Exhibit 10.1

                       FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT

                  FIRST AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of October 21,
2005 (this "Amendment"), to the Credit Agreement, dated as of May 9, 2005 (the
            ---------
"Credit Agreement"), among KADANT INC. (the "Borrower"), the Foreign Subsidiary
 ----------------                                            --------
Borrowers from time to time parties thereto, the several lenders from time to
time parties thereto and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent (the
"Administrative Agent").
 --------------------

                  WHEREAS pursuant to the Credit Agreement, the Lenders have
agreed to extend credit to the Borrower;

                  WHEREAS the Borrower has requested that the Lenders issue
Letters of Credit denominated in Foreign Currencies, from time to time as
specified by the Borrower and/or a Foreign Subsidiary Borrower in compliance
with the Credit Agreement; and

                  WHEREAS the Borrower has requested that the Credit Agreement
be amended in the manner provided for in this Amendment, and the Lenders are
willing to agree to such amendments as provided for herein;

                  NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual
covenants contained herein the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

                  1.     Defined Terms. Capitalized terms used and not defined
                         -------------
herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Credit Agreement.

                  2.     Amendment to Section 1.1 (Defined Terms). Section 1.1
                         ---------------------------------------
of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by inserting, in proper alphabetical
order, the following new or substitute defined terms and related definitions:

              "Dollar L/C Obligations": at any time, an amount equal to the sum
               ----------------------
         of (a) the aggregate then undrawn and unexpired amount of the then
         outstanding Dollar Letters of Credit and (b) the aggregate amount of
         drawings under Dollar Letters of Credit that have not then been
         reimbursed pursuant to Section 3.5.

              "Dollar Letter of Credit": any Letter of Credit denominated in
               -----------------------
         Dollars.

              "L/C Obligations":  the collective reference to Dollar L/C
               ---------------
         Obligations and Multicurrency L/C Obligations.

              "Letters of Credit": any Dollar Letter of Credit or Multicurrency
               -----------------
         Letter of Credit, as defined in Section 3.1(a).

              "Multicurrency L/C Obligations": at any time, an amount equal to
               -----------------------------
         the sum of (a) the aggregate then undrawn and unexpired amount of the
         then outstanding Multicurrency Letters of Credit and (b) the aggregate
         amount of drawings under Multicurrency Letters of Credit that have not
         then been reimbursed pursuant to Section 3.5.

              "Multicurrency Letter of Credit": any Letter of Credit denominated
               ------------------------------
         in one or more Foreign Currencies.


              "Multicurrency Revolving Extensions of Credit": as to any
               --------------------------------------------
         Multicurrency Lender at any time, an amount equal to the sum of (a) the
         aggregate principal amount (based on the Dollar Equivalent thereof) of
         all Multicurrency Revolving Loans held by such Lender then outstanding
         and (b) such Multicurrency Lender's Multicurrency Revolving Percentage
         of the Multicurrency L/C Obligations then outstanding (based on the
         Dollar Equivalent thereof).

              "Multicurrency Revolving Subcommitment": as to any Lender, the
               -------------------------------------
         obligation of such Lender to make Multicurrency Revolving Loans and
         participate in Multicurrency Letters of Credit in an aggregate
         principal amount (based on the Dollar Equivalent thereof) not to exceed
         the amount set forth under the heading "Multicurrency" opposite such
         Lender's name on Schedule 1.1A or in the Assignment and Acceptance
         pursuant to which such Lender became a party hereto, as the same may be
         changed from time to time pursuant to the terms hereof. The original
         amount of the Total Multicurrency Revolving Subcommitments shall equal
         the Multicurrency Sublimit of the Revolving Facility.

              "Multicurrency Sublimit":  $15,000,000.
               ----------------------

              "Outstanding Revolving Extensions of Credit": as to any Lender at
               ------------------------------------------
         any time, an amount equal to the sum of (a) the aggregate principal
         amount of all Revolving Loans (or the Dollar Equivalent thereof in the
         case of Multicurrency Revolving Loans) held by such Lender then
         outstanding, (b) such Lender's Revolving Percentage of the L/C
         Obligations (or the Dollar Equivalent thereof in the case of
         Multicurrency L/C Obligations) then outstanding, and (c) such Lender's
         Revolving Percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Swingline
         Loans then outstanding."

