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I know questions about the paper trimmer have been asked before.... i want to purchase one... and i dont see myself buying an expensive heavy duty one. but at the same time i want a good item. i'm hovering over the fiskars variety in stores... although the recollections one seems really really reasonable, and has both a scoring and trimming tool. but i'm not sure which one to get.
So let me know:
1) what trimmer you use, its cost, and how long you've had it before replacing the blade.
2) whether its a rotary blade or not, whether the self sharpening feature is and how it cuts.
3) i already have an MS scoreboard... so is it beneficial to get one with the replaceable scoring tool despite that?
Welll I don't own a high dollar trimmer but I've had quite a few cheaper ones, including all the Fiskars. I use different trimmers for different things. I have the Tonic large base guillotine trimmer and love it! That one gets the most use because it is pretty heavy duty, will cut through several layers of cardstock, pretty good for cutting thicker chipboard and it's easy to use. I do have one of the newest Fiskars trimmers with the wire guide. I love it for being able to know exactly where the blade will cut. Makes matting a breeze! I use a Fiskars small guillotine trimmer for trimming photos-I really wanted the smaller Tonic guillotine trimmer but could not locate one when I needed it so bought the Fiskars. I do not use my regular trimmers to trim photos since the photo paper dulls my blades super fast.
I used to use Cutterpede trimmers but got so tired of replacing the cutting strip! I used to keep one out for scoring until I bought the MS score board. Love it, never use the Cutterpede at all! Oh there is one bonus to the Cutterpede...if you like to cut different edges, wavy, deckle, etc. but I don't do that anymore either.
Well that about covers my cutter experience-good luck with your decision!
Kathy
I have three Fiskars trimmers, 2 portable guillotine trimmers (one HL brand, the other Tonic) and I finally broke down and purchased the Tonic 8 1/2 trimmer (the same one in the SU! catalog only much less expensive--purchased it from Overstock for only $26.66). I love my tonic trimmer. With Fiskars I can never get straight cuts, so I prefer to use the Tonic instead.
I have the SU! (which I believe is made by Tonic) guillotine cutter. It wasn't super expensive ($65 Canadian) but it is simply the best! Self sharpening, no need to buy replacement blades, can cut 2 pieces of cardstock at a time, cuts straight, no fuzzy edges, the list goes on! Go for a guillotine style in my opinion!
I see that the Tonic is definitely winning here... and while i'm liking wat i see in reviews about it... my concern is that i need to be able to use it to cut in the middle of the sheet, like cuts made for pop ups in the middle of a card... i dont suppose that is possible with the guillotine?
I do have one of the newest Fiskars trimmers with the wire guide. I love it for being able to know exactly where the blade will cut.
I did spot that one at michaels... everything is currently at 40%.... would you say it cuts as well as a tonic? and can you cut in the middle as well as edge to edge for making folded cards, etc?
I have the Making Memories trimmer and I love it. Its a rotary style cutter with a self-sharpening blade. I've had it for about 2 years and it cuts as straight and clean as the day I bought it. They're around $80 Cdn at Michaels but you can get it with a coupon. The only thing I miss is being able to cut in the middle of the page like you can with the cheap v-type blade cutters.
Yes, I would say it does cut as well as the Tonic although I think the blades don't last very long ...I just purchased the new titanium blades, popped one in but it's only been a few days so have no idea on the longevity. I'm happy with this trimmer but again I don't use it for heavy cutting, if it's anything heavier than Papertreyink card stock. The Fiskars is also the one I take to crops and retreats, since it's portable and I like that it has a lock that slides to keep it closed when you pack it up. There is one drawback...if you swing the blade arm assembly up too quickly the blade has a tendency to fall out. Not a big issue, just slightly annoying!
Another cool thing about the Fiskars is it has markings on the bed of the trimmer for several cards sizes both in landscape and portrait so it takes some of the guess work out of lining up your paper.
Tonic Guillotine 12 inch with a 12 inch bed: I've had it for about 6 years and have never replaced the blade.
Tonic Guillotine 9 inch: I've had it for about 3 years. Never replaced the blade and still plenty sharp.
