do i buy a thing

man, that's terrible. i wonder what changed, i've had one for cables, and one for housing, each for like 20+ years, they have always worked perfectly? The housing cutter is so strong I have misused it to cut spokes (not recommended for rim health or long-term cutter health. also can be dangerous to eye health if you have no rim strip).

Do you have to file the housing after cutting? It's so tough I find it hard to imagine you wouldn't but I had high hopes, maybe too high?

I mean it looks so mashed I think I'll be filing for hours.

spiral brake housing, or shifter housing? Yeah the soft spiral stuff tends to mash down a bit if I don't manipulate the cutting process a bit (I sort of bend the housing back, away from the core as I cut. But mine never mashes or messes up that tough shifter stuff. Boom, right through.

Brake housing. I've got plenty to play with so I'll give that a go, ta. I see the park tools website does say some filing will be necessary.