              "Revolving Commitment": as to any Lender, the obligation of such
               --------------------
         Lender, if any, to make Revolving Loans (which includes Multicurrency
         Revolving Loans) and participate in Swingline Loans and Letters of
         Credit (which includes Multicurrency L/C Obligations) in an aggregate
         principal and/or face amount not to exceed the amount set forth under
         the heading "Revolver" opposite such Lender's name on Schedule 1.1A or
         in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender became a
         party hereto, as the same may be changed from time to time pursuant to
         the terms hereof. The original amount of the Total Revolving
         Commitments is $25,000,000.

                  3.     Amendment to Section 2.4 (Revolving Commitments). (a)
                         -----------------------------------------------
Section 2.4(c) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting clause (a)
in the first sentence thereof in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof
the following:

         "when added to such Multicurrency Lender's Multicurrency Revolving
         Percentage of the other Multicurrency Revolving Extensions of Credit,
         shall not exceed such Multicurrency Lender's Multicurrency Revolving
         Subcommitment and"

                  (b) Section 2.4(c) of the Credit Agreement is hereby further
amended by deleting the phrase "Multicurrency Revolving Loans" in clause (ii)
thereof and substituting in lieu therefor the phrase "Multicurrency Revolving
Extensions of Credit".

                  4.     Amendment to Section 2.12 (Mandatory Prepayments of
                         ---------------------------------------------------
Multicurrency Revolving Loans). Section 2.12(a) of the Credit Agreement is
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hereby amended by deleting such section in its entirety and substituting in lieu
thereof the following:

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              "(a) If, on any Calculation Date, (i) the Outstanding Revolving
              Extensions of Credit exceed the Revolving Commitments or (ii) the
              Dollar Equivalent of the Multicurrency Revolving Extensions of
              Credit outstanding, in each case, on such date exceeds 105% of the
              Multicurrency Sublimit on such date, the Borrower and/or any
              Foreign Subsidiary Borrower shall, without notice or demand,
              immediately repay such of its outstanding Revolving Loans (or cash
              collateralize its Letters of Credit in accordance with this
              Section 2.12(a)) in an aggregate principal amount such that, after
              giving effect thereto, (x) the Outstanding Revolving Extensions of
              Credit do not exceed the Revolving Commitments and (y) the Dollar
              Equivalent of the Multicurrency Revolving Extensions of Credit
              outstanding on such date is equal to or less than the
              Multicurrency Sublimit on such date, together with interest
              accrued to the date of such payment or prepayment on the principal
              so prepaid and any amounts payable under Section 2.21 in
              connection therewith. The Borrower and/or any Foreign Subsidiary
              Borrower may, in lieu of prepaying Revolving Loans in order to
              comply with this paragraph, deposit amounts in a Cash Collateral
              Account, for the benefit of the Lenders, equal to (A) the
              aggregate principal amount of Revolving Loans required to be
              prepaid or (B) the aggregate amount of such excess over the
              Revolving Commitments or the Multicurrency Sublimit, as the case
              may be. The Administrative Agent shall apply any cash deposited in
              any Cash Collateral Account (to the extent thereof) to repay
              Revolving Loans at the end of the Interest Periods therefor, as
              the case may be, provided that (x) the Administrative Agent shall
                               --------
              release to the Borrower and/or any applicable Foreign Subsidiary
              Borrower from time to time such portion of the amount on deposit
              in any Cash Collateral Account to the extent such amount is not
              required to be so deposited in order for the Borrower and/or the
              applicable Foreign Subsidiary Borrower to be in compliance with
              this Section 2.12 and (y) the Administrative Agent may so apply
              such cash at any time after the occurrence and during the
              continuation of an Event of Default. "Cash Collateral Account"
                                                    -----------------------
              means an account specifically established by the Borrower and/or
              any Foreign Subsidiary Borrower with the Administrative Agent for
              purposes of this Section 2.12 and hereby pledged to the
              Administrative Agent and over which the Administrative Agent shall
              have exclusive dominion and control, including the right of
              withdrawal for application in accordance with this Section 2.12."