Fiskars 12 inch slider with the triple track: I've had it about 11 years but I replace the blade about once a month with moderate use. I still love it for how compact it is.
I would just say to purchase a paper cutter, be it rotary or guillotine. I would not recommend the things they call paper trimmers. I just chucked out 4 of those. The plastic track gets knicked with the blade as it runs down the track and you don't get a clean cut.....more like a chewed cut.
I have several paper cutters each has it's good uses for the job I am looking for. I don't believe any one cutter can do all jobs.
Realize also with the rotary cutters, that you're cutting paper so the blade will need to be changed frequently for a clean cut. Paper dulls the blade quicker than you think.
Love the new Fiskars.Got the small and the large. They also have a mini guillotine. I have the Making Memoires large cutter and I love mine. Especially now that you can get parts for it.
I have the Making Memories trimmer and I love it. Its a rotary style cutter with a self-sharpening blade. I've had it for about 2 years and it cuts as straight and clean as the day I bought it. They're around $80 Cdn at Michaels but you can get it with a coupon. The only thing I miss is being able to cut in the middle of the page like you can with the cheap v-type blade cutters.
I have the Making Memories, too, and it's my favorite of all the trimmers I've bought. It's available today at Overstock for $36.19, and the retail at Michaels is usually about $50.
I have a large Tonic guillotine, a 9" Fiskars guillotine and a Tonic with a sliding blade for those 'in the middle of the page' cuts. I also have a Dahle 15" guillotine that I don't use often because it doesn't have enough measurement increments.(am trying to think of how to add more) I have tried and discarded the cutters with the rotary blades. It's was not the cuts that were bad but the accuracy-the paper would move even if the cutter had the paper stabilizer. Started with the Fiskars blue but didn't get consistently clean cuts with this brand and the sliding blades. The Cutterbee cutter was a total waste of $$$.
Awhile ago someone said that they had a closet that was her 'paper cutter' graveyard. I have gotten rid of most of my yucky cutters but have one that gave me a bad slice so don't know what to do with that one. Maybe I'll remove the blade and dump it separately.
Good luck on your 'quest' to find the cutter that works for you!
I have the Making Memories, too, and it's my favorite of all the trimmers I've bought. It's available today at Overstock for $36.19, and the retail at Michaels is usually about $50.
Hands down get a guillotine style trimmer. I have the Purple Cow guillotine trimmer, have had it for a couple of years, NEVER sharpened it and probably never will. I think I used my coupon in AC Moore and paid around $20-25.
I gave up on all blade trimmers, rotary or otherwise. I spent a fortune on replacement blades.
Now I have two guillotine trimmers, one large and one small. I will never buy another kind.
Sorry, there are no identifying notations regarding the 'in the middle of the page' cutter. It just seem to have better, sturdier blades than the Fiskars similar type cutters. I think I bought it from Paper Wishes but am not sure. I have seen it at my LSS after I bought it online but not at Michael's/JoAnn. The Michael's /JoAnn stores seem to be eliminating Tonic products.
One thing I did do on the measurement portion-the measurement indicators are indented and not colored so I just run white chalk over it to fill in the indentations. Do this on any indented 'information' on a tool so I can see the important info easier. Also, it has a swing out arm but the joint is at the 5" measurement so is improvement on the cutters with the joint too close to an often use measurement (4.25 or 5.5 or 6).
I love the Martha Stewart paper trimmer. I admit I am "old school" Well, probably not since I just developed this trick. I use my Xacto knife and metal ruler the most. I have mastered "faux paper trimmer."
I have the Tonic SU style that I use for cardstock and heavier papers and the newer wider base Fiskars with the wire guide for DSP. I get the Fiskars blades with coupons so I don't mind having to replace them. Not cutting cardstock helps them to last longer.
I have a Genesis which is 20+ years old. Never have changed the blade and it still cuts like a charm. Love my paper cutter. I do have a smaller cutter for quick small cuts that sits on my table. If I ever need a paper cutter again... It will be a Genesis all over again. They are built to last (so I probably won't ever get a new one.)
