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I am looking to find a good desktop paper trimmer for my new scrapbook space. I saw the fiskars one at Michaels (white with flowers on it) as well as the MM one. What do you suggest for a good paper trimmer? There are so many out there that I am confused. I make a lot of cards so I would need one that could have a score blade attached. Is scorepal the best way to go for this and then get a separate trimmer?
At my store I use a Dahle Vantage Guillotine Trimmer. Averyone loves it. it can cut chipboard and it ALLWAYS makes a perfect cut every time. The blade works using wounderful technology so that it never cuts your fingers even if you try. You can even run your fingers across the blade because it is not sharp and because it is not sharp it never needs to be sharpened. They are hard to find but I saw them once at Sams Club don't remember the price but when I sell them at the store they cost 69.99 and are well worth it. You should call your individually owned local scrapbook store and ask if the buy wholesale from gary burlin company, this is where I buy mine. Hope I helped good luck
__________________ Jason@All About Crafts "Creative people make the world a more colorful place the live."
I would recommend the SU Tabletop one and a scor-pal. I have and use them both a lot - never get put away! But,they lightweight enough to carry along when necessary.
I have the Fiskars sliding trimmer and the CM personal trimmer...if space were not an issue, I would get a full size guillotine trimmer, purely for the cleaner cuts! The CM one works great up to about 6" but larger than that, and I have to use my Fiskars, and even with a brand new blade, it slightly curls the paper toward the bottom and it is not perfectly clean on the edge.
Hope this helps!
__________________ Cher No longer stamping...on to bigger things.
I have both the large fiskars and the mm, I like them both but....the large fiskars is TOO LARGE!! It seems to cut straight and has the scoring blade that you like. I am now using it only for scoring. I have the MM and I like it. doesn't seem to cut quite as straight as I like, a little bigger than I want and it doesn't have a scoring blade. there are some out there with lasers also that have perked my interest even though I don't plan on buying another cutter for a while.
I have the MM paper trimmer (the black/silver one it folds out to be 12x12). It has a self sharpening blade. I love this paper cutter. I have had many and this is the one that has lasted me the longest and I still love it!
Thank you for all the info. I think I am sold on the Dahle 12inch paper trimmer and then a separate score pal. I have a new desk space laye dout so I will have room to keep a trimmer on my desk at all times.
It makes sense about the trimmer b/c with all the plastic parts on the other trimmers there is more chance of crooked cuts. Now all I have to do is find out where they sell the Dahle trimmer in Canada!
I've had several trimmers, my first was a small Fiskars, it was OK. Then I got a Carl trimmer (not the rotary kind) which I liked but couldn't find the refill blades for it anywhere, so I got another Fiskars and the blades get dull way too fast. I also have the purple and white guillotine trimmer (from AC Moore, can't remember the brand) which I use 95% of the time now. I like it a lot. I would recommend a guillotine trimmer over any other if you have the space.
I've had 3 different Fiskars trimmers--original grey (the cutting bars tend to sway a bit when cutting and give a crooked cut), purple with white gridded inserts (when you pulled out the extension arm to measure anything over 4 1/2", the measurement was off by 1/8"), and the white/orange modern looking one (has about 3/4" of measurements missing where the arm swings out for wider things and I had to mark it with a sharpie). The only one I still use occasionall is the grey one.
I got the Making Memories cutter a couple months ago, and the difference has been like night and day! Crisp, straight, accurate cuts! It also comes with a magnetized ruler to lay on the surface for repetitive cuts--and it's wonderful! Strongest magnet I've ever had, and that ruler doesn't move without force! Great as a stop for cutting multiples of the same size!
I would highly recommend the MM cutter--and I am NOT affiliated with them in any way except as a happy consumer!
__________________ Yes, I am aware that I have glitter on my face! My Gallery My Blog
I bought the Tonic 12" guillotine paper cutter and found it the best so far. It cuts well and has all the measurements on the 'rulers' that I need. I also bought the Dahle 15E. This paper cutter cuts really well but does not have enough of the various measurements I need for the various paper projects I do. The smallest measurement is only 1/4" and I often need 1/8" or 1/16", which the Tonic has. I bought the Tonic from Joanns.com on sale for under $40. (in the search box on the website type guillotine cutter) The Dahle I bought from artsupplysource.com for $50.22 including shipping to California.
