Fiskars 12" Recycled Bypass Guillotine Paper Cutter, Self-Sharpening

When I moved to a new state recently, I had to jettison as much stuff as I could. Some of those decisions I regret, and one was to give away my old Fisker's rotary paper cutter. It wasn't great (maybe a 4-star), but it did the job for years. So of course, less than a year later I found I needed another paper cutter. Picking one proved surprisingly difficult because -- consistently -- 15-20% of all reviews, of virtually all low-cost cutters, are 1-star. They definitely fill you with dread about ordering.. But I didn't want to spend hundreds on a tool I use twice a year. So I finally grit my teeth and ordered this unit. Glad I did! It's very nicely made, very simple, safe to use, and works like a charm. True, I've only just received it, and used it just a little. If it goes sideways in the next year, I'll come back and edit this review. But right now I can tell you that it seems perfectly well made and assembled, it cuts cleanly and at exactly a 90-degree angle, and it's reasonably compact and light. The unit itself was packed in perfectly adequate, yet minimal, fashion (but Amazon overpacked it in a much-too-large shipping box). Recommended for light-to-moderate use, although it probably wouldn't last long in a school or for someone doing serious hobby work making huge batches of cards and the like. (And I have no idea how well it would cut fabric).

11-19-2023 Caveat: Today I attempted to cut a piece of 1/8" foam core. That resulted in my ruining the trimmer. I don't know how or why this happened, but I hadn't gotten more than 1/4" threw the attempted cut when more than expected resistance caused me to stop. After removing the foam core, I couldn't reseat the blade. Evidently the metal strip on the trimmer (not the blade itself) had a gouge in it that would hang up the blade. There was no way to save it. I tried finding a replacement strip but not having found one, I threw out the trimmer and ordered a replacement. Don't use it on anything but paper... ==================== Original Review ========================================== I recently took up the challenge of creating a board game for my nephews and nieces that also requires a small deck of personalized playing cards. Having watched several informative videos on the subject, I settled on a method where I create 8 evenly spaced on letter sized card stock, which I then laminate and trim to produce 8 individual cards. Based on the recommendations by one You-Tube guru, I purchased the Fiskars Sure Cut Portable Trimmer to facilitate this. But, while researching cutter/trimmers at Amazon, I decided to double down on my tool investment and also purchased this Fiskar's Bypass Trimmer. (I have no idea why it's labeled as "Recycled" - maybe a returned item being resold?) Comparing the effort and the results of both the Fiskars SureCut Portable Paper Trimmer and the Fiskars 01-005452 Recycled Bypass Trimmer to trim the playing cards, the latter has proven itself to be vastly superior in making accurate cuts. My card artwork includes corner marks that assist in lining up the laminated card stock in the trimmers. Unfortunately, the Portable Trimmer’s cutter wanders a bit during cutting and doesn’t truly track with that fine guide wire. The results were good but not perfect. The cards vary a bit in size no matter how carefully I set up the cuts. With a little care in the aligning those index marks along the lower cutting edge, cuts made on the Bypass trimmer were straight and super clean. The cards were virtually identical. In both cases I used the Kodomaru Pro corner cutter. (another invaluable tool for the DIY game card maker!) The deck I produced with the Bypass Trimmer felt like a storebought deck of playing cards. Those cut with the Portable Trimmer? Not so much. This Bypass Trimmer may cost a little more than the Portable Trimmer, but if you plan to use this to make game cards, you'll be glad you spent the extra money.

So far, this paper cutter has not been fazed by anything I've thrown at it. It cuts paper smoothly and give me a very nice and clean edge. Of course, I don't stress it by stacking more than 4-5 sheets at a time. It has handled posterboard, cardstock, vinyl sheets, acetate sheets, and surprisingly, even some thin foam sheets without any problems. It's well made, despite being all plastic, and nothing feels loose or wobbly during use. It doesn't slide around when I'm lowering the cutting arm, and the way the cutting arm gets secured is simple and effective. Also, I checked mine with a square and found that everything was aligned right out of the box. I initially though the carry handle was kind of silly, but I find myself using it all the time. And it makes that cool guillotine paper cutter noise that you've come to know and love. For the price I paid, I couldn't be happier with how well it works.

I'm not sure why there were so many bad reviews for this paper cutter. I've been using it for all of my wedding projects and it has been nothing but excellent! I cut all of my invitations, detail cards, and RSVPs on heavy cardstock, 4 sheets at a time and it cut them like butter with one quick slice of the blade. I like the finger guard and blade locking mechanism for safety. It also has nice, clear ruler markings that make cutting more accurate. The only thing I didn't like about this paper cutter is that it is so lightweight that you have to make sure you hold it down or it can move. I just put a small paperweight on the top and bottom where my paper didn't reach and it was fine. This is all based on my previous experiences using a paper cutter in schools and offices, so this is great for at home! Seriously a great deal for the price!

Love that it has a self sharpening feature. It is lightweight and I am able to store it away nicely in my very small workspace.