I have a Genesis which is 20+ years old. Never have changed the blade and it still cuts like a charm. Love my paper cutter. I do have a smaller cutter for quick small cuts that sits on my table. If I ever need a paper cutter again... It will be a Genesis all over again. They are built to last (so I probably won't ever get a new one.)
You've got me beat, 24-7. The Genesis I use every day is "only" 13 years old! I have been loving my Genesis Trimmer since 1998.
I have to admit that I love my Fiskars trimmer. I have the bigger one where the platform goes out to 7" - and then, of course, has the fold out arm. But I love it because it's light, portable and the platform is big enough that I don't have to have the lousy arm extended all the time. I used to hate that. To cut anything around 4 or 5 inches, I always had to use the fold out arm on my old trimmers. The fold out arm always takes up so much of my table. Now, I usually only extend the arm when I am cutting card bases. I highly recommend this anyone who wants a light, portable and pretty inexpensive trimmer.
I would love to get a tonic or genesis or dahle, but right now that's not in the cards ... so this cutter is great for me.
Last edited by bweaz; 08-12-2011 at 10:48 AM..
Reason: missing "to"
I have an X-Acto brand heavy duty trimmer from Staples. They're pricey, but it even cuts through heavy thickness chipboard. (You have to use a little more strength for that, but it works and hasn't ruined the blade yet).
I have an X-acto guillotine that I bought at an office clearance store YEARS ago. I have tried the smaller cutters and cannot reliably get good cuts or straight cuts with the sliding blade types. Hands down, a guillotine cutter, and you don't have to pay an arm and a leg- mine was $20 back when I got it, but I've seen them at office stores for about $30 more recently. A good cutter makes a WORLD of difference.
I've tried so many but have finally found one that does it all for me.. the Fiskars LED paper trimmer. Cuts 4 sheets of cardstock at a time beautifully. And, I can cut teeny tiny pieces no problem at all. Love this paper trimmer. Didn't think I'd go for the LED but it's actually quite helpful. This is an expensive paper trimmer but well worth it imho.
I have three trimmers.
1) I have a 12" guillotine cutter that I use for cardboard and other heavy stuff when I want a quick cut but am not too concerned about measurements.
2) I have a Making Memories 12" trimmer with a self-sharpening rotary blade and a metal base that folds in half. It's very nice and very heavy, but seldom gets used.
3) I also have a Fiskars 12" rotary trimmer with a fold-out arm. Believe it or not, it's my favorite of the three. It's lightweight, portable, accurate and can use interchangeable blades. (I have a straight edge and scallop edge).
I have the Genesis trimmer, but I don't have room on my desk for it, so I find myself reaching for my Martha Stewart trimmer all the time.
Have you seen the new cutterpillar trimmer? It looks so much like the Genesis trimmer. I've recently seen it posted on Elizabeth Kartchner's blog "Just Us". HTH!
I recently purchased the Making Memories trimmer and am disappointed with it. I find the bottom guide (that I butt the paper against) is not perpendicular to the printed guides on the platform. This is very frustrating, especially when I'm cutting paper in 1/4" increments for layering. The lack of true perpendicularity really shows, and nothing I've tried so far has solved this.
I had the same problem with my Fiskars, and that's why I decided to invest in the MM. I don't know what to do now.
__________________ Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.
~~Walt Whitman
I'm sorry you're unhappy with the MM triimmer. It's my favorite trimmer of all I've had.
To tell the truth, I don't think it's really made with the idea of butting the paper against the bottom, or the top, guide. I use the grid lines on the base, line up my paper precisely with the grid lines, hold the paper firmly in place with my left hand, and cut.
It might sound like a pain, if you're used to just sliding the paper onto the trimmer against a guide, and then cutting. But I really like using the grid lines. I do get very straight precise cuts.
Maybe try doing it that way and see if you like it better.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I'm sorry you're unhappy with the MM triimmer. It's my favorite trimmer of all I've had.
To tell the truth, I don't think it's really made with the idea of butting the paper against the bottom, or the top, guide. I use the grid lines on the base, line up my paper precisely with the grid lines, hold the paper firmly in place with my left hand, and cut.
It might sound like a pain, if you're used to just sliding the paper onto the trimmer against a guide, and then cutting. But I really like using the grid lines. I do get very straight precise cuts.
