Guillotine or blade?

[Saphyre333]

No, I;m not talking about an Alice Cooper Concert, I am in the market for a new paper cutter and I thought to ask the experts of Splitcoast what the best kind of paper cutter is best.

I've heard the guillotine type cutters have problems with paper shifting.
I've heard that the blade type cutters don't cut cleanly (the cardstock edges are fuzzy) and they will only cut one sheet at a time.

I have a rotary cutter and the reason I want a new paper cutter is because this one chews through blades and cutting mats.

I make cards, papercrafts and multimedia. I work mostly with cardstock and papers from Graphic 45 weight.

Any suggestions or comments on these kinds of cutters?

I hop[e this made sense as I am going to the gym and my husband says he is READY!:razz:

[harvestmoon]

I began cardmaking with a Fiskars little trimmer, about 5.5 x 13, with a razor-type blade sliding in a slot on plastic arm. I found this did not hold the blade very steady and cuts wavered. I then invested in a big Fiskars rotary cutter (with a 50% coupon at Michaels) I have used it a long time and find it cuts very well. There is a round blade, which I have replaced only once in 8 years, and there is a cutting bar that the blade rolls on and it does get cut. I have replaced it twice in 8 years. Highly recommend this cutter.
We have a guillotine cutter at work, and I can't imagine cutting my nice cardstock with it....the paper gets pushed aside when the blade comes down.

[arlenevita]

I am seriously thinking of buying a Carl's rotary paper trimmer because you can cut multiple sheets of cardstock at once. We have self-sharpening rotary trimmers at work that are great but I don't remember the brand names. I have several Fiskars trimmers and the blades need changing too often.

[jasimons]

I may be the only person in the world who has been happy with a Fiskars type trimmer (sliding blade, plastic arm). I'm currently using a Stampin' Up branded cutter of the same type.

However - I'd say I do a low to average amount of papercrafting, so I don't need to change the blade often. I measure with a ruler and mark to cut, so the accuracy of the cutting guides/grid isn't an issue for me.

[Annecards]

I have the SU guillotine, no linger being sold, and absolutely love it. I've had it for several years, and it remains sharp and accurate. It's a shame they no longer offer it. I rarely use my other SU trimmer.

[shirlb19]

Yep the SU guillotine was absolutely one of the first products I knew I needed. Never been sorry. I got the SU trimmer last year, and sometimes it cuts cleanly and other times, fuzzy, so I am not that impressed with it.

Shirl

[shazsilverwolf]

I have an X-cut guillotine, and love it. I can cut 4 or 5 sheets at the same time, depending on the weight.
I also have a Carl rotary trimmer, with about a dozen fancy edge blades. Love that too. Meant I could get rid of all my fancy edged scissors.
One thing with many cutters- use the grid lines to line up your card/paper to, not the actual edges of the machine. Often, they are not perfectly square, whilst the grid lines are.

[cbet]

I have a Tonic brand guillotine - the one where the platform is a full 12x12+, and that ended my quest for a cutter. It has a plastic guard that the paper slides under and you have to remember to press down on that guard to hold the paper in place, but as long as you remember that, the paper does not shift when you cut it (as long as you're not trying to cut too many sheets at once).

I'll add that we have a guillotine cutter at work from some office supply brand, and it does the job for what we need there, but it's not nearly as nice as my Tonic.

[Scrapjanny]

I have both. I've been using the same purple Fiskars paper trimmer with the sliding blade for about 12 years now, and it's still my favorite. My cuts are always straight. I also have the large Tonic guillotine cutter that I bought when I was an Angel Company demo, and I have the smaller one. The guillotine trimmers are good for cutting paper that might tear or get stuck with a sliding-type trimmer - e.g. vellum, mylar, embossed cardstock, foam, glitter paper. That's really the only time I use the guillotine trimmer, because it's very bulky to keep out and "handy."

[southgirl]

I have them all...Blade, rotary and guillotine cutters. I am using the guillotine at this moment. It cuts well. The paper does slide but all paper will slide. I have a light weight one but it is still too big and heavy. I have come to the conclusion that there are no "perfect" cutters.

[canada goose]

I love my Tonic rotary.

[Covington Crafter]

I have the Purple Cows 2 in 1 Guillotine/Rotary Trimmer. I got it at Costco for @ $25 five years ago. It's still carried there. I got it originally to make my daughter's wedding invitations and love it. It cuts cleanly and has additional decorative edge rotary blades. I leave the scoring blade on and cut my paper with the guillotine.

[Buried Treasures]

I have an ancient guillotine that I use most of the time that only cuts up to 10.5" paper, and a Fiskars trimmer for 12" paper. I don't mind cutting one page at a time because I want to be sure there is no shifting when I cut. The key to getting a good cut for either type of cutter is sharp blades!

