Abstract: The invention provides apparatus for producing preselected lengths of rope from a supply of thermoplastic rope, and includes a rope feed system for advancing rope longitudinally along a rope path and a guillotine assembly coupled to the feed system. The guillotine assembly has a thermally conductive blade support mounted for reciprocal movement orthogonally with respect to the rope path, and a thermally conductive blade removably attached to the blade support. The blade is in good thermal contact with the blade support and movable with the blade support between a first position clear of the rope path and a second position in which the blade crosses the rope path. An electrical heating element is attached to the blade support to heat the support and thereby heat the blade to a temperature sufficient to fuse the rope locally.