This study investigates the cutting response of AL3003H18 hexagonal honeycombs loaded with vertical array blades. Quasi-static cutting tests were performed on aluminum honeycombs of various cell sizes and the same single-walled thickness (0.04 mm) using five groups of parallel steel blades of thickness 0.24 mm. The deformation mechanism was numerically simulated in the explicit solver LS-DYNA. In addition, the cutting process was described using a theoretical model based on dimensional analysis. The cutting response of honeycombs could be divided into three stages: elastic, transitional, and stable cutting. The cutting stress was found to decrease with increasing single-walled edge (SE) length. In an empirical analysis, the cutting force equation was derived as F = 1.3 C N c σ y t 1.92 d 0.30 l − 0.22 , where C is a constant, N c is the total number of cutting points, σ y is the yield strength of the matrix material, d is the cutting depth, and t and l are the thickness and length of an SE, respectively. In particular, the cutting force is proportional to the 0.30th power of the cutting depth and inversely proportional to the 0.22th power of the SE length. • Cell size effect in the cutting honeycombs loaded by parallel blades is observed in the experiments for the first time. • Three stages are included in the cutting honeycombs and shear strength of parent material dominates the first two stages. • Deformation mechanism is discussed and plastic deformation and stress concentration occur near the tip of the blades in honeycombs. • A theoretical model is derived to predict the cutting energy and cutting force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]