I just got this trimmer, but I have to say, my first impression is pretty good. [I definitely prefer this type of cutter over the "rotary" cutters] I had to return another item that came with the shipment, and I had to make a small box for the item -- the trimmer cut the extra cardboard very well - the edge wasn't perfectly clean, but this is thick cardboard we're talking about. Every other piece of paper I've cut [that isn't thick cardboard] came out with perfect, crisp, clean, cuts -just as I expected. I do have to agree with the other reviews that the locking mechanism for the blade is not very "safe" -- the first time I pulled the trimmer out of the box I was holding the built in handle on the deck, when I got it out, the latch unlocked and the blade swung open rather dramatically [insert guillotine sound here]- right in my mom's face. Not something you want to have happen if you have kids, pets, or any loved ones in general. If you have any of the above, I recommend storing it in the box [and please don't keep it up high where it could fall on you]. I have to say that although the "clear paper clamp/ smudge guard" is a good idea, it is kind of annoying IMHO; fortunately, you can easily remove it if it is in the way of your project. I'm sure I'll appreciate it more if I need to keep something I'm cutting smudge-free. Overall, I think this is a very good product for the price -- as long as you know what to expect. Remember, this product claims to be 100% recycled ["base construction"] and it is mostly plastic; lightweight, but seemingly durable - it costs around $30 [when I got it] so don't expect a hundred-dollar item for a third of the price. It does its job - and very well, so far. As long as you remember to use it on a flat, solid surface, [and not to carry it by the handle in the presence of anyone/thing that wants to keep all their extremities], I don't foresee any problems with this product.

I had wanted a paper trimmer for years. I just could not figure the cost since I was only going to use it once in awhile I saw this trimmer, reconditioned and at such an inexpensive price . I was unsure if reconditioned meant in poor shape, or the inexpensive price meant poor quality. However, I figured why not give it a try. I did not expect much for the cost. I was pleasantly surprised. It is small enough to keep in/on desk. and for straight cuts of paper is perfect. I found it to be accurate and sturdy. I read some reviews that stated issues with handle lock. I can see if you had turned this sideways for storage, it might be an issue. I did not store it on its side. I also figure if you have a tiny child at your desk this might be an issue as is scissors, staplers, thumbtacks etc. I do not think handle was an issue for me. I found this to be sharp, accurate and a nice inexpensive paper cutter for scrapbooking, kids crafts, tags for xmas gifts, decorating and most any use you might like to just chop some paper haha. May noit be an industrial cutter quality, but not many of us need an industrial trimmer. I am very glad I tried it out and went ahead and bought. I like my cutter and will use it many times in the future.

If you're used to using a precision machine that costs 800+ and cuts hair-thin trimmings off of 50 sheet stacks of paper, this thing is gonna piss you off. You get what you paid for. I always had a pro version of one of these at school etc. that I used, but found myself wishing I had one at home now that I'm out of school. I don't have the tools you would need to accurately measure this, but it really does seem that the blade and the guide at the top edge are not quite at a 90 degree angle to each other, and the grid for measuring is not parallel to either of these edges. This baffled me, because the perfect right angle is the most important part of this tool beyond the slicey action. However, the blade is sharp, it's lightweight and easy to stow away, and it was within my budget. It is satisfying to use. If you're using this to cut labels or coupons or home printed photos or newspaper articles or any standard, non professional purpose, you're gonna get a lot of good mileage from this thing. If you need precision of less than about half a cm, don't waste your time.

Endlich hab ich meinen Papierschneider gefunden , nachdem ich einige bestellt und retouniert hatte , die nicht zu gebrauchen waren . Nutze den Hebelschneider vorallem für Bastelarbeiten . Dabei war mir eine Breite von 30 cm wichtig . Außerdem muss die Maßeinheit gut ablesbar sein , und sowohl in cm als auch inch . Der Fiskars Hebelschneider schneidet Graupappe von 1,5 mm mühelos durch. Denke er schafft auch dickere , aber hab ich noch nicht ausprobiert . Leider wird der Fiskars in der Suchmachine von Amazon nicht angezeigt . Hatte ihn auf Youtube in einem Video gesehen und explizit danach gesucht , und gefunden Schade dass man den Hebelschneider so nicht findet . Alles in allem bin ich sehr zufrieden . Der Hebelschneider ist vom Gewicht her sehr leicht und durch den Tragegriff schnell von A nach B getragen .

Does not cut straight. The first product arrived broken. I got a new one and every time i have tried to cut something straight it does not. only small pieces. No matter what it is paper, textile.

The Fiskars trimmer is great for my card making. It has a plastic shield that keeps the paper secure whilst trimming allowing for a perfect cut each time. Also has a sharp cutting blade - no catching or ruffling paper

I used 3 trimmers before, and I faced a lot of issues with them: they all didn’t cut perfect size, the blades became unsharp quickly and the cutting line become unfinished well. When I used this one for the first time I was so happy. It’s very accurate and very light to carry and there is no need to replace any blade. I’m using it for 6 months now and it’s still new..

Es una herramienta que amo. En mi taller de encuadernación y scrpbooking es esencial. Dura muchísimo su filo, es manejable, super duradera. Al año empieza a despintar las líneas (solo eso negativo)