Low tension flush cut-off cable tie installation tool

A cable tie installation tool tensions a cable tie about a plurality of elongated objects and severs an excess portion of the cable tie. The cable tie includes a head portion and a tail portion. The tool includes a housing having a blade guard having a front portion and an anvil portion, a tensioning mechanism operatively supported by the housing for tensioning the cable tie to a predetermined tension setting and retaining the cable tie head portion at least partially against the blade guard, and a severing mechanism including a linearly reciprocating blade for severing the excess portion of the cable tie near the head portion once the cable tie has been placed into the predetermined tension setting by the tensioning mechanism. The linearly reciprocating blade passes behind the front portion of the blade guard and in front of the anvil portion of the blade guard.