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I'm looking for a sturdy paper cutter that cuts straight consistently. I have a portable paper cutter that I bought through Stampin' Up! It wasn't bad when I first got it, but after years of use, it doesn't cut straight. I'm looking to invest in something more durable. I'd really appreciate your thoughts & input.
Thanks for your help!
- Simi
P.S. I read a post about a Genesis Trimmer that sounded promising, but I can't seem to find a store selling them.
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The only ones I have are the Tonic guillotine type.........I have the large one with a six inch base with has an extension you can add to it and I have two of the smaller ones in different sizes. I got them all at JoAnns online using coupons. I've had them for years and since they are self sharpening they are like new.........nothing else I tried ever compared.......Diane
My main cutter a Carl rotary. It cuts extremely straight, and can cut chipboard, many sheets of cardstock or about 30 sheets of copy paper at once. (You roll the wheel back and forth.) It has a lifetime guarantee. It's certainly not cheap but I adore it. Amazon.com : CARL Heavy Duty Rotary Paper Trimmer 12inch : Office Products
If that type was still my main cutter I might switch to one that's similar but has a metal rod going down the right side.
I have the very small Tim guillotine, which was purchased from scrapbook.com and was usable but had defects. They instantly sent me another and told me to do what I want with the first one! Tonic Studios Tim Holtz 8.5 Inch Comfort Trimmer
If the Tim trimmer was my main one I'd get the full sized one.
Hi. I'm Beth, and I'm a trimmer addict. (Hello Beth)
ETA the Cutterpillar Crop is another nice rotary trimmer. It cuts one sheet at a time. Yes, I admit I have one. I wanted a heavier duty one that cut a bunch of sheets at once, so will sell or donate mine. They have a larger model as well.
I just sold my Genesis paper trimmer. They are no longer in production, so right now the only way to get one is secondhand. I used mine primarily for my photography business, but when I retired from that, I wanted a trimmer with a smaller footprint. I replaced my Genesis with a Rotatrim which I absolutely love.
Good luck finding what you want. ��
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
I have a cutterpillar pro for cutting larger paper, and a smaller fiskars guillotine cutter for smaller paper. I'm looking at the tonic guillotine to replace the fiskars someday. It's just fine, but the tonic is nicer!
I LOVE my Stampin' Up trimmer but I can see the downside. I don't always change the blades as soon as I should, etc. It is portable, doesn't take up work space, has great markings and love that I can score without needing another tool.
I also have a Cutterpillar Pro, which I've had for years because I was waiting for a Genesis to be available back when they were so popular. They've changed the design and the new ones don't feel as sturdy as the one I purchased years ago. I use the Cutterpillar Pro when I'm cutting up a lot of cardstock. I make multiples and it's really nice. It does take up a lot of space though.
I would like to be able to cut multiples but just can't see buying yet another cutter to add to my collection. I'm not even discussing all the others I have owned and used.
The Stampin' Up and Cutterpillar Pro are now my go to's...unless I'm scrapbooking and then I still use my Creative Memories gulliotine!
I think (can't verify) that some cardstock isn't straight to begin with (they don't have exact 90 degree corners). I use 3 different paper cutters depending on what I am doing and I can get my Neenah cut in half almost perfect every time, but other cardstocks are always off. That being said, I use the carl cutter for large volume, the Fiskars trimmer and the Tim Holtz guillotine. The Fiskars trimmer is nice because you can lift up the blade, especially handy when making file folder cards, but that one might be like your SU trimmer, also it leaves an edge when you cut and if you aren't paying attention then 2 sides of your card can have different edges.
The guillotine is great, the blade self sharpens, but it is a bigger cutter and there is no stopping and starting of cuts so you could never just cut out the middle of your paper. The Carl is huge.
I find for me, there is no one perfect cutter, I need at least 2. But having tried out a few others over the years, these 3 are my favorites.
Last edited by staceylovespaper; 05-12-2018 at 05:00 AM..
I so agree with Stacey that at least two are needed. I have the same or similar three that she has.
Carl makes a variety of cutters. The one I bought (link above) comes in 12 or 18 inches and is definitely a tabletop model. It's not that it's so heavy for what it is, and bringing it to one location wouldn't be difficult, but it's not the type of cutter you'd put in a tote and take in and out - much too bulky. It doesn't slide, which is nice. And it's fairly simple to true paper up on the Carl.
