Abstract: Pipes are straight drawn for reducing the pipe diameter and the pipe wall thickness. The drawing is performed intermittently through a plurality of drawing stages, each including a drawing plate having a drawing nozzle or opening through which the pipe must pass. Individual, separate drawing mandrel sections forming a set and corresponding in number to the plurality of drawing plates, are inserted in proper sequence into the pipe to be drawn. The insertion is such that the mandrel sections are located, prior to the begin of the drawing operation, between a pulling end of the pipe and a first dent. The smaller diameter mandrel sections first pass through the hole in the drawing plate and only the largest dimeter mandrel section is held in place by the first drawing plate for squeezing the pipe through that drawing plate. The smaller diameter mandrel sections travel along with the pipe as it is being drawn through the plates one after the other, whereby each plate keeps its respective mandrel section in place.