Abstract: An apparatus and method for unwinding wound sheet material in a drum unwind operation are described. The drum of the unwind equipment peripherally engages the material to be unwound in a pressure nip. The drum has a soft covering which deforms readily in the pressure nip while the roll being unwound is not subject to significant deformation in the nip. The roll being unwound then has the same diameter throughout the roll and sagging of the material at the nip is eliminated. The deformable roll or covering must be more easily deformed than the roll of material and for optimum operation is much more easily deformed to the extent that the deformation is visible to the eye.