Side by Side Comparison of: Swingline

This is awesome. I've been needing a paper cutter for the longest time but I never wanted to spend the money. I'm really glad I did and that I went for the guillotine style instead of the little dinky ones. This thing is sharp and does a great job of cutting straight. I have used it multiple times already for crafts.

A great paper trimmer for the house. It works well, is very sharp, and stores easily. Good value for the money. It doesn't cut as many sheets as other cutters, but if you are using it for stuff around the house (school photos, crafts) then it's a great option and well worth the investment.

I've used this quite a bit since I received it yesterday. I use it to cut down sheets of watercolor paper, which is a little bit thicker than your average cardstock, and other types of heavy artist paper too. It does wonderfully with this. I was honestly surprised by how light this cutter is. No complaints at all right now.

I bought this about two years ago, in October, and used it intermittently for making homemade books. I estimate that I've cut through a few thousand pages by now.

It still cuts perfectly fine on small stacks of paper (~5 sheets of average thickness) but it's starting to show its wear when it comes to slightly bigger stacks as well as odd materials. The largely unused part of the blade near the hinge is still sharp enough to make clean cuts down the soft plastic of trash bags, but the middle is worn enough to start catching and tearing in slightly larger stacks of paper (~15 sheets).

Still, for a paper cutter I bought at $38, I feel like I definitely got my money's worth. And it still works just fine on small batches of paper.

On a side note, I also got a lot of use out of the grid. It turns out that it's perfect for making straight creases in conjunction with a bone folder.

Our cub scout leader last year let me borrow one of these to cut out all our homemade den doodles, ribbons, etc. It worked like a charm so I had to have one myself for all the scrapbooking I do at home. Great price, arrived in perfect condition and the blade on this is wonderful. I've been using it for a few months now, absolutely no problems with cutting through anything yet. Love the side lock so that my 4 year old can't get curious. Highly recommended!

This cutter works better for my use than I could have dreamed. Swingline has been making these cutters since before I was born and I am 82. To stick around that long you have to be good. This 12.5 inch cutter is every bit as good as their larger more popular ones but on a smaller scale. There are cheaper ones on the market. The word "cheaper" says it all. Spend the money now or spend it later when you replace the cheaper one later.

Excellent paper cutter. Good, sharp blade, solid base, smooth hinge. For the price, a very professional paper cutter. I've used it to cut various thicknesses of paper, cardstock, and even cardboard, and the blade remains sharp and the cuts are clean. It's saved me lots of money - making my own marketing materials and cutting paper to appropriate sizes.

I searched long and hard to find a paper cutter that was well built and would stand the test of time (and many many uses). This product delivered on every aspect. The base is strong and study, the cutting arm is steel and very strong.It is being used on a constant basis and so far is holding up perfectly.

This is the one to get. I went through 4 before I was finally satisfied. I am a homeschool mom and use this to cut laminated projects. Its get sharper as you use it! It has weight to it so it doesn't lift as you lift the blade. I highly recommend. NO PLASTIC PARTS! Its so much better than the other items on the market.

I love this Swingline paper cutter. The hard wood construction and self-sharpening blade were some of the features that sold me on this. I have purchased cheaper paper cutters of various designs over the years, and I have been disappointed by each one. The Swingline does not, however, disappoint. It cleaves a clean, sharp cut through paper and cardstock alike. The guard, a solid metal bar near the cutting edge, does sometimes make a perfectly straight cut on a longer piece of paper challenging. I intend to remove this, as I don't live in a home with small children, and the guard is held in place by a simple Philip's head screw. In its place, I plan to make a heavy wooden block lined in felt or craft foam to protect the paper, as I use the cutter to trim out heat transfer designs and printed prop boxes and labels. I have made good use of this cutter even without this alteration, as it is well constructed and includes both a built in ruler and a quad pattern grid to help with precise placements for each cut. This is a quality paper cutter, and well worth the price.