[Denverkat276]

First, I don't have just one cutter. I need various cutters depending on what I'm cutting.

I don't have any of the newer models of a guillotine. I have an old Bostich guillotine. It has a placement bar that holds the back end of the paper. I also use repositional tape to hold the paper proper and I NEVER have crooked cuts.

I have a fishers paper trimmer that is something that I use on smaller papers although it works on all sizes.

Finally, I have a 12 x 12 cutting mat that I lay on my MS score board and those along with my Tim's ruler and a very sharp craft knife, I also use this as a paper cutter/trimmer. It works great for me. It slides easily into my crop bag and I find that I use it actually a lot more than I realized.

I love each one in their different way. I still use them all depending on what I'm doing and where I'm doing it. They are all 3 tremendously accurate to cut with.

[Lynnbagwell]

Love Martha Stewart trimmer with blade that slides in grove.

[Kathleen Mc]

I have the pink xcut 12" guillotine and I love it. paper and card will move in it if you don't hold the bar down, but I've not had any issues with it. my only bugbear with it is that there aren't any measurements between 6" and 6.5" where the extending bar joins. but there are ways around that.
I bought myself a fiskars v-cut trimmer and I have to say I hate it. within a few cuts I got fuzzy edges. I now only use it for stepper cards and gutting cardstock where it doesn't matter if it's fuzzy as you won't see it.

[smowteach]

I started with various Fiskars. On one the grid lines faded. I had a skinny lightweight one which I still use but having to constantly pull out the side arm was annoying. I bought another with a 6 inch wide platform which allowed me to cut a sheet in half without the side arm. However, I was constantly going through the blades and they would often pop off of their own accord.

Then one day I was browsing at a Goodwill store and found a 12x12 Boston guillotine style paper cutter for $8. It's school quality but smaller. I keep it on a table next to my work surface. I use that almost all the time now with always a perfect cut. I rarely find shifting to be a problem; usually it's when I'm going too fast. The only time I go back to the Fiskars is when I need to cut a small scrap less than 1 1/2 inches and don't want to chop my fingers off.
I have saved many dollars and frayed cuts since buying the guillotine 2 years ago, but I know I will eventually need to have the blade sharpened. A knife sharpener at our local farmer's market will do it for $15 but I will have to leave it with him for the week. That thought gives me nightmares.

[wavesong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Covington Crafter

I have the Purple Cows 2 in 1 Guillotine/Rotary Trimmer. I got it at Costco for @ $25 five years ago. It's still carried there. I got it originally to make my daughter's wedding invitations and love it. It cuts cleanly and has additional decorative edge rotary blades. I leave the scoring blade on and cut my paper with the guillotine.

The new purple cow 2 in 1 cutter actually allows you to separate it so you only have to take the part you want to use if you are going to a crop. I have the old one and love it, just took a little while to figure out how to use. I only know about the new design because I bought one for a friend for her birthday and had to call and brag.lol

[muscrat]

I've been through many cutters looking for the perfect one. I don't think there is such a thing. I started out with a guillotine (x-acto). I love the clean cuts with a guillotine. Then I got a fiskars trimmer. Didn't like the small cutting area. Then another guillotine (fiskars). Then a Carl trimmer. Latest purchase is the SU trimmer with rotary cutter arm accessories. The SU trimmer is my favorite but I also have the x-acto guillotine set up. I use the trimmer for card stock and DSP and the guillotine for watercolor paper, mixed media paper, and cardboard or chipboard.

[LYP]

I LOVE my SU guillotine cutter; however, I recently cut cardstock a LOT and messed up my shoulder, apparently the repetitive motion. I was at a crop and a vendor was selling CutterPiller Crop. It is a self sharpening rotary and I can use either my left or right hand to run the rotary blade. It is about the same size as my SU guillotine. I recommend it for anyone having hand, finger or shoulder issues. Google it, online it sells for approximately $75. PS I also learned that having my cutter at the right height is important. My husband fixed me a 2-1/2" high wooden platform for me to stand on at my desk (counter top height) when I am cutting or using my Big Shot.

[stew1020]

I've looked for the "perfect" cutter and found one that is close - got it at a scrapbook show. I have used Fiskers, Carls and Purple Cow - all have positive and negative factors. Some of the factors I consider important include a clean cut, the ability to make a 1/4 inch cut and to keep the blade sharp.

I found something that is close - it is a CutterPillar Pro, a rotary cutter, with a surface large enough for a 12x12 sheet; a light underneath the cutting edge to illuminate the paper and help see if you are on the right spot; grid lines which aren't blocked by the cutting blade and the cutting blade is self sharpening. Downside it takes up room and sits on the table to, however, it does come in a box that can be used for a carrying case to take to friends etc.

