A continuous cutter for severing pieces of equal length from a coiled elongate article "T" includes a movable stand which carries a shiftable clamp. The cutter also includes a fixed clamp. The shiftable and fixed clamps are driven relatively to one another to clamp or unclamp the article "T" fed from an uncoiler and to advance it in an intermittent manner for the production of flat tubes used to construct a heat exchanger. For this purpose, a cutter blade on the movable stand severs the elongate article into lengths during the forward advance of the stand, in such a manner that the lengths are cut accurately, efficiently and at a reduced production cost. A stretcher may be added to the cutter in order to impart a the moving article "T".