Abstract: An apparatus for preparing an optical fiber for connection to another optical fiber is comprised of a clamp for gripping an optical fiber at a first location, a mechanism for transversely severing and removing insulation from a predetermined length of the fiber to provide a insulation severed end portion and a bared fiber portion, a cleaving mechanism for forming a transverse score in the bared fiber portion at a predetermined distance from the severed end portion of the insulation, and a fiber tensioning mechanism for breaking the optical fiber along a transverse plane containing the score.