Abstract: Trimming apparatus for trimming the top flash, neck flash, handle opening flash, and bottom flash from a blow molded plastic bottle. The handle opening flash is removed by a punch and anvil to act against the handle opening flash and push it laterally away from the handle for separation from the bottle. The top and neck flash, and the bottom flash, are each removed by respective gripper devices that grip respective portions of the flash and pull the flash linearly away from the bottle to effect separation of the flash from the bottle. The handle opening flash removing device remains in position within the handle opening to thereby serve to hold the bottle against vertical upward movement as the top and bottom flash are being removed. Upper and lower grippers having a pair of gripper jaws are provided to pull the flash in an axial direction from the top and bottom of a bottle, and to avoid the need for precise positioning of the bottle relative to a flash cutter.