Collector of Tobacco Choppers

[Detrichpix]

My name is Allan Detrich and I collect zoomorphic, or figural tobacco choppers. Here is a link to my collection online - Tobacco Choppers | ZoomorphicCleavers - https://www.zoomorphiccleavers.com/tobacco-choppers, also I collect zoomorphic cleavers at - www.zoomorphiccleavers.com, if anyone has any tobacco choppers for sale, or know of any or see a sale, please contact me at detrichpix@aol.com, thanks, Allan.

 

[Chasing Embers]

We mostly just call those plug cutters.

 

[beefeater33]

I love your collection.............. Talk about a "niche"..............
I don't know of any for sale, but I did enjoy the photos..........
Welcome to the forum!

 

[Ahi Ka]

Very cool. Welcome

 

[Honkytonk Man]

WOW! Neat collection of Tobacco Choppers, sorry, Plug Cutters. Thanks for posting the links.
And howdy & welcome from Korea.

 

[georged]

None of that era's general store rope cutters (which is what they were actually for) slices plug well.

Too much movement everywhere in the system, including the thin & flexy blade. The thinnest slice you can reliably get is about 3/16", and if the block isn't long enough it will just smash it instead of cut.

Mentioning it in case someone here spots one at an antique mall or yard sale and thinks their days of wrestling with plug tobacco are over.

 

[marc75]

Very nice collection.

 

[georged]

Since someone is bound to ask now that I brought it up:

There IS a machine to be found in antique markets that's actually designed to slice, not chop.

They're considerably more difficult to find, though, because they were sold for personal use, while rope choppers were standard equipment in every general and dry goods store in the country for a hundred years.

They're also tricky to spot in a pile of stuff because of how much smaller they are than their cousins. The "table" is only about the size of a deck of playing cards. Also, look for a fully curved "half moon" shaped blade.

 

[bullet08]

Nice collection! Welcome from NC.

 

[didimauw]

My name is Allan Detrich and I collect zoomorphic, or figural tobacco choppers. Here is a link to my collection online - Tobacco Choppers | ZoomorphicCleavers - https://www.zoomorphiccleavers.com/tobacco-choppers, also I collect zoomorphic cleavers at - www.zoomorphiccleavers.com, if anyone has any tobacco choppers for sale, or know of any or see a sale, please contact me at detrichpix@aol.com, thanks, Allan.

Welcome Allan! Do you also smoke pipes?

 

[Chasing Embers]

or know of any or see a sale

Check the popular auction sites, they regularly have a variety of them.

 

[Sgetz]

Welcome and good luck in the hunt!

 

[FurCoat]

Very cool. Welcome

 

[Detrichpix]

Welcome Allan! Do you also smoke pipes?

No, but my dad did, had quite a collection, remember the vanilla smell when he smoked them when I was a kid, dad passed last December, and my brother took some pipes and I have a chopper I added to my collection. Cool site!

 

[Detrichpix]

Check the popular auction sites, they regularly have a variety of them.

I do, and am pretty specific in my collection, but if you ever see a cool one, feel free to let me know! Thanks

 

[Ryan]

I found a plug cutter from the 70s on the upper shelf of my elderly father’s pantry. It’s like a hot knife through butter, perfect slices.

 

[ChonkyTonks]

So, what got you so interested in plug cutters/cleavers? You have an amazing collection.

 

[OverMountain]

I found a plug cutter from the 70s on the upper shelf of my elderly father’s pantry. It’s like a hot knife through butter, perfect slices.

View attachment 175076

Those things are death traps! welcome OP!

 

[Chaukisch]

Happy smokes from Northern Germany and welcome to this fine forum.
That a serious collection there, beautiful pieces too.

 

[Detrichpix]

So, what got you so interested in plug cutters/cleavers? You have an amazing collection.

I do BBQ and am a pitmaster, I don't knew, I have done various collections throughout the years, once if find something interesting and unusual, I go for it in a big way I guess, hahaha...