Bidspirit auction | Reading Hardware Iron Tobacco Cutter

Reading Hardware Iron Tobacco Cutter - A cast iron lever-action tobacco cutter manufactured by the Reading Hardware Company of Reading, Pennsylvania. This counter-top tool is designed for portioning plugs of tobacco. The assembly consists of a heavy cast iron frame with a semi-circular arched track, a long lever handle, and a flat base. One side of the frame features the embossed words READING HARDWARE COMPANY in a semi-circle (photo 2). The opposite side of the frame is embossed with the text STANDARD TOBACCO KNIFE (photo 6). Along the handle portion of the base, the words STANDARD CUTTER are embossed into the metal (photos 3, 4, 5). The base includes two integral mounting eyelets located at the extreme ends for bolting the tool to a work surface. The internal cutting blade is original and remains seated within the vertical tracks of the arched frame. The lever handle is attached to the blade mechanism with original pins.