This disclosure relates to an apparatus for cutting downhole pipes, particularly when they are under compression and to a method for using such apparatus. It may be necessary to cut downhole pipe for a number of reasons, e.g. to address stuck pipe or in pipe recovery operations, and various mechanical pipe cutter tools are known for this purpose. These are lowered into the pipe and typically involve a cutter which may be extended from the tool body at the relevant location in order to cut the pipe from within. The known tools may have saw-like cutters in the form of a single point blade that moves around the circumference of the tool body or one in the form of a circular saw, which also moves around the tool's circumference as it spins about its own axis. In addition to cutting through the pipe, the cutter may also be extended sufficiently to cut through hydraulic or electrical control lines running along the outside of the pipe.
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