PURPOSE: To perform the cutting of a semiconductive layer around a cable insulator by smoothly tilting the stripped end section of the semiconductive layer at the time of cutting the semiconductive layer.

CONSTITUTION: A cable cutting device is equipped with a mechanism which cuts a semiconductive layer 3 around the insulator 4 of a cable by moving a byte 10 around the cable. Immediately before completing the cutting of the layer 3, a buffer moving mechanism 20 composed of a hydraulic device slowly moves the byte 10 in the direction opposite to the direction shown by the arrow 14 while the byte 10 is rotated in the direction shown by the arrows 11. Therefore, the end section of the layer 3 is cut in a tapered state and no step is formed.