They were not designed to slice plug into neat 1.5mm slices, loaf-of-bread style. That requires a much stiffer blade that's flat on one side like a sushi knife, and sharpened to where you could almost shave with it.
Such a blade must be custom made when intended for a particular model of antique rope cutter, of course.
Then, once you have a good blade, the entire surface leading "up to" it from feed side must be made level. That means cutting free the staked brass piece that receives the blade's edge (it's there because iron would instantly destroy a razor edge), grind it to dead-flush and reinstall; and then fabricate an equally level platform for the plug to rest on while it is indexing forward. Not doing those things will make slicing a plug a tedious, frustrating process with a messy result. (Delaminated leaves, thick & crumbly slices, etc.)
- that's a good point George,

and some of the cutters are either of a poor design or made of cheap material and end up breaking, many of them have gear teeth for the fulcrum lever and get broken, and others just seem to have a tendency for breakage, maybe due to age I dunno...
...but when you go looking you'll see a lot of the "elf tobacco cutter" (a more vulgar name in some catalogs) and I've seen alot of those that were broken, it's kinda cute yeah, but as a functioning useful tool it seems to be lacking...
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I swear by my Yankee Slicer as it is simple, solidly built, with ease of operation and easy to maintain, plus it's a smaller version than the bigger ones and easier to accomodate space-wise...
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...and by God if I saw one of these British Joseph Elliot portable plug cutters with Sheffield blade for a reasonable price I'd buy it on the spot because this thing is cool as hell!!!!!
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It's a cool thread.
:!:
I'd agree!
Mostly because I love plugs and everything about them.
There is an incredible variety of different plug cutters out there,

here's a few...
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Since I done went nutz with the images, might as well continue with the baccy itself, I don't know why they needed such elaborate devices because I thought that most chewing baccy was rather soft?
Maybe they come from an era before pre-cut plugs with "tin tags" were available?
Sent to the merchant in large pieces?
You notice than many of the cutters use a baccy name, like advertising for a certain brand.
Anyway,

chaw baccy used to be the most popular form of nicotine delivery in America by far,

even Micky Mouse's dog dug the plug!
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So,

here's a neat little gallery of advertising from the age of USA chaw-plug baccies...
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Yet of course, there are always other solutions too,

like if you're the engineering type and you're on a quest for ultimate mechanical superiority,

then I'd recco this:

:!: :P :eek: :D 8O :) :puffy: :puffy: :puffy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRyfuk0ydrU

 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
Holy Shit, MLC 8O
The Pipeworld's crown jewel "Blue Collar Historian" (as in, everyday smoking equipment and materials, not the fancy stuff Ben Rapaport has written about for years), has struck again.
Dayum! :D :D :D

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
:mrgreen:
Blue collar?
I ain't got no collar!
LOL

...seriously,

my most fancy clothing is a 3D Basil Wolverton tee shirt!
Bet y'all didn't know that I also collect 3D comic books and old 3D glasses too!
I love that stuff.
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...but,

back on topic:
you ever see those sheets they used to use for imprinting impressions on some brands of chawplug?
Pretty neato.
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:
:
Just like the almighty Gallaher did with Warhorse back in the glory days...
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And,

I remembered this old thread:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/the-coolest-plug-cutter-i-have-ever-seen
...that thing looks like it may have been used for production manufacturing or something.
:
:
And remember kids,

beware of the brain-bats!

:puffy:

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philobeddoe

Lifer
Oct 31, 2011
7,403
11,569
East Indiana
Thank you Mctinner and MLC, I've been walking by these cutters at antique malls for years, thinking.....no, I don't NEED a plug cutter, I only WANT a plug cutter. I was able to steel my will and walk on by. Well damn it.....that's just no longer an option! Now I'm on the lookout for a nice specimen, especially that absolutely BADASS Battle Axe Plug cutter!

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
This makes me want the new version from Standard Tobacco to HURRY UP!
Although I still vehemently disagree with the decision to release a watered-down Warhorse ReadyRubbed on the market,

I must compliment SToP on their tenacity of getting the plug done up proper right 'n good, and thoroughly reviewing the considerations of veteran pipemen on the opinion of the prototype plug and delaying release in favor of further tweakings --- that is to be commended and I am thankful for such as not every baccy company would take such care --- and to note, I wasn't involved with any prototype sampling but I am aware of people who have been, most notably Les Trout, of whose observations I hold in high regard --- in short, I am stoked that it is taking longer than expected because that is a sign that it will be as it should be --- thank you Simon & Dan for being so diehard on this matter, it is greatly appreciated by a crumbling curmudgeon such as myself and I look forward to the Warhorse plug being easily available to pipemen here in the States.
Now I'm on the lookout for a nice specimen, especially that absolutely BADASS Battle Axe Plug cutter!
+100%
The Battle Ax Plug cutter is truly BADASS and I compliment your good eye,

wow, they did it up sumthin' fierce didn't they?

Good stuff fersure.
Please post a report if you ever come across one!!!!
:puffy:

 

stickframer

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 11, 2015
875
8
Great tobacco cutter Stan! Old cast iron stuff looks fantastic. Your specimen is awesone.

 

mcitinner1

Lifer
Apr 5, 2014
4,043
24
Missouri
I used the Triumph to cut some 10 year old Bow Legged Bear. BLB is more dense than a crumble kake consistency, but it's not super dense either. The plug cutter worked real well on it.
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mcitinner1

Lifer
Apr 5, 2014
4,043
24
Missouri
the fancy stuff Ben Rapaport has written about for years), has struck again.
I hadn't heard of this guy before. The first time I googled his name, without a tobacco pipe qualifier, I got an actor and an auto correct.

 

btsteve

Might Stick Around
Nov 4, 2015
52
10
Sellersburg, Indiana
Wow, I love that Griswold cutter. I collect old cast iron, and that is some kind of find. I am envious! Now I am going to be looking for a plug cutter everywhere. Did you end up cleaning it up further or just leave it pretty much like you found it? If you want to clean the cast iron up you can use electrolysis, which removes all the rust and will clean it to pretty much to bare cast iron. It could then be restored with paint to near factory condition. I love posts like these, it is what makes this forum the best.

 
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