Tuesday, October 16, 2012

A review of the best cutter EVER!

Okay, those of you who know me, know that I have a TON of paper trimmers...okay maybe not a ton but at least a dozen or so. :)

I've tried everything from Provo Craft and Westcott to Fiskars and The Purple Cow. But I can never seem to find a trimmer that is up to my standards. 

Usually most of them leave a ragged edge even with a new blade. I use PaperTrey Ink paper for all my card bases, but all the trimmers I have still leave that edge on just basic lighter weight cardstock as well. Which drives me insane! I have to take some scissors and trim up my edges which basically defeats the purpose of the trimmer in the first place. :)

Another problem I have, is with the smaller cutters that have the extendable rulers. I usually make the A2 sized cards, and it never fails that most of these trimmers have the spot I need to measure missing because it's right where the ruler extends. (If that makes sense!) While I am quite close at measuring this spot, I'd just like to have it there for super easy reference.

The final problem I have with other trimmers is the way the blade or blade carrier kind of pull the paper out of alignment. I always line up everything perfectly, but on some trimmers (Westcott and Fiskars) the paper is never cut straight! So when I fold it for my card, I end up having to even it out.

So anytime I see a trimmer online, I just have to get it hoping that it might finally be "the one!"

And guess what! I FINALLY FOUND IT! 
This cutter does have a hefty price tag and it is quite large. I was lucky to find the cutter through a Facebook code so I was able to purchase it for half the price, and I also have room for it in my scrap area. Regardless of the price and the size...it is hands down the best cutter I have ever used.

It is made out of sturdy aluminum material and seems to be very well built. And let's face it, sometimes you get what you pay for. :)

I absolutely LOVE the ruler guide. It has all the measurements that I need and because nothing folds/extends they are all listed neatly on the guide.
And all the cuts are perfectly even! (If the ruler does become loose, you can reach the bolts for the ruler guide through the battery compartment and tighten it, if need be.)

There is also a drawer underneath to store some tools in. I have some scissors and scraps in it. :) But you can also fit full 12x12 paper in it. 

Another feature about the cutter is that it has this LED light. Now, I thought that was kind of silly. Because I don't craft in the dark, LOL. But after I used the cutter for a week, finally got some batteries and tried it out...WOW! It is cool! It lights up the edge of the paper for perfect cuts every single time.
It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but it helps me to see exactly where my cut will be. Keep in mind that with really thick or opaque cardstock, it doesn't work as well, but that doesn't bother me.

And finally - the blade! It cuts through paper (6" cuts to 1/16" cuts) like butter. And the cuts on both the front and the back of the cardstock are fabulous!
I had to try a 1/16" cut just to see how it came out too.
Perfect! (I taped it down because that small of a piece will curl up on you, but I guess if you needed a cut this small and glued it down - it would work perfectly!)

And just look at the perfect cut on this super thick black PaperTrey Ink cardstock. :)
The blade is also somewhat self-sharpening because of the material that the blade cuts against. It claims to be the LAST cutter that we'll ever need. And right now - I truly believe that it might be!

And with that, it's time to finish up my review. I give this cutter 5 stars. :) I haven't used another trimmer since I have begun using this one. And I don't plan to. :)

Thanks for stopping by my blog this morning and don't forget to swing by later in the week for two super fun Halloween blog hops!

4 comments:

Allisa said...

So, I have seen this trimmer around and was not even going to try it. It seems all the trimmers promise the world and none can deliver. I have yet to figure out why it is so hard to make a trimmer that cuts straight and clean every time! Now you have me tempted! If I need a 1/16th cut with my trimmer, I need to just start over with another piece of paper!

Kim H said...

Jeanne ~ I read this earlier and FINALLY got back to comment! SAY WHAT?? Another trimmer! Oh I saw this and have been waiting to know someone who has it, tried it and review it! GREAT review! Okay video tutorial PLEASE!!! You first video was AMAZING and I would LOVE to see this in action too!!
So you know need to sell your 300 other trimmers ~ right?? LOL

Lady Fair said...

Great review, Jeanne. I bought this trimmer from My Craft Channel awhile back. I get a nice clean cut every time. I also like that the blade never needs to be replaced. Just a note, the blade swings in from the side to cut rather than dropping straight down onto the paper, so the cutter can only cut the edge of the cardstock and can't be used to cut into the middle of the cardstock, i.e., as when creating a center stair step card. Also, there are no measurements down the side of the cutter. Having said all of that, I do recommend this cutter.

Kim Ricketts said...

Eeek!!!!!! I love this review!!!! Thank you so much for sharing it with me!!!

Kim :)