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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Vancouver Island
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I don't know if this helps you or not, but based on all I read here on SCS about cutters, I narrowed down my choices to the Cutterpede, the Carl RT-200, and the triple tracks. I decided that for my purposes I am happy to rely on three paper trimmers because I already purchased the fiskars 9" and 12" years ago, and went with the Carl as my heavy duty trimmer to make SB projects easier. I also rely on two pairs of scissors (a little grey Fiskars softouch, and some 14" shears). My comments on the different cutters I have considered are as follows.
Cutterpede -- I don't have this
Pros: many good comments here on SCS, sounds like it cuts "straight enough" for my purposes, relatively inexpensive and easy to find the cutter in the US, has a variety of different blades available (scoring, wavy, deckle), can cut small widths of paper, swing-out 12" ruler.
Cons: difficult to find replacement blades, must replace both the blade and the blade carriage to the tune of ~$5 US, bulkier than the Fiskars style of euro trimmer.
Carl RT-200 -- I have this
Pros: very many good comments on SCS for how straight and reliably it cuts, very sturdy, marked metal board for measuring instead of a flimsy fold-out ruler (can put tape on board to butt your paper up against for quick placement for cutting), can cut several sheets of cardstock at once, a variety of blades are available (scoring, wavy, deckle, perforating) most of which can be purchased at Wmart, replacement blades are inexpensive and small.
Cons: can't cut anything smaller than 1.5" or so, heavy and bulky compared to the Fiskars triple track.
Zision by ProvoCraft -- I have this
Pros: inexpensive, bright pretty colour, slim, scoring blades also available, replacement blades are inexpensive and small, swing-out 12" ruler.
Cons: blades dull quite quickly, doesn't necessarily cut much straighter than the Fiskars grey and orange cutter (although I have yet to see hockey-stick-shaped cuts from my Zision), replacement blades not particularly easy to find in Saskatchewan, can't cut pieces smaller than 3/4" in width, blade guide thingy doesn't swing up like the Fiskars so you must wiggle your paper under the guide every time.
Fiskars Euro Triple Track -- I have this in 9"
Pros: cuts much straigher than the grey and orange model, easy to find inexpensive, small replacement blades, scoring blades available, light, slim, portable, blade guide thingy tilts up for easy paper placement, comes with a gridded back as well as a swing out arm in the 12", the most amazing customer service in the entire world.
Cons: the replacement blades fall out when you tilt up the blade guide thingy when the blade is at a particular end of the guide.
Fiskars Grey and orange personal trimmers -- I had this in 9" and 12"
Pros: easy to find inexpensive, small replacement blades, scoring blades available, light, slim, portable, swing-out ruler on the 12", blade guide tilts up for easy paper placement.
Cons: cuts more crooked cuts than you can shake a scrapbook at! Don't buy anything less than the Triple Track model!
Office Depot house brand guillotine trimmer -- I had one of these and returned it the next day
Pros: self-sharpening blade, available in up to 15" lengths, nice gridded wooden base, sturdy, can cut many sheets of cardstock at once
Cons: the guillotine trimmer I bought, and *every other trimmer in stock in my Office Depot*, had the measuring guide thing that you butt your paper up against at the top to hold the paper square to the cutting blade, was mounted crooked! I tested all the trimmers with a set square and all of them were off by up to a millimeter just 20-25 cm down the cutting blade, so off by even more at the bottom of the blade. I did a gift 8x8 SB and used this trimmer to cut down my 8.5x11 to 8.8, as well as crop all the photos, and none of the corners that resulted from my trimmer were 90 degrees. Not to mention that the trimmer is expensive for waht you're getting (crooked cuts), very bulky and not portable at all, and suitable for a large crafting room where the thing can sit on a table all the time. I was very disillusioned by the crooked cuts!
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