Tuck Cutter Blade Stencil

[TigerTom]

Good evening.

I managed to score a star blade tuck cutter off eBay for a steal. It appears to be a near-direct copy of a Dubrul.

What I did not observe in the listing photos is that the lower blade is missing. I haven't been able to locate a replacement, which is not surprising since these don't seem to be made anymore.

Is there any way someone may be able to trace a stencil of one that I may use to make a new blade? I'm hoping someone has one of the two sided lower blades that can be stenciled (for larger and narrower cigars) but at this point I'll take anything that fits.

-Tom

 

[deluxestogie]

I don't know if this is your device.

Bob

 

[TigerTom]

Not exactly.

This is the auction I won:

Vtg.Working Vertical Wall/Board Mount Cigar Cutter unbranded adjustable length | eBay

<p dir="ltr">Vertical/Horzonal mounted metal cigar cutter unmounted and unbranded in working condition with lite rust 8" over all length fully functional could use cleaning. The cutter has numbers K15 & K14 on metal and also has 2 holes for mounting.Please view the photos as they are also used...

www.ebay.com

Quite grubby, but easy to clean with a mild solvent and some steel wool. Looks like a direct copy of this one, which was listed right after I won:

Cigar Adjustable Star Cutter & Cutting Board Miller Dubrul & Peters vintage | eBay

The board is made up of many pieces held together with three rods. There is a little play in the wooden pieces. The star cutter has a lower concave blade, adjustable to cut straight across various shapes and sizes of cigars without damaging the wrapper.

www.ebay.com

Your's looks very similar, but different enough to make me wonder if it would fit.

 

[deluxestogie]

wonder if it would fit

Make a thin cardboard blade from the template, and make it match up. The shape of the upper blade should not be an issue for the shape of the lower blade.

Bob

 

[TigerTom]

Make a thin cardboard blade from the template, and make it match up. The shape of the upper blade should not be an issue for the shape of the lower blade.

Bob

That sounds like a plan.

 

[deluxestogie]

I also notice in the "original listing" photo that the existing blade appears to be installed with the bevel toward the cigar. I believe the bevel on the lower blade should face the cigar, and the bevel of the upper blade should face away from the cigar. With the lower blade closest to the cigar (between the cast base and the upper blade), the two non-beveled surfaces will slide snugly against one another, just like a two-blade cigar guillotine cutter.

Bob

 

[GIL]

This summer we built a similar guillotine from scratch. The cutting parts (blades) should slide on each other as close as possible (tight). higher than the concavity in which it sits. Deluxe is right, it is essentially a pair of scissors. Look carefully at a pair of scissors and you will know how to build the blade.

 

[GIL]

the bottom should be mounted slightly higher than the concavity in which the cigar stands (approximately 2-3 millimeters)

 

[TigerTom]

I also notice in the "original listing" photo that the existing blade appears to be installed with the bevel toward the cigar. I believe the bevel on the lower blade should face the cigar, and the bevel of the upper blade should face away from the cigar. With the lower blade closest to the cigar (between the cast base and the upper blade), the two non-beveled surfaces will slide snugly against one another, just like a two-blade cigar guillotine cutter.

Bob

You're not wrong. I took it off to reorient it correctly but because the lower blade is missing, the mechanism would catch. My guess is the lower blade wore out or was lost somewhere along the way so the top blade was flipped to keep it from catching.

 

[GIL]

That spring (arc) has a double role; -to lift the upper blade after cutting -to tighten the cutting blades (and adjust) each other after examining the pictures I deduce that the seller knew that something was missing (he did not take pictures in such a way that it could be seen) which makes me believe that you bought it from ..... Romania.

 

[TigerTom]

That spring (arc) has a double role; -to lift the upper blade after cutting -to tighten the cutting blades (and adjust) each other after examining the pictures I deduce that the seller knew that something was missing (he did not take pictures in such a way that it could be seen) which makes me believe that you bought it from ..... Romania.

Haha, no. The seller was in Baltimore.

I checked the pictures again. The one shot that showed that angle was dark. If I'd known what I was looking for I'd have noticed and either passed or asked the seller for more photos. C'est la vie.

Should be a fun project. I have an old circular saw kicking around I can use for a blade.

 

[GIL]

You will have to give a hole (or two) for fixing. In that hardened metal it will be difficult. Personally I opted for welding (I could not drill)

 

[MarcL]

 

[TigerTom]

You will have to give a hole (or two) for fixing. In that hardened metal it will be difficult. Personally I opted for welding (I could not drill)

Shouldn't be a problem. If I run into difficulty, I have a brother who makes knives and I can enlist his help.

 

[TigerTom]

View attachment 34434View attachment 34434

Thanks, Marc! I think between what you and Bob (and everyone else) have posted, I should be able to get something going.

 

[MarcL]

 

[MarcL]

The leading edge has a tweak in it.

 

[MarcL]

 

[MarcL]

 

[MarcL]