I bought a genesis paper trimmer years ago. it is a steel rotary blade and cuts on steel. No plastic involved. it is fantastic. it only cuts one piece of paper at a time but cuts perfectly. Alas, they are no longer made. Not sure what I will do if this thing ever dies...
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
I have a Genesis trimmer I bought way back in the early '90's and I have never even had to sharpen the wheel - I LOVE it and it is SO worth the price!!
I have a Cutterpiller, 3 different fiskars, a Carl large roto, SU cutter - Yea, I am in pursuit of the perfect cutter. They all start out great, but then can't get a straight cut out of them. My eye sees it instantly (yet I lose my glasses and other stuff all the time) and I'm OCD enough that this really bothers me and I start shaving on the card. That rarely ends well.
The Carl cutter isn't bad, but the finger guard is so wide that I can't cut a small piece without trying to engineer the task, and I can't see the cutting edge.
The Cutterpiller has been the most reliable, self sharpening trimmer I've ever owned to date. It has a very large real estate footprint, but I will tolerate that because the cutter is made to be exactly 90 degrees and it is spot on. The wheel is metal and the cutting edge is metal, and the rod it rolls on is metal - no give, no sway. I hated that fact that trying to cut off a sliver of something created feathering instead of a clean slice - but I learned to hold the paper down firmly and close to the wheel when cutting and that stopped the feathering. I can't take this cutter to card making events (too risky for bending the rod/wheel housing), so I just bought the TH 6 inch gillotine cutter off Amazon and will travel with that. I no longer own any trimmers that are not at least 6 inches wide. I have to think too hard if they aren't at least 6 inches wide.
I've owned a couple of Gillotines and they get a nick in the blade dead center or 3/4 of the way down and every time I hit that spot it would tear the paper, not cut it. So while I love gillotines, I hate the nicks they get in the blades (for no reason, I swear. I'm not running over nails or wire or rivets).
I have tried all the paper trimmers out there. I have come close to the perfect cutter with the green monster, and I appreciate the grid/markings on it, but haven't found the perfect cutter yet. I am glad I own several - each has it's good points, and they all have a ton of bad points. Between them all, I have a good system. 7 cutters later....LOL
I have the Cutterpillar Crop from their Kickstarter Program a while back. It's fine but the Carl is more exact when paper is butted to the top. Of course there are different Carls. If light is decent, the edge of the plastic glows (by design) where it cuts. If I need to cut from a very narrow cut, pushing it with a thick piece of CS or chipboard can work. And the lower part of the cutter's finger guard is narrower. Or I'll go with a Fiskars, since rotaries don't have measurements below 1".
One Fiskars and the Tim are in a Totally Tiffany bag hanging next to the trimmer table so reachable.
For the Cutterpillar, the measurements couldn't be read, but rubbing black or white acrylic paint into and then off of the number groves allows them to be seen. The LED lights are too bright for my eyes, but taping a strip of copy paper over them handled that - I can still see the lights but they're not blinding.
The Cutterpillar people have said no cutter is truly self-sharpening, including theirs. They're very nice folks and at a Stamp & SB Expo I must have seen 20+ people walking out with Cutterpillars.
But I"m selling mine, since the Carl, large Fiskars, small Fiskars and small Tim are enough! It may need to be local since shipping could be costly.
I'd never had a problem with the large Fiskars, but I like cutting a bunch of CS at once with the Carl, plus chipboard and CS with layers adhered to it. Plus I'm a tool junky.
Fiskars Original 12" Trimmer. Big footprint, but solid. Straight cuts. I don't have to replace blades very often, but they are easy to find. Also the bar that it cuts against. I don't know how to post a link to Amazon but it's now about $48.
I'm looking for feedback on the Rotatrim cutter. The one I am looking at is the RC RCM12 12" cut, the smallest of the M series. I am having to send my new CARL back. It is a 16th of an inch off in its cuts. It seems to be something in the rail/wheel rather than the grid or bumpers and definitely not the cardstock. I may have received a defective one or I may be expecting too much precision for $83. I never received an answer back from the CARL site about my problems so I plan to start over. I hate paying so much more for a cutter but I need more accuracy. I also like that the rotary bade is self sharpening. I only cut one sheet of cardstock at a time so I am not going to overload any cutter that I buy. I would like to know if it is accurate as well as durable.
