what is your favorite paper scorer and why
 

I am looking for a paper scorer, never have had one, but just keep running across projects to use one for.

I want to use this for a long time, so factors to consider:
quality build
flexibility
storability - (at this time, I have plenty of room to store it - just got moved into my new craft room)

thanks for your feedback.

I think it depends a bit on what style of board you want. Most boards have grooves molded into them at intervals and you score down those grooves. The other style is to have a single ridge down the center of the board and a special tool that slots over the top to make the score - the only one I know of in that style is the Scor-It

I have a Scor-It and love the crease it gives. I also love the fact that my project can be face up on the board so I can score decorative lines and see exactly where to start and stop them (sample attached, hope you can see that the score line stops at the point of the heart and starts again the other side). The build quality is excellent and it's about as flexible as it's possible to be given that you decide exactly where the score lines will go. I also have the clip on ruler for the board which means you can do stuff like diagonal lines and keep them parallel as you have two points to line up against.

ETA: You can see the board, instructions and a couple of basic videos on the Zutter site here if you're not familiar with them.

Lots of people love the other style of board though and I'm sure they'll be along to tell you which one and why!

I have both the ScorPal and the Martha Stewart scoreboard. I got the ScorPal first and loved it. Then I got the MS one and I usually use that one now. I like that it has the grooves every 1/8" and I don't have to think when I want to do multiple scores. They have a new version of the ScorPal that has more grooves, so it may work just as well as the MS one. Another thing I like about the MS one is the envelope maker attachment that comes with it. The attachement also makes it easy to use to make diagonal scores for a crosshatch or lattice effect. The only thing I didn't like about the MS board was the scoring tool. Its very flimsy, so I just use the bone folder I have and it works fine.

I love Martha's for the above reasons. I also loved that I got it at Mike's for 40%off. Can't beat a great tool like this for $12.00.

I use Martha Stewart ScoreBoard & the Scor-it.

MS Score Board- I love the 1/8 inch lines across. It's easy for me to read and measure. The big con is when scoring the bone folder will skip. You need to go nice and slow. It even skips when I used my stylus. The price can't be beat.

Scor-it- Is the only board on the market that does the hinge fold. This is what you see in professional wedding invitations. It can score light balsa wood, light metals, acetate, and other heavier materials. I really love this board. It's expensive but I would not part with it and probably buy it again. I work with a lot of different materials. I notice bookbinders seem to really love this board and consider it a must have tool in their arsenal.

I had a Scor-Pal. The grooves are deeper than the MS score board. It's a nice sturdy board. I think the MS score board is built more flimsy. That's probably why it's cheaper. :) The reason I got rid of the Scor-Pal because I am dyslexic. I couldn't "train my brain" to read the board no matter how hard I tried. That was the only con for me and nothing against the Scor-Pal at all. I am sure somebody else who is dyslexic might have picked it right up. I know a lot of people ask me "Why did you get rid of the board if it was so nice?"

I have the MS one and quite honestly it took a long time to decide to get it and finally went for it when I had a 50% off coupon. Now I would be lost without it!

choosing paper scorer
 

thanks, ladies. I'm going to go shopping.

I'm not sure what is meant by a "Hinge" score, but I learned a while ago to fold away from the scoring groove (indent) on my cardstock and paper to prevent cracking. I think this is basically the same concept.

I, too, started out with a Scor-Pal and it worked great for cardmaking. Then I got into mini albums and such and needed a scoring board with 1/8" grooves so I purchased the MS scoreboard. Although the scoring tool wore out quickly, I just use the small end of my stylus and I use my MS scoreboard for everything.

I have used the Stampin' Up scoreboard and it's a very nice scoreboard, but I don't care for the black color, it is to hard for me to work with in my crafting space.

I have the Scor-Pal and Scor-Buddy with the mats and love them both! The Buddy is great to tote around to gatherings or to take on vacation to use as a work surface in the car.

I hadn't bought any of them but as soon as Stampin' Up! finally came out with theirs, I bought that one. And then they also added the Diagonal Scoring Plate as well.

I think that is the mountain or valley fold- Valley Folds & Mountain Folds Digital Clip Art, Backgrounds, Borders, Frames, Tags, Digital Stamps, Printables, Graphics, Custom Candy Bar Wrappers, Gift Baskets, Card Making Kits, Paper Crafts, Party Favors,Digital Scrapbook Kits, Printable Cards �

This is a better explanation of the hinge fold- Indigo Inklings: Scor-It. The hinge fold is the nice deep indented folds you see with expensive invitations. It's also used a lot in bookbinding.

Hope that helps. I would write a better tutorial about the hinge fold. My precious cat died yesterday. She was my little girl since I was a young girl in college. She lived till she was twenty. I am not thinking very well right now. I hope the two links give a decent explanation.

