Patent ID: 8069546

Claim:
A method of installing a zipper on a sheet of material, comprising: applying left and right portions of a zipper to a sheet of material; and piercing and cutting the sheet of material using a cutter, the cutter comprising: a handle; two spaced-apart blades; two piercing fingers corresponding to the two spaced-apart blades, the two piercing fingers including angled guide surfaces, the two piercing fingers being oriented to define a cutting region between the first and second piercing fingers and the handle, wherein the two spaced-apart blades are recessed in the cutting region; and a deflector that is oriented at a second angle that is opposite a first angle of the angled guide surfaces of the first and second piercing fingers relative to an axis of direction of cutting; wherein piercing comprises piercing the sheet of material with the piercing fingers; and wherein cutting comprises, following piercing, cutting a swath portion of the sheet of material having two parallel, spaced-apart cuts between the left and right portions of the zipper by applying a cutting force that guides the pierced sheet of material toward the two spaced-apart blades between the angled guide surfaces and the deflector.