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I've had mine for years (at least 4) and haven't had to replace it. I have a previous version (sold by Stampin' Up! but essentially the same tool) that I was able to use in my craft space for over 10 years. I only bought this Tim Holtz one because my hubby kept taking my other one.
Fiskars paper trimmers are always a budget friendly go to for me. I own a couple and been using them for a few years now and they are still working great!
The following 2 users liked this post by Aaron_scrapbooking:
Guillotine trimmers are self sharpening........pretend there's paper in them and move the arm up and down 4 or 5 times to sharpen. I've had mine more than 10 years and never had a problem.
I'm totally for a guillotine cutter. I have an Xacto that I bought at an office supply store at least 20 years ago. Still sharp, still my favorite paper cutter of all time. I never got a good cut from a trimmer. My Xacto is a 12 X 12. It's well worth the space it takes, just find a handy place to put/use it.
Hands down - looks like the guillotine cutter wins. Not sure I have the space for the larger ones. I'll block off the space and see how well I can craft giving up the space.
Hands down - looks like the guillotine cutter wins. Not sure I have the space for the larger ones. I'll block off the space and see how well I can craft giving up the space.
It is worth making a place for a 12 X 12. Think about putting one on top of a rolling drawer cart, so it can be pushed out of the way, or (as mine is) on top of a storage unit (mine is on a flat file stack).
I have a WRMK mini guillotine cutter. It works great for cutting in 5 1/4 by 4 1/4 size. However if you want to cut a 12 inch piece of paper, it will not fit. I wish I had started with the 12 inch guillotine cutter. Then I would not have spent years purchasing trimmer blades, new trimmers when I couldn’t read the markings or they stopped making the blades. Find a space for the large cutter and you will not regret it.
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My largest Tonic has a 6" wide base and has a piece underneath that slips into the side to cut 12x12 paper.........it's the right length but you get some storage options with the narrower width. Makes it more light weight to move around too.
I store my 12 x 12 on it's side on floor between things and pull it out to use. Not ideal but I dont have the surface space. Depends on how much cutting you do.
Some cutters have a swing arm to extend to 12 x 12. I would really try for a 12 x 12 re cutting down DP paper which is often that size.
The one benefit imho of a cutter vs a guillotine (preference) is you do special cuts like cutting out a window in a card. But a person can use a die or hand knife/ruler to do that too.
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I love my desktop Cutterpillar. It travels well, doesn’t take up much room, and has a little swing-out ruler if i want to measure 12x12” paper. Their customer service is top-notch. I’ve had both kinds of Cutterpillar trimmers since their Kickstarter campaign.
I have a love/hate with my Cutterpillar. I love that it's self sharpening....can cut teeny tiny slivers of paper. I hate that you can barely see the nbrs so I had to rub chalk over them to see the....and I hate the fact that there is no paper holder thing that holds the paper down by the edge. Also I do not like the wobble of the blade cartridge.
I think my favorite cutters are my Fiskars guillotine and my Fiskars ProCision Rotary Cutter. I use these all the time and have not had an issue. But that being said I am a trimmer hoarder and also own WRMK Trimmer/Scorer which works best for my traveling and then I have 2 regular trimmers from fiskars, 2 Paper Studio ones for when I allow little grandkids to cut, Martha Stewart Cutter Trimmer which I love for fancy fold cards needing inside cuts because the blade thing has a magnifying glass, my mini Creative Memories guillotine for travel, Creative Memories wavy cutter trimmer for wavy edges, Some generic As Seen On TV trimmer with 8 different trimming blades for different edges because it's a good idea. I'm probably missing one or 2....Oh yes an Old Memory Keepers Trimmer Scoreboard envelope maker. See Trimmer Hoarder!!! LOL
I have a 12 x 12 Dahl that I love. It actually misses cutting a 12 x 12 sheet by a hair, but I seldom use that size paper. The self sharpening feature is the greatest---I've had mine for over 20 years and clean it with "adhesive tape remover pads" if I happen to cut through something with tape or other adhesive on it. Works like a charm. The only bad thing about it is that the part that secures the paper as you bring down the arm is a solid rubberish piece that you can't see through. So, if you have a 1 1/2" piece that you want to cut in half, you can't see the markings. For that I use my old SU paper trimmer. You can see the markings through the blade holder. I didn't purchase the new one, as it doesn't have the markings across the top both above and below the place where the paper goes. Why they changed that, I don't know, but I'm hoping they change it back before my stash of extra blades run out. For travel I have a Fiskers from way back. Hard to read the measurements, though, and have yet to figure out how to fix that.
Jeanne3579, my Rotatrim, that I’ve only had for about 3 months, sounds similar to your Dahl. I replaced a very old large 12x12” trimmer with the Rotatrim, and it’s fabulous. It’s so accurate that I find myself using it for nearly everything.
Last edited by TeaScrap; 08-13-2022 at 07:15 PM..
Reason: clarity
After trying many paper trimmers, over many years, I narrowed it down to two that suit me well. My criteria is simple. A and precise straight cut, easy on the hands with easy to obtain refills. I also research and see what the papercutter greats use.
#1 Fiskars 12 Premium Portable Paper Trimmer. It has a platform that goes to 6" and an arm that extends to 12". There are several markings on it useful to cardmakers. It has replaceble refills for blades. I have found Fiskars customer's service superior. Kathy Orta introduced this cutter to me. And I find this cutter has worked well for me. I have successfully cut 110 lb cardstock.
#2 For chipboard Without a doubt, Fiskar's Procision Heavy Duty Trimmer. I only use it for chipboard. The blade is a forever blade. Doesn't need replacement. Cuts that thick chipboard I used for mini albums like butter. Also highly recommended by Jim Hankins.
Seems that I'm a Fiskars gal. Bit this isn't to say I used lousy ones too. But I strongly feel, what will work for one may not work for another. I use a guillotine very rarely and own three including two sizes of Tik Holtz's. Just can't get the cut straight. I think it has to do with me being left handed. BUT I have always cut with my right hand. Back in the day, there were no left handed anything. I taught myself as a child how to knit and crochet with a how-to book, a wall mounted mirror and perseverance. And I can do needle craft left handed. But tools were another thing.
Try my #1, with a coupon. The costs of these paper trimmers have exploded since the pandemic. And it had very little to do with China. It has been researched that since people were stuck at home, they picked up hobbies. So demand of the usual supplies, like all crafts, exceeded supply and that's why prices went up. Spray paint is a great example.
So, I hope I have been helpful.
The following 2 users liked this post by Savagetwin:
Favorite paper trimmer