I found calling was easier than email, though have received responses by email. There was an issue once when emailing them - a delay? - but I just don�t remember. It has a lifetime warranty and as far as owners of LSS�s have said, they stand by it. The ones I�ve used have been extremely accurate, and members here (from years ago - I did a search a couple times when deciding) really liked theirs, so it does sound like it�s defective.
But everyone has to weigh for themselves the hassle factor of researching/buying another one or returning a defective one to get a good one, like with some of the Tim platforms.
I once had a problem with one color CS, and it turned out the CS was off. I trued it up (using the lines on the bed) to double check.
I've bought several over the years and after much frustration, I finally found one that I really love, the Fiskars ProCision Rotary Bypass Trimmer. It's very accurate and the blade is self-sharpening. I've had it a few years now and still love it. It's fairly large and heavy so I did hang on to a smaller trimmer in case I need something portable. It's a bit of an investment, even on sale, but it's worth every penny I paid for it. Two thumbs up for sure.
I have had a Carl for a few years now and it is a love with some frustration relationship. If I align my paper up against the top or bottom I will not get a straight cut and while lining up with grid works the lines are thick enough that I have to pay close attention or the cut is off. Also the older mine gets the more the wheel seems to wobble as I cut and the less the bar that is supposed to hold paper in place works which can not only result in a crooked cut but also result in nicks and tears.
Also wanted to mention the new cutting tracks I just ordered seem to be wearing out much faster than in the past, as if with only a few uses. It may be time to rethink the cutter situation in my craft room, sigh.
Talked to the Carl guy and he said they can get pretty banged up sometimes hanging around Amazon. Customer service was very nice and said that 1/16th of an inch was not at all a normal error tolerance for their cutters. Since Amazon had the price I wanted I’ve returned it and think I’ll pass. The household budget director greenlighted me for the rotatrim. We’ll see how banged up this one is.
Interesting comment about lining the paper up at the top of the Carl and not getting a straight cut. I had the same problem. I felt like the cutter was never square to begin with. It cuts great. Just not a 90 degree angle.
I probably didn't give Carl enough time to troubleshoot. I was already researching other cutters when I followed up my unanswered CS email with a call. Their suggestion to flip the cutting mat didn't work and I was ready to move on. I expedited my Rotatrim shipment and it arrived tonight. I like that there is no lock down step, it has a quarter inch grid, and cuts perfectly, not a hair off. I also like that it has dual steel rails for stability and no plastic parts except the see through ruler next to the blade. For people who want to cut a stack of 110# cardstock at a time this is not the one. I think it's used a lot by photographers. I just wanted durability and a perfect cut. Two reviewers said their Rotatrims were still cutting perfectly after 40 years and I watched a lot of videos before I decided to go with this one.
Wow. I googled the Rotatrim. Envy. That looks like it would make all of us happy. Tell us how it gets on. I'm always interested in learning about my next trimmer. LOL
Wow. I googled the Rotatrim. Envy. That looks like it would make all of us happy. Tell us how it gets on. I'm always interested in learning about my next trimmer. LOL
I�d had a series of those Costco Purple Cow cutters for years. They never cut straight for me. Lately I�d been taking my cardstock to Fed Ex just to get some kind of accuracy. Now I�m cutting everything in sight. I got the 12� which is the smallest one but it�s quite heavy. It�s a beast, in a good way. It was a splurge but I will use it every day. Equipment-wise it�s right up there with my Vitamix. They both have five year guarantees. I guess I�m a tool nerd.
The only ones I have are the Tonic guillotine type.........I have the large one with a six inch base with has an extension you can add to it and I have two of the smaller ones in different sizes. I got them all at JoAnns online using coupons. I've had them for years and since they are self sharpening they are like new.........nothing else I tried ever compared.......Diane
Thanks Diane! I�m also in need of a new cutter and I like the guillotine kind better then the rotary style!
What is your favorite paper cutter?