[wavejumper]

(sigh) Cutters are my holy grail. I have been through a number of them.

Right now I am using the Purple cow from costco too. Of course I dropped it so they wont lock together anymore but they still work. The problem is I need them together for the 12 x 12 size. So I line them up on a table. I definitely prefer the guillotine for straight cuts.

That is a very cool idea though about having the score blade on the rotary side. I have to try to remember that!

I am liking the sound of the cutterpillar pro-who knew they had ones with self sharpening? whoot!

[KC Hadley]

I too have a cutter pillar and think it is great! Can cut the thinnest strips or multiple sheets and the blade never needs replacing!

[ladyofcards]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbet

I have a Tonic brand guillotine - the one where the platform is a full 12x12+, and that ended my quest for a cutter. It has a plastic guard that the paper slides under and you have to remember to press down on that guard to hold the paper in place, but as long as you remember that, the paper does not shift when you cut it (as long as you're not trying to cut too many sheets at once).

I'll add that we have a guillotine cutter at work from some office supply brand, and it does the job for what we need there, but it's not nearly as nice as my Tonic.

I have the little Tonic and love it! It he little plastic paper guard really does keep paper from shifting. I wanted the big one,but it is no longer made in the 12x12. The one they make is 12" one way but the other way it is only about 6" why?

[jeanne3579]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasimons

I may be the only person in the world who has been happy with a Fiskars type trimmer (sliding blade, plastic arm). I'm currently using a Stampin' Up branded cutter of the same type.

However - I'd say I do a low to average amount of papercrafting, so I don't need to change the blade often. I measure with a ruler and mark to cut, so the accuracy of the cutting guides/grid isn't an issue for me.

You are not alone. I have had my Fiskers trimmer for at least 20 years and use it still. I think most problems with cutting come from pulling the blade down with the paper at the top, which can tend to move the paper. With the paper at the top, one must push the blade up to cut, keeping the paper against the top ridge. If one prefers to pull the blade toward them, like I do, then the paper needs to be at the bottom, requiring one to turn the whole trimmer upside down to make use of the plastic extension arm. For some reason, I have trouble convincing people of this.

I do have a guillotine cutter as well, but that's a recent purchase used mostly for multiple sheets.

[Txcowgirl]

Since I started scrapbooking and card making it seems I've been on a quest for the perfect paper trimmer also. I think I've owned almost every single one listed here, and they all have their own pros and cons. Probably I most often reached for the Cutterpede, as it was easy, cut well, and easily transportable. I've gone through several of these, and will still grab one if one shows up at our monthly scrapbooking stuff swap meet.
However, in my never ending quest, while attending a convention, I literally fell in love with Cutterpiller Pro. I can cut a sliver of paper not much bigger than a hair. It's so small it curls up. The blade stays sharp, there's a storage drawer, a light, and the box it comes in has a handle, so it's sort of portable. Yes, it's more expensive, but I actually bought another one using a 60% off coupon at Joann's. This has to be my most favorite tool in my highly extensive scrapbooking arsenal.
BTW, I understand they are coming out possibly with a smaller, more portable one soon. I wish you success on whatever you pick.

[shirlb19]

I have noticed that my SU trimmer seems to cut dsp paper all right. The cardstock can cut fuzzy though. Is anyone else noticing that? I really haven't used the trimmer all that much since I bought it, so I know it is not a worn blade by any means.

Shirl

[rustyb4]

Like many others I have tried a variety of cutters with shortcomings aplenty. My last purchase, two years ago, was a Fiskars ProCision Paper trimmer with a 12-inch cutting surface. This cutter takes up a fair amount of table surface but the deck does does fold in half for smaller cuts and for storage. It has a rotary by-pass blade carriage with a dual rail system and they claim that the blade never needs sharpening. I do have a couple of minor criticisms with one being that the grid lines are missing between 5 1/2" and 6 1/4" where the cutter base folds underneath for storage or transport. If my cut measurements fall within this area then I have to use another cutter for accuracy. I also notice, after two years of use, that the thin layer of plastic covering the deck of the cutter is starting to pucker very slightly along one of the folding edges. This does not affect how the cutter functions in any way. The cutter is on the pricey end at approximately $119 but I bought mine using a coupon so figure that I got a fantastic cutter for the price. Of all my crafting tools, I could not function without this cutter and my Scor-Pal. They are my absolute favourite tools!

[gregzgurl]

Anyone own and/or have any familiarity with Martha Stewart's guillotine trimmer? It looks pretty handy, but I've had plenty of negative experiences with untried cutters (like everyone else, obviously)...

[cbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyofcards

I have the little Tonic and love it! It he little plastic paper guard really does keep paper from shifting. I wanted the big one,but it is no longer made in the 12x12. The one they make is 12" one way but the other way it is only about 6" why?

That's probably the one like they used to have rebranded for Stampin Up - is there a platform underneath that slides out to give you a full 12" platform? I didn't want one like that because the spot I need to measure always falls at the gap

I will admit that after I got the big one, I went and bought two smaller ones - one cuts up to about 9" long by about 5" wide on the platform and the other is about a 6"x3" ish - those work really nice for trimming down smaller sheets.

I also have a big Fiskars rotary trimmer that I like. If I'm trying to cut something thick, like mat board, I just need to make a couple of passes with the blade and it makes a nice clean cut. And it does have some of the decorative blades. I just don't like it as much as my Tonic guillotine.

[muscrat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shirlb19

I have noticed that my SU trimmer seems to cut dsp paper all right. The cardstock can cut fuzzy though. Is anyone else noticing that? I really haven't used the trimmer all that much since I bought it, so I know it is not a worn blade by any means.

Shirl

Try taking the arm off and cleaning it. I found that I somehow got sticky stuff on the plastic ruler and once I cleaned it, it started cutting good again.

[Rebecca Ednie]

I really like the Cutterpillar. It's not cheap, it's big but cuts super accurately, has a light along the blade which will shine through the paper so you can see where you are cutting and never needs a new blade or if it does, they replace it for free. Works for me! I've previously had a guillotine and it was great except it started cutting weird. It was after many years of use tho.

[allee's]

I am another devoted Cutterpillar Pro fan.

[MKPScrapper]

Another enthusiastic vote for the TONIC guillotine trimmers. I have both the small and the large one and LOVE them. I have tried every other trimmer out there and have finally found the one.

[happy-stamper]

I have an x-acto guillotine trimmer with a laser. http://www.amazon.com/X-ACTO-Wood-La...e+paper+cutter

I got it about 6 months ago and I love it! It always cuts straight because of the clear finger card that you press down to hold the paper as it cuts. The laser seemed to need readjustment quite often at first, but now stays true. It was wonderful for cutting apart all of my son's wallet size senior pics. I love it when I get non-cardmaking use out of my supplies -- justification for my stash!!! :cool:

[nottoocreative]

I came here b/c I have the same question. I absolutely HATE the rotary Fiskars one with the pad underneath where the blade cuts...for one, it's very hard to see exactly where it's going to cut. For two, you have to put a lot of pressure on it to get it to cut (and this was when new, not dull). Three, the paper moves on me, and sometimes even curves in the middle. Four, it's too big. Finally, it leaves a fuzzy edge. My favorite cutter was an X-acto rotary that cut right on the edge of the platform, so you could see exactly where it was going to cut. I never had issues with the paper moving, it was smaller (12" long but only 6" wide) and light. The cuts were smooth and "square" until the blade got old. The only reason I am looking for a replacement is that they no longer make this model and so I can't buy replacement blades grrrr.

[QueenOfInkland]

I have a heavy duty Carl rotary and am very happy. Have had it for probably 10 years now. The blades last a very long time. I cut material as thick as mat board easily. Precision, clean cuts.

[happy-stamper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy-stamper

It always cuts straight because of the clear finger card that you press down to hold the paper as it cuts.

Oops!!! It has a a finger guard -- not card! ;)

[HOCKEY FAN]

I love my Carl Heavy Duty cutter - but I do classes and cut a LOT of cardstock. It is durable, and I have NEVER had to replace the blade. It must self sharpen or something - cuz I have cut thousands of pieces of cardstock! If I am just cutting stuff for my projects, though, I personally like my Fiskars Triple Track cutter - but I don't know if they sell it any more. The guillotine cutters scare me - I had a bad experience, it was so sharp, and I was kinda distracted, and nearly cut off my finger. Not a pretty sight......

[MissyO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by arlenevita

I am seriously thinking of buying a Carl's rotary paper trimmer because you can cut multiple sheets of cardstock at once. We have self-sharpening rotary trimmers at work that are great but I don't remember the brand names. I have several Fiskars trimmers and the blades need changing too often.

I started out with the Fiskars, you know the one the one with the orange blade. Well I went through 4 of them and figured that was it. So I went out and bought a Carl rotary paper trimmer and would never look back. I can cut multiple sheets of cardstock and it has all of the measuring lines and it is perfect. So if I were to think about another cutter, well I would not because I at this point there is no better cutter, in my humble opinion.

When I go somewhere I grab my SU paper trimmer as my Carl is big and great for when I was doing classes.

My opinion of the guillotine, I am afraid of it as well I know that I would probably cut my finger off or bleed all over my cardstock and red does not go with everything. Or does it?