Mid-Century Blue Translucent Guillotine Cigar Cutter, 3 inches, circa 1950s-60s

Welcome to Pipe Collectors Encyclopedia, your premier destination for museum-quality estate pipes with comprehensive historical and technical documentation. IDENTIFICATION This is a mid-century modernist guillotine-style cigar cutter, circa 1950s-1960s, featuring a translucent body with blue accent detailing. The piece exemplifies post-war industrial design optimism through its unconventional use of transparent plastics and metal components. A functional precision tool that doubles as decorative design artifact. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Following World War II austerity, industrial design underwent radical transformation. Manufacturers embraced transparency, synthetic materials, and chromatic experimentation as visual markers of technological progress and modernity. The guillotine cutter form, refined through the early 20th century, found new expression in plastic-and-metal hybrids during this period. Designers like Eero Aarnio revolutionized everyday object aesthetics, elevating functional tools to collectible status. This cutter represents the democratic impulse of mid-century design: precision engineering rendered accessible and visually celebratory. GRADING AND MARKS - Body: Translucent plastic with blue accent elements - Mechanism: Guillotine-style dual-blade action - Grip Design: Twin circular finger apertures for ergonomic control - Finish Grade: Original mid-century production finish - Country of Origin: To be confirmed - Manufacturing Date: Circa 1950s-1960s - Maker Signature: To be confirmed DESIGN AND MECHANISM The cutter employs a classic guillotine principle with modernized ergonomics. Twin finger loops positioned at opposite ends provide stable, confident grip during operation. The translucent body exposes internal mechanics, a design choice that celebrates rather than conceals function. Metal blades nested within are accessed through a smooth, controlled action mechanism. MATERIALS AND FINISH Primary body constructed from mid-century translucent plastic in clear or frosted finish, complemented by cobalt or sapphire blue accent elements. Metal components likely steel or chrome-plated brass. The material choice represents the era's optimistic embrace of synthetic polymers as markers of modernity and progress. CONDITION REPORT Overall Grade: To be confirmed. Inspection required for blade sharpness, plastic crazing or discoloration, metal oxidation, and mechanical function. Vintage plastics prone to cloudiness and brittleness; examination of grip integrity essential. DIMENSIONS - Length: 3 inches (76 mm) - Width: To be confirmed - Height: To be confirmed - Weight: To be confirmed - Blade Span: To be confirmed CLOSING This cutter ships from the Faridunhill archive with professional condition documentation. Full worldwide shipping available. Standard archival sanitation and inspection completed prior to dispatch. SKU: SKU-286