Maybe try doing it that way and see if you like it better.
Hello bugga! Thanks so much for responding to my tale of woe.
Your method works fine if I need to make a cut that equals to one or more of the half-inch spaced grid lines. But what do you do, for example, if you need to cut something 5 1/16"? There is a 5 1/16" mark, but not an entire grid line, so the only thing I have to align the paper to is the bottom (or top) guide.
Does that make sense? And if so, how do you solve that problem?
__________________ Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.
~~Walt Whitman
Hello bugga! Thanks so much for responding to my tale of woe.
Your method works fine if I need to make a cut that equals to one or more of the half-inch spaced grid lines. But what do you do, for example, if you need to cut something 5 1/16"? There is a 5 1/16" mark, but not an entire grid line, so the only thing I have to align the paper to is the bottom (or top) guide.
Does that make sense? And if so, how do you solve that problem?
Reva, I guess I'm feeling silly tonight. When I read your post, I kept thinking of that song - "If you can't be with the one you love, Love the one you're with."
That's because I have decided after making cards for a couple of years now, that I have an easier time of it when I make cards with the standard measurements, 4-1/4 x 5-1/2, and make my mats 1/4" smaller, leaving borders of 1/8" all around.
If I want to get fancy, I use my Nestabilities, which layer automatically for me, lol. But for most of the cutting I do on the trimmer, the 1/4" or occasionally 1/8" measuring lines work.
For 1/4" or 1/8" I use the ruler guide at the top of the trimmer to line the paper up, and then eyeball the paper downward, to be sure it is parallel to the closest line on the grid. I line the bottom of the paper up on one of the horizontal lines on the grid. I will say that I've sewed quite a bit, and I know I have a good eye for straight lines, which is a "how your brain works" thing.
If I absolutely needed to have a 1/16" measurement, I would place my paper halfway over one of the 1/8" marks.
You made sense. I hope I did.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Hello bugga! Thanks so much for responding to my tale of woe.
Your method works fine if I need to make a cut that equals to one or more of the half-inch spaced grid lines. But what do you do, for example, if you need to cut something 5 1/16"? There is a 5 1/16" mark, but not an entire grid line, so the only thing I have to align the paper to is the bottom (or top) guide.
Does that make sense? And if so, how do you solve that problem?
I have this trimmer and what I do is use the magnetic ruler and line it up with the measurement mark at the top and bottom, then slide my paper under the cutting guide and butt it up against the ruler. I also do this if I'm cutting a few of the same measurement (like my card bases - I cut about 20 or so at a time).
I have this trimmer and what I do is use the magnetic ruler and line it up with the measurement mark at the top and bottom, then slide my paper under the cutting guide and butt it up against the ruler. I also do this if I'm cutting a few of the same measurement (like my card bases - I cut about 20 or so at a time).
How did you get so smart, Cat Woman? I think I've left that magnetic ruler stuck in the same place since I got the trimmer. It never occurred to me to use it that way. Brilliant, thank you.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
How did you get so smart, Cat Woman? I think I've left that magnetic ruler stuck in the same place since I got the trimmer. It never occurred to me to use it that way. Brilliant, thank you.
I have two and both are Fiskars. One is a rotary cutter and the second is not.
I found that for PTI CS (110 lb) I could not get a clean edge with the non-rotary one. The rotary cutter gives me the perfect cut and I've been using it for about a year now and I don't see any issues with blade. I can say that I've used it a LOT! Even for some bulk orders! So I'm happy with both - though I use the non-rotary one quite less.
I got the rotary cutter from Tuesday morning and they'd on quite a discount - for around $20. The non-rotary one I got from Michalels/Joanns with a 50% off coupon for $15.
I have this trimmer and what I do is use the magnetic ruler and line it up with the measurement mark at the top and bottom, then slide my paper under the cutting guide and butt it up against the ruler. I also do this if I'm cutting a few of the same measurement (like my card bases - I cut about 20 or so at a time).
That is brilliant! I would never have thought of that, but it works great. Thank you so much!
__________________ Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.
~~Walt Whitman
whats your Paper trimmer?