My heart goes out to you - 20 years is a precious time to have a kitty.

My miniature schnauzer, Abby, was just diagnosed with diabetes. I hope I can enjoy her for many more years to come now that she is on insulin.

So sorry about your kitty! Know how sad you feel after having her around for so long. Our fur girl is now 18. We' ve had other kitties a long time, too, and it was heartbreaking when they passed away or we had to make that difficult decision.

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. I know how precious they can become to us. I had to put my poor Kinko to sleep a couple months ago because her kidneys were shutting down due to old age. She was 17 years old and I had her since she was 4 months old. I loved her so much and miss her. I know in time we will only remember the happy memories.

Dee Ann & Cat-Woman, so sorry about your fur baby losses. I lost one precious kitty when she was 17, and another when she was 22 years old. It is such a loss after having them for that length of time. One of the cats had lived inside with me for 16 years. She was my cat-baby. I loved her so!

To OP regarding the scoreboards, I have only had one and I love it. It is the Martha Stewart one with 1/8 inch increments. I searched around and found the names of every scoreboard I could find available and did online comparisons on google before I bought my MS one with a half-off coupon at Michael's a few years ago. The MS board seemed to be the best fit for me, with the way I craft. I think it all depends on your preferences as to which board you will like. One thing to note is that I have punched clean through thinner papers because the scoring channels are so deep. If I use my regular bone folder, that is less of an issue because it isn't as pointy as the MS bone folder that comes with the board. Using a regular score tool and less pressure on thinner papers has pretty much eliminated the problem though.

HTH!

Thank you everyone. Cat_woman I am sorry about your baby. I lost my Bug to kidney failure also. She went peacefully as my husband and I held her. She was purring when she passed away. She wrapped her paw around my hand and gave me a bumpy kiss and then she was gone. Sew it Seams- Hugs and prayers for your Abbey. I hope she lives a long healthy life.

If others have more choices to recommend, I'd love to hear them. I'm still researching after having looked at couple.

Thanks everyone.

Scoreboards Crafters Companion- I had this one & I really liked it. I used to give it high reviews. I gave it away though because I already have the Scor-it & MS board. I sometimes regret giving it away. I can get it back. My Mom has it and she is afraid of modern crafting tools and thumbs her nose at them, lol.

Hougie Crafts - The Hougie Board Popular in the UK. I am pretty sure this board does not have a USA distribution.

There is another one in the UK that is popular. It's made out of wood. I can't remember the name of it.

I too have been looking at Scoring Boards! I WAS worried about being able to SEE with the dark color of the SU Board. I've heard comments about the MS board too (not good, but like the idea of getting a board on sale! ) and also looked at the Score Pal. I DO like the diagonal score board addition to the SU board. I THOUGHT I had made up my mind, NOW I'm not sure either! :/ ( Have a Score Buddy & LOVE it! Was wanting a 12 x 12 Board for larger projects! )

Martha Stewart Scoring Tool--without a doubt...I had the Scorpal (gave it to my sister when she was here from England) and to be honest--it was too much work to do the math and readjusting to create -- because there were not groves in every 1/8 slot...MS....you just look, measure and score! Easy!

Opps..there's more...Love the back of the MS scoring tool with the tri-angle template piece to make envies...angles...and the measurements are right there--all proportioned out for the crafter!

I hardly ever travel with my scrapping stuff so a 12x12 is what I'm looking for. I have a great SU consultant so will get ahold of her and look at that model, but am also scheduling a "research/shopping day" in a larger city in a couple of days so will go by my favorite scrapbook store.

I have the MS and Score Buddy. I purchased the diagonal score board from SU and it fits MS perfectly. The Score Buddy is ideal for scoring cards and small projects. MS is for bigger projects and the diagonal board works beautifully on those bigger projects.

I use the Scor-Pal; had the original and bought the new model when it came out (it has many more score indentations than the original). It is sturdy, easy to read and I love it.
That said, I now have the Stampin'Up! Simply Scored tool (a lovely customer of mine actually gifted me with this a couple weeks ago!), and I am liking this tool very much as well. I was afraid the black color would bother me but the measurements are printed in white and it is actually not hard to read. I love the sturdy stylus it comes with, as I have to periodically replace my bone-folder type stylus that comes with the Scor-Pal. I have bougjt the diagonal scoring plate for the SU tool but haven't had a chance to use it yet. The SU tool comes with lines every 1/8" like the MS tool, but I think the SU tool is sturdier, and also the MS stylus is terrible (flimsy and so sharp it can cut through your cardstock if you use too much pressure). I have used the MS board many, many times as it is the board we have in the church craft room where we do Card Ministry. I never have used the Scor-it. My vote would be for either Scor-Pal or SU Simply Scored. Good luck to the op in your shopping!

