Dee's Thursday Tips ~ Let's Talk Paper Cutters!!!

Today I would like to talk about my experience with paper cutters. I've used a bunch of different kinds and this post is about my preference of them.

First there is the Fiskars Cutter. I used to have 2 of these and used them for years. I didn't do much paper cutting, so I didn't go through a lot of blades. This type of cutter works well if you don't cut paper too often. I only have one now as I gave the other away when I bought my Martha Stewart one. It was the 12 x 12 and had a little arm that extended out of it.

When the blade gets dull, you replace the little orange part with a new one. You know it's getting dull when the paper starts to fray on the sides. I've been experimenting with this one on scrap pieces of paper and after a week of use, I've changed the blade 2 times. I had 2 blades left and so this one will be donated as only using it for one week doesn't suit me well.

Also, they have changed the Fiskars cutters and they have new blades that don't fit with the old ones. So, while I like other Fiskars products, this type of paper cutter is not for someone who cuts multiple slices of paper during the day.

When I started making my Christmas cards last year, I youtubed different paper cutters to see what I might like. I instantly liked the Martha Stewart one because of the arm that extends out. It's not just a little arm, but the whole thing opens up and you can move the arm to whatever measurement if you have lots of a certain cut to make.

It is the same type of cutter as the Fiskars and you go through blades really quickly and I just couldn't keep up with the maitenance of it. It also has an scoring tip that I LOVE. I am keeping this cutter around just for that reason until I can afford a scor-pal.

So, I like it for the scoring ability but not so much on the cutting, it goes through blades really quickly.

Here it is with the arm extended out.

So, a little story ... I was doing the christmas craft at my daughter's school with her former kindergarten teacher and then the other ones. It was a super cute calendar where you used the kids handprints to make different pictures and a poem went with it. You can see the project here. I tried to cut it in the martha stewart one and it was a no go. I couldn't use the cutter at the school because I'm not insured if there is an accident, so I wanted to buy another cutter. Hubby said nope, no money honey, and suggested I ask my father in law if I could borrow his. So, I did.... and that is when I fell in love with the rotary blade cutter. The only problem with his is that he needed to replace the blade if it got dull, but after 400 cuts, it was still cutting like a knife through warm butter.

About a month later, I was making valentine's and whined enough that my cutter sucked that Daniel took me out to look at cutters. I had a 50% off coupon for Michael's and the Making Memories one caught my eye because it's a full 12 x 12, had a magnetic ruler for making those multiple cuts (you just put the ruler down and place the paper edge against it) AND!!!! it's SELF SHARPENING !!! I have been using this everyday and I've had to have made atleast 5,000 cuts with it and it still cuts perfectly. It was $60.00 originally so for $30.00, why not??!!

The only thing that I could see being a problem is if I wanted to take it somewhere for a crop. It's big and bulky but I would deal with it. I'll take big and bulky over frayed paper anyday. I have definately earned my money's worth with it and it's such a great cutter.

Here it is opened.

Thanks for tuning in and seeing my tip for today. Dee =)