Abstract: An improved splicing apparatus has a splicer head comprising a pair of opposed upper and lower traveling carriages each of which supports an idler roller, a nip bar which is swingable on its carriage between a ready position downstream from its corresponding idler roller and a web preparation position at the front of the splicer head and means for pushing the nip bar towards the opposite nip bar when both carriages are in their advanced positions. A knife carriage located on the head between the two nip bar carriages retracts when either nip bar carriage retracts to permit the nip bar on the opposite carriage to be swung to its web preparation position. The knife carriage supports a knife which can be actuated momentarily to urge it from a normal retracted position to an advanced position wherein it intercepts one of the nip bars when that nip bar is in its splicing position against the opposite nip bar.