I hardly ever travel with my scrapping stuff so a 12x12 is what I'm looking for. I have a great SU consultant so will get ahold of her and look at that model, but am also scheduling a "research/shopping day" in a larger city in a couple of days so will go by my favorite scrapbook store.

Would love to hear how your "research/shopping day" turns out! Would you come back & let me know what you've decided? My SU lady is FAAAAAAAAAAAAR away from where I am & the shopping is FAAAAAAAAAAR away too! :/ Would SOOOO APPRECIATE it! :) THANKS! :)

I love my Score Buddy. I do mostly cards, but if I need to do larger items, it is so easy to read, I just flip my project around and finish the line that way. If I had more room, I would go for the 2nd version of the Score Pal. I like the cutting board that comes with it, too. Does anybody know if the SU diagonal board will work with the Score Pal?

I heard that it DOES! :)

Thanks TLady. that's good news!

YOU'RE SO WELCOME Jeanne3579! :)

Love my MS score board. The envelope attachment can be used for any angle scoring, not just envelopes. The tool it comes with is rubbish. I use a bone folder made of bone which is lovely. The SU looks similar but is much more expensive.

I started out with the Scor-Pal and loved it. Although I didn't love that there were no grooves at 1/8-inch intervals. I also didn't love the scoring tool that came with it. I found that it wore down after a shockingly short amount of time and made the score line too wide for my taste. Then I bought the MS score board mostly because of the 1/8-inch increments. I only used it when I had to because I found that the grooves weren't calibrated correctly: I'd score a piece of cardstock at 4 /14-inches and it wouldn't fold in half exactly. I'm a stickler for things like that so I found it very aggravating. (I'm going to give MS the benefit of the doubt and assume that I got a dud). When SU came out with their scoring tool, I resisted because I had the other two then I finally broke down and got it as a replacement for the disappointing MS scoreboard.

One thing I especially like about it is the scoring tool. It's not a bone folder, it's like the tool you use for embossing stencils: metal with a little ball on the end. I find that this tool gives a MUCH better score than a bone folder. For example, I like to use Gina K pure luxury 110 lb cardstock for my card bases. My only complaint with that cardstock was that it was so thick that when it was scored with the bone folder and folded to make a card base it tended to crack along the crease. Now that I'm using the SU scoring tool, I haven't had a crack since! I think that the metal ball somehow provides a better/smoother score line than using a bone folder. That being said, you can save some money by getting the MS score board at Michaels with a coupon and an embossing tool like I've described for less than what the SU one costs.

jenmitchell,
Did you do a "review" on Joanns' for the MS Board????? That is EXACTLY what I read about the MS board! So, I thought it best I didn't get that one! HOW FUNNY! :)
Thank you EVERYONE for all your thoughts on this! (I didn't start this thread!) I am looking too & it REALLY HELPS! :)

Oh DeeAnn, So sorry for the loss of your precious kitty. My Oreo will be 20 on Christmas Eve. I have had him since he was born...He and his mates were found in an Apt. dumpster with their sacks and umbilical cords still attached. They had just been born and thrown away! He was almost dead then. I bottle fed him for weeks and that was almost 20 yrs ago. He is going down hill very fast and I don't think he will make it to his Birthday. I have been worrying about this for about 6 months and my heart breaks at the thought of loosing him.

I too, have the Score Pal and MS. I tend to use the MS one more b/c
1. I use a metal tip stylus that other have mentioned and the storage container hold it so I do not have to go and hunt it down.
2. It is white...I can see the lines better.

I did have to use a fine tip sharpee to run down the 6in line. that way I have a frame of reference when i need to start at the bottom.

HTH,
Valerie

Oooh, what a great idea!!!

((((Valerie))))- I am so sorry. How can people be so cruel? I will keep Oreo in my thoughts that he will get better. If you need a friend I am here for you.

DeeAnn,
I have often thought that myself over the last 20 years. Someone's trash was our treasured precious fur baby! Thanks DeeAnn! I too, am praying for you as your go through your sorrow!
10.000 Blessings,
Valerie

Scor-Pal
 

I haven't used any of the others, but I have a Scor-Pal, which I like. And I store it on edge, so it doesn't take much space.

Duh! Now why didn't I think of that. Size was the reason I bought the Score Buddy---which I love and very seldom need bigger, but since there are those times, I might rethink a Score Pal. TFS!

I didn't think I needed a scorer ... and then SU! came out with theirs. I decided to try it ... and fell in love. My SU! customers seem to like it as well!

I can't compare to other brands ... I haven't had any trouble reading the numbers and markers ... and I've been using the diagonal board a lot for embellishing and for envelopes. It's so simple!

This brought tears to my eyes. I'm so sorry for your loss. I have a 5 yr old kitty that I love to death and hope he can live as long as yours did. She was obviously much loved and from what you wrote she knew it too!!