                  5.     Amendment to Section 2.25 (Foreign Currency Exchange
                         ----------------------------------------------------
Rate). (a) Section 2.25(a) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by adding
- ----
the following language after the phrase "pursuant to Section 2.5(b)" and before
the comma in the proviso contained in the first sentence:

              "or the issuance of any Multicurrency Letter of Credit"

                  (b) Section 2.25(b) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended
by deleting the phrase "Multicurrency Revolving Loans" where it appears therein
and substituting in lieu thereof, in each instance, the phrase "Multicurrency
Revolving Extensions of Credit".

                  6.     Amendment to Section 3.1 (Letters of Credit). (a)
                         -------------------------------------------
Section 3.1(a) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the second
proviso in the first sentence thereof and substituting in lieu thereof the
following proviso:

              "provided that such Issuing Lender shall not issue or extend any
               --------
              Letter of Credit if, after giving effect to such issuance or
              extension, (i) the L/C Obligations would exceed the L/C
              Commitment, (ii) the sum of Outstanding Revolving Extensions of
              Credit would exceed

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              the Total Revolving Commitments or (iii) the sum of the
              Multicurrency Revolving Extensions of Credit would exceed the
              Multicurrency Sublimit."

                  (b) Section 3.1(a) of the Credit Agreement is hereby further
amended by deleting the last sentence thereof in its entirety and substituting
in lieu thereof the following:

              "Each Letter of Credit shall (i) be denominated in Dollars or any
              one of the Foreign Currencies, as specified by the Borrower, and
              (ii) expire no later than the earlier of (x) the first anniversary
              of its date of issuance and (y) the date that is five Business
              Days prior to the Revolving Termination Date, provided that any
                                                            --------
              Letter of Credit with a one-year term may provide for the renewal
              thereof for additional one-year periods (which shall in no event
              extend beyond the date referred to in clause (y) above)."

                  7.     Amendment to Schedule 1.1A. Schedule 1.1A of the Credit
                         --------------------------
Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such schedule in its entirety and
substituting in lieu thereof the document attached hereto as Schedule 1.1A.

                  8.     No Other Amendments; Confirmation. Except as expressly
                         ---------------------------------
amended hereby, the provisions of the Credit Agreement are and shall remain in
full force and effect. Nothing herein shall be deemed to entitle the Borrower to
a consent to, or a waiver, amendment, modification or other change of, any of
the terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the
Credit Agreement or any Loan Document in similar or different circumstances.

                  9.     Representations and Warranties. The Borrower hereby
                         ------------------------------
represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders that, as of
the date hereof and after giving effect to the waivers and amendment contained
herein:

                  (a) each of the representations and warranties made by any
Loan Party in or pursuant to the Loan Documents shall be true and correct in all
material respects on and as of the date hereof, except where such
representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, in which
case such representations and warranties shall have been true and correct in all
material respects as of such date;

                  (b) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing; and

                  (c) the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of
this Amendment have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and other
action and does not and will not require any registration with, consent or
approval of, notice to or action by, any person (including any Governmental
Authority) in order to be effective and enforceable.

                  10.    Conditions Precedent to Effectiveness. This Amendment
                         -------------------------------------
shall become effective on the date on which the Administrative Agent shall have
received counterparts hereof duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and
each Lender.

                  11.    Expenses. The Borrower agrees to promptly pay and/or
                         --------
reimburse the Administrative Agent for its invoiced out-of-pocket expenses in
connection with this Amendment (including the reasonable fees, charges and
disbursements of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, counsel for the Administrative
Agent).

                  12.    Governing Law; Counterparts. (a) This Amendment and the
                         ---------------------------
rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be governed by, and construed
and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

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                  (b)    This Amendment may be executed by one or more of the
parties to this Amendment on any number of separate counterparts, and all of
said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same
instrument. This Amendment may be delivered by facsimile transmission of the
relevant signature pages hereof.



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                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Amendment to be duly executed and delivered by their duly authorized officers as
of the day and year first above written.

