THE BIG PIPE CUTTER

This tool is one of those you would love to own but really should rent. After all, it is only needed for four cuts; then there will never be another constructive use for it. You could always hang it above the mantle with Grandfather's shotgun, but then you would have to move either the old scythe or the bronzed power drill.

The pipe cutter is cumbersome in appearance, yet elegant in application. It is comprised of a 30-inch handle and a chain attached to one end. The chain holds several cutting wheels. The instrument resembles a medieval weapon and was originally designed with combat in mind. I can imagine knights riding into battle swinging this thing over their heads. One whack from a pipe cutter could lay open a suit of armor as if it were a can of Starkist tuna.

Used in its less violent capacity, the chain is wrapped around a pipe, and the handle is moved back and forth, causing the blades to cut into the pipe. Every so often, the chain is tightened and the wheels cut a fraction of an inch deeper.

Next Page