What is this thing and how is it used?

[jgedde]

See photos below... It goes without saying, but clicking the picture will allow you to enlarge.

This tool belonged to a friend's late father. My friend's research seems to indicate that this is a wallpaper trimmer. While this sounds plausible considering the manufacturer (Hyde), it's not clear how it would be of any value to a wallpaperer, so I'm not convinced.

It has a rotating blade which is adjustable for depth like a circular saw. It also has a guide which looks like it's designed to hook over something's edge. The guide location is not adjustable. In the front is a roller that appears to guide whatever is being cut upwards.

It seems the me this thing was designed to cut off fixed width strips of something.

What is this thing? How was it used to perform its intended task?

John

 

[Tony Wells]

 

[jgedde]

OK. OK. I see you have one too. But what is it?

 

[Tony Wells]

I don't have one, but found that image, among others, with a search for wallpaper trimmers. That's what it is, as confirmed also by Bill.

 

[DaveD]

Yep wallpaper trimmer. It hooked on a straightedge about 6' long. There was a sheet metal strip about 4" wide along the front edge of the wallpaper table ( it was on the top surface of the table) that was about 6' long.

You pasted up your sheet of wallpaper, folded it back on itself, laid the straightedge on top of the paper, and sheetmetal strip, pushed down on the cutter as you zipped it forward. The purpose of the sheet metal strip was to stop the cutter from cutting the table top. It didn't hurt the cutting edge.

So simple and foolproof even a cave man could use it.