I was installing a windshield at a dealership when next door a SL van pulled up at a Enterprise lot. It pulls up to a Chevy Express extended van that has the large raw edge quarter glass. Guy confirms the right glass by holding it up and then get a drop cloth. I watch dumbfounded as he takes a hammer and hits the intact glass. It's lami so it just cracks. He goes on and hits it 3 to 4 more times and then pulls out a cold knife and cuts it out. My buddy and I just look at each other in amazement in true WTF fashion. Why would any installer want to create a mess like that in the first place and compromise stability of the cracked piece before removing it?
From there he did the job right. I saw him prime his scratches. I would have used a dam kit to prevent squeeze out but that's me.

Can someone explain this novel approach to lami removal? Is a hammer the new windshield removal tool favored by professionals?

Ok so my understanding of it is S L makes techs on lami that is not cracked or they have to use wire out tool but if it is not cracked or broken they can use cold knife to remove the part I believe they have to turn in broken glass to prove removal using cold knife but I could be mistaken with what I ha e heard