                                   KADANT INC.,

                                   By: /s/ Thomas M. O'Brien
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                   Name:  Thomas M. O'Brien
                                   Title: Executive Vice President and Chief
                                   Financial Officer


                                   JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. individually and
                                   as Administrative Agent

                                   By: /s/ Peter Killea
                                   ---------------------------------------------
                                   Name: Peter M. Killea
                                   Title: Vice President



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                         Signature page to the FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CREDIT
                         AGREEMENT, dated as of October 21, 2005 (this
                         "Amendment"), to the Credit Agreement, dated as of May
                          ---------
                         9, 2005 (the "Credit Agreement"), among KADANT INC.
                                       ----------------
                         (the "Borrower"), the FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY BORROWERS
                               --------
                         thereto, the LENDERS party thereto and JPMORGAN CHASE
                         BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent (the
                         "Administrative Agent").







                         --------------------------------------------
                         BARCLAYS BANK PLC


                         By /s/ Vince Muldoon
                            -----------------------------------------
                            Title: Director


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                         Signature page to the FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CREDIT
                         AGREEMENT, dated as of October 21, 2005 (this
                         "Amendment"), to the Credit Agreement, dated as of May
                          ---------
                         9, 2005 (the "Credit Agreement"), among KADANT INC.
                                       ----------------
                         (the "Borrower"), the FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY BORROWERS
                               --------
                         thereto, the LENDERS party thereto and JPMORGAN CHASE
                         BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent (the
                         "Administrative Agent").







                         --------------------------------------------
                         CITIZENS BANK OF MASSACHUSETTS


                         By /s/ William E. Lingard
                            -----------------------------------------
                            Title:  Senior Vice President






                         Signature page to the FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CREDIT
                         AGREEMENT, dated as of October 21, 2005 (this
                         "Amendment"), to the Credit Agreement, dated as of May
                          ---------
                         9, 2005 (the "Credit Agreement"), among KADANT INC.
                                       ----------------
                         (the "Borrower"), the FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY BORROWERS
                               --------
                         thereto, the LENDERS party thereto and JPMORGAN CHASE
                         BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent (the
                         "Administrative Agent").







                         --------------------------------------------
                         LCL LE CREDIT LYONNAIS


                         By /s/ Mikael Andre
                            -----------------------------------------
                            Title:  Directeur Regional Enterprises
                                    Adjoint Champagne Aroenne









                         Signature page to the FIRST  AMENDMENT TO THE CREDIT
                         AGREEMENT, dated as of October 21, 2005 (this
                         "Amendment"), to the Credit Agreement, dated as of May
                          ---------
                         9, 2005 (the "Credit Agreement"), among KADANT INC.
                                       ----------------
                         (the "Borrower"), the FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY BORROWERS
                               --------
                         thereto, the LENDERS party thereto and JPMORGAN CHASE
                         BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent (the
                         "Administrative Agent").







                         --------------------------------------------
                          NATIONAL CITY BANK


                         By /s/ Heather M. McIntyre
                            -----------------------------------------
                            Title:  Vice President






                         Signature page to the FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CREDIT
                         AGREEMENT, dated as of October 21, 2005 (this
                         "Amendment"), to the Credit Agreement, dated as of May
                          ---------
                         9, 2005 (the "Credit Agreement"), among KADANT INC.
                                       ----------------
                         (the "Borrower"), the FOREIGN SUBSIDIARY BORROWERS
                               --------
                         thereto, the LENDERS party thereto and JPMORGAN CHASE
                         BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent (the
                         "Administrative Agent").







                         --------------------------------------------
                         U.S. BANK, N.A.


                         By /s/ Derek S. Roudebush
                            -----------------------------------------
                            Title:  Vice President











                                                                                                                
                                  SCHEDULE 1.1A


 Institution                                 Total Allocated             Term Loan A                Revolver           Multicurrency
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.                     $20,000,000.00          $14,117,647.06           $5,882,352.94           $3,529,411.76
 US Bank, National Association                 15,000,000.00           10,588,235.29            4,411,764.71            2,647,058.82
 Credit Lyonnais SA                            15,000,000.00           10,588,235.29            4,411,764.71            2,647,058.82
 Citizens Bank of Massachusetts                12,500,000.00            8,823,529.41            3,676,470.59            2,205,882.35
 National City Bank                            12,500,000.00            8,823,529.41            3,676,470.59            2,205,882.35
 Barclays Bank PLC                             10,000,000.00            7.058,823.53            2,941,176.47            1,764,705.88
                                          ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Total                                        $85,000,000.00          $60,000,000.00          $25,000,000.00          $15,000,000.00
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