New Paper Trimmer Suggestions Needed

Just came here to ask the same question. My Making Memories trimmer was my favorite but it really needs a new blade.

I'll second the Tonic guillotine and cutterpillar. I have multiple sizes of both and love them. They cut straight every time, you can cut a tiny slice off and the light on the cuttterpillar really helps.

I don't have the Tonic guillotine but I do have the cutterpillar crop and love it. I also have a cheap fiskars one that I use for crops and it works all right.

I'm so frustrated with trimmers right now.

I don't like rotary blades or guillotines because one of the main uses for my trimmer is gutting paper, or cutting inside a square/rectangle, and I need to be able to accurately position the blade INSIDE the edge, not start cutting at the edge (if that makes sense?).

I have a small guillotine for photos etc.

But my 12" cutter has been a Fiskars for years. After going through 2 Fiskars with the wire (which I liked, but the wire frayed often and I'd have to replace it), I got the new style with the metal "bar" to keep the blade moving straight. Love it. But the blade does NOT last...like a week and it's "tearing" my paper. And those blades are out of stock everywhere, and Michael's has stopped carrying them! Really angry that they'd sell me a trimmer and then stop carrying the blade.

I don't really know what I'm going to do. I bought new blades for my old wire version to get me through the holiday season. But I'm listening to threads like this for ideas!

Totally agreeing with the Creative Memories trimmer - very precise and very straight cuts. Also cuts my photos very cleanly which caused me problems with prior trimmers. I've done the Cutterpede (years ago!), Memory Makers, and Fiskars rotary. All were good, not perfect. Creative Memories is by far the best for my use.

scrappyrabbit, lindamh, @zingermack, @skellinton. Thanks peas! I've put the CM trimmer at the top of my christmas list for DH!!!

There's a hack for using the cutterpillar for gutting paper. It starts at the 6 minute mark:


YT Video

I think it must take more than that. I scrap a fair amount and only have to change every 6 months.

Like lesley, I use & recommend the Fiskars Procision & kept my old Fiskars SureCut Deluxe exclusively to "gut" paper as kitbop mentioned. HTH. 

Unless you have dodgy arthritic hands that can’t apply enough even pressure. A good paper trimmer is so much easier and quicker. 

I love my Cutterpillar Crop, and I really did not want a rotary cutter. I thought I would cut a finger off (there is a giard on the Cutterpillar blade). I also LOVE the light. When I need to gut papers or cut a smallish slice off a small piece, I reach for my old CM trimmer.

The whole thing that started me on a search for a trimmer was not being able to get replacement blades in 2012/2013 when CM went away.

I'm now restocked on the blades for my original CM trimmer. I am mighty tempted to pick up their new version too, CM makes such good tools.

In the interim of finding the Cutter Crop, I got (and still occasionally use) a Fiskars, it cuts 12x12 paper but had about a 6" wide footprint. I like that trimmer too.

I really like my Dahle 550 rotary trimmer. I also have the Dahle guillotine which works well for cutting thicker card. 

It's cool that the blades and extra mat store underneath, too.