Fiskars Recycled Bypass Paper Trimmer - 12" Cut Length - Guillotine Paper Cutter with Self-Sharpening Blade - Black

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.

As a first grade teacher, I use this Fiskars Deluxe Bypass Paper Cutter every single day—and I truly don’t know what I’d do without it! The cuts are clean, precise, and consistent, which is exactly what I need when prepping centers, classroom materials, and student work. It’s sturdy, easy to use, and has held up beautifully with daily use. Honestly, this is a non-negotiable in any classroom or homeschool setup. If you’re a teacher or someone who loves a clean, professional cut—this is it!

Due to its size and use, this beautiful product is very useful and practical. I have obtained excellent results preparing documents with this guillotine.

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 bought this paper trimmer a few weeks ago and so far so good. The grids are very precise, the self-sharpening blade works perfectly and it's portable enough to take just about anywhere. I highly recommend this trimmer for home or office use on smaller jobs such as posters, handbills, crafts, etc. I also found it to be one of the best values around. Granted, it's mostly plastic, but it doesn't feel or look like cheap plastic and as a result it is very light weight. I would have given this a 5-star rating, but I think the blade lock (which is only a small plastic projection on the base near the handle) could have been better designed to be more secure. The blade arm unlocks too easily if you bump it or if it were to fall off of a table. The nice thing about the blade design is that neither edge is "sharp," but each blade has a very fine corner edge that cuts very nicely when they come together. You'd have to work a bit at cutting your fingers on this trimmer. I appreciate that fact a lot! Overall a good buy!