I would go with a separate scoring tool. My vote would be the Score Pal. I bought the Score-it first but the Score Pal is more versatile. Also, I have had accidents with the Score-it where I cut the top and bottom of the cs on the metal blade used to make the fold line.
At my store I use a Dahle Vantage Guillotine Trimmer.
I hadn't heard of this trimmer before -- sounds awesome!
I've been looking at it at a couple of places online now, and none of them has said how wide the cutting base is or how high the ruler markings go. For those of you with experience, would I be able to easily cut 1" off of a 12x12 sheet of paper using the markings on the base of the 12" or 15" Dahle Vantage?
Right now I'm using a 12" Carl RT-200 that only has a base with markings up to 8"; I'm able to work around the 'missing' four inches of markings when dealing with 12x12 paper, but if I buy a new trimmer I'd rather not have to, y'know?
BTT -- i've counted the 1/2 inch lines on the teeny pics of the Vantage I've found online and it looks like maybe they measure the full 12 inches, but would love to hear confirmation from someone who has one of these babies! TIA~
I love my MM trimmer...I had the first version where the grid lines rubbed off and MM was good enough to send me a brand new one. They said they had addressed the grid lines issue, so I hope that is true for the second version. I love everything about it! Takes up less space as it folds, nice crisp cuts...only thing is that it's hard to cut thin strips < 1" wide. I pull out my old cheap fiskars for that.
__________________ Alanna
"It's all fun and games until someone loses an eyelet..." Gallery & Blog
BTT -- i've counted the 1/2 inch lines on the teeny pics of the Vantage I've found online and it looks like maybe they measure the full 12 inches, but would love to hear confirmation from someone who has one of these babies! TIA~
*bump* is anyone able to let us know the size of the base on the Vantage?
I am also looking for a new paper trimmer/cutter. I have only experienced Fiskars brands sliding trimmers. I got the one from SU (black one) and its fraying my whisper white cardstock terribly as well as colored but worse on the WW. I have a CM mini personal photo trimmer and I ended up using that for cuts after I got paper cut enough to fit it. FRUSTRATING when you have a workshop and your paper looks like doody.
So I am stopping at Michaels or Joanns or someplace with my 40% coupon and I am buying a good cutter TODAY! Dh won't notice since I have so much crap packed up for my workshop (outside my home) that coming back with an extra item wouldn't phase him. LOL I am so bad.
So ladies, I beg of you to help me get the right one for a reasonable price. My space is not an issue. I rather have clean cuts.
I am leaving here by 11:30 EST so if anyone has advice ... share it soon!
Txs
Good luck w/ the MM guarantee. Mine started making absolutely awful cuts just a few months - and not a lot of use - after I purchased it. Past the 30 days to return to the store where purchased. I e-mailed the company at their customer service site - and never heard back. I finally took the whole thing apart to see if I could figure out what was wrong with it. Then e-mailed to see if parts were available, as I hadn't found them anywhere on the internet. Again no response. After two or three more months and a couple more tries, I gave up and pitched it. I did keep the amazingly strong ruler, though.
Yesterday I got the Purple Cow combo cutter - guillotine/rotary - that comes in a purple tote from QVC. Honestly, now that I've got it, I'd get it w/out the tote. It's available several places w/out the tote, for less. I doubt I'll use the tote much.
I'm hoping that this will solve my problem - I thought the MM one was going to be the cat's meow, and loved it while it worked. Too bad that wasn't longer!
After reading the comments I decided I needed the MM trimmer....I just ordered it at joann.com with their online 50% discount on one item! Code: SFD201
Yay!
__________________ Cher No longer stamping...on to bigger things.
I just went to Michael's today and got one for $30 with the coupon. WOOHOO! I am loving it. I haven't used it much yet but I do love it so far! Its so shiney too! LOL (i am a dork!)
