PURPOSE: To prevent substandard articles from entering standard products, by detecting abnormality of a cut face of a wire rod and a tool such as a cutter simultaneously with a cutting operation.

CONSTITUTION: A compressive force during cutting a wire rod is measured by a pressure sensor 14, and is amplified by an amplifier 16. Thereafter, signals from the amplifier are sequentially digitized at a converter 17 according to a moving stroke of a cutter, and such digital signals are inputted to a comparator 19, in which they are compared with characteristics in a memory 18. If both the values are within a permissible limit, feeding of the wire rod is continued. On the other hand, if both the values are out of the permissible limit because of such an abnormality that the cutter is broorken or a life of the cutter is expired to reduce a cutting quality, feeding of the wire rod is discontinued, and a warning such as a buzzer is given.