I seem to have a trimmer graveyard sitting around my hobby room: Fiskars rotary trimmer, no name guillotine, small Tonic guillotine, X-acto guillotine. The Dahle 12" rotary trimmer (RT-200 from Sam's Club) is my trimmer of choice currently and has been the winner for quite a long time. I like the small Tonic, but all the guillotines seem to have the tendency to curl the paper away from the blade as it is cutting. Are there any out there reasonably priced that have on the left of the blade a flattening weight to apply to the paper and prevent that paper shifting?
As I said, the Dahle RT-200 has been "very acceptable"....not perfect, but quite adequate. It's lightweight, and the price was right. I bought a replacement blade but haven't felt the need to install it after several years of trimmer use. It trims 12" and goes to 9" wide; so I end up using a ruler to trim some 12" paper. Still, I prefer that to having to handle and store a more cumbersome larger trimmer.
The only trimmer I use these days is my Carl 12" Professional Rotary Trimmer (RT200). I have been using it for over 5 years now and I still get good cuts. I think I have only replaced the blade once and the one that is in there right now has been in there for more than a year.
I have use the Fiskars trimmer but found that it often left the edges feathery. I have recently bought the SU tabletop cutter and LOVE it!! no more frayed edges, can cut tiny slivers of paper, can cut chipboard and 2 or 3 layers of cardstock. It has saved me quite a bit of time.
I have the larger fiskars orange and white trimmer. I like it because its easy to change the blades out and its light enough to carry around but it still has the larger layout. one thing i wish was different it that it was 12inches. It only measures out to 8.5 so when i cut larger pieces i have to put a ruler on it. I got it at michaels with a 50% coupon and i really like it
Here's a link: http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t...y-trimmer.aspx HTH
After reading the comments I decided I needed the MM trimmer....I just ordered it at joann.com with their online 50% discount on one item! Code: SFD201
Yay!
Good for you Cher! You'll love it! Get a good bone folder for scoring with the magnetic strip.
Good for you Cher! You'll love it! Get a good bone folder for scoring with the magnetic strip.
Sherry
It came today! I do LOVE it...but now I have a question.
As for the scoring thing? I have never done it....tried...and decided it's easier to fold the old way but matching up the corners. Every time I tried scoring the corners never matched up perfectly.
So...how do you score with this MM cutter? I tried once with my crappy cricut (fake) bone folder that came in my tool kit and used the groove on the cutter....but it wasn't perfect. Even if I get the real bone folder, how would I go about maing sure it's perfectly scored? Or is this just a matter of patience and lining it up? The groove seems too big on the cutter too...is there another way I should be doing it?
Thanks!!
__________________ Cher No longer stamping...on to bigger things.
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Originally Posted by kelsluvs2scrap
I love my Tonic guillotine style. It's the 12" trimmer with the 6" base.
I have this one too and it's awesome! I like using the PTI cardstock and this cuts through it like buttah! I also have the Scor-pal...I like toys!!!! ;)
__________________ Bereaved parent (love you forever Hannah!) and PROUD Army mom!
Hi, You use the groove that is in the middle of the cutter for scoring. I actually find it a little difficult but......that is what the metal ruler is for (at least I think). You use a bone folder and place the paper where you want your score line in the groove, run the bone folder thru it.
It came today! I do LOVE it...but now I have a question.
As for the scoring thing? I have never done it....tried...and decided it's easier to fold the old way but matching up the corners. Every time I tried scoring the corners never matched up perfectly.
So...how do you score with this MM cutter? I tried once with my crappy cricut (fake) bone folder that came in my tool kit and used the groove on the cutter....but it wasn't perfect. Even if I get the real bone folder, how would I go about maing sure it's perfectly scored? Or is this just a matter of patience and lining it up? The groove seems too big on the cutter too...is there another way I should be doing it?
Thanks!!
Place your card stock on the trimmer and line it up for the proper measurement. Then place the magnetic ruler down the score line and use your bone folder or a stylus to score your line along the magnetic ruler. That magnet is strong!
Feedback on Desktop Paper Trimmers
Dahle Vantage Trimmer