This is a super sharp paper cutter. The measurements are not perfect. On mine, the lines on the wood work well, but the ruler is a bit off. I suppose I could adjust it with a little elbow grease, but for my purposes, I just need my paper to be the same length on all ends. I don't need to cut to precise measurements. If I line up the paper on the lines, it works just fine for me and makes cutting many sheets of paper at a time a breeze. If you need to use the ruler for precise measurements, I suggest buying something else or just expect that you will have to adjust the ruler yourself when you get it. For me, it is sharp and does what it is supposed to. It has been an invaluable tool in my workshop and I love it!

Sharp works well. Think it can be easier made to cut exactly on the lines.
However it's great regardless just required a little bit more effort for me to line up but not enough where I'll say it's a deal breaker good product glad I bought it

Very lightweight but does the job. I was concerned that it might not cut straight, however, just the nature of these style of paper trimmers cause the paper not to be cut exactly straight but does a good enough job for what I've needed it for. The blade is plenty sharp though and I use it to cut through heavy card stock, though I can only do a couple sheets at a time. Which is fine, as I said, for what I need it for.

Nice and sharp so it cuts cleanly. The back edge is perfectly perpendicular to the cutter so that it makes straight cuts. It's lightweight and flimsy so it needs to be on a flat hard surface so that the rubber feet can make purchase. All in all this is a great cutter for the price.

I really needed an easier way to cut paper (for my small business) than by hand. This is a nice little paper trimmer and works great for what I need. I don't do very heavy duty cutting so its perfect for me. I cut a lot of card stock with it and it still cuts well, and the self sharpening feature is a nice touch. I would recommend to someone looking for a reasonably priced guillotine paper trimmer and light trimming needs. Gave 4 out of 5 stars because its not the best paper trimmer out there but great for my needs.

I ordered this paper trimmer to place my Erin Condren Life Planner in my A5 Filofax. I use guillotine paper trimmers at work (I am a teacher) so I know they work well if they are well made and sharp. I was hesitant to purchase this to work on my project, because I know they can sometimes make jagged cuts. The product itself is made of purely plastic and does not have a solid surface area. It is hollow underneath rather than being a solid block of wood or plastic. It has little feet to keep the trimmer from sliding around. The blade is sharp and comes with a lock so the arm can be locked in place. Overall, this product worked for the project I had in mind. I did have a few pages come out with unclean cuts, and I had to take scissors to them. I will continue to use this trimmer at home and in my classroom for small projects. I think the $26 I paid for it is a good price. I wouldn't pay anything more than that based on the quality.

Nice weight to this cutter. Sharp blade. Seems to be good quality construction.

Works great. Love the look! When getting up towards the max capacity of papers (even just using copy paper) 15 was a little hard to cut accurately. I reduced it to 5 pages at a time with no problems. Can do 10-15 but I don't like to. The very end of the cut is slightly off.

A classic piece. The bade is sharp and perfectly calibrated, the base is heavy and solid, and the overall look is fantastic.My only complaint is that I wish it had something, anything, to help guide the paper in straighter. But I guess I chose durability over convenience (something I do not regret!)

Its okay. It does the job. But 5 or more pages or so through the cutter will slide a little and fray the edges. What Im using this for the pages don't have to look perfect. I was bought this to make my job easier instead of hand cutting each individual page with scissors. It does help me process stuff quicker but wouldn't be a good purchase for someone doing a professional task/job like making books.

This paper trimmer is fairly well made--not excellent, but certainly more than acceptable. I use it to cleanly and straightly cut light gauge soft sheet metal (silver, copper, brass), which attests to the strength, durability and sharpness of the cutter.

I needed a cutter for my 67 and 110 lb stock as well as my photo cards. The cutter is sturdy and easy to carry/move. It works well, and the handle stays up when placed.The only drawback for me are the lines (groves) in the board which sometimes prevents me from sliding my paper smoothly across the surface and the fact that it does not always make a clean cut. One has to remember the directions: to pull the blade down and inward when cutting - makes all the difference in the kind of cut you get.

Does a good job if you cut less than five pieces. Any more than that it won't cut all the way through.

This product is okay. It handles less than 10 pages the best. The underneath is hallow so it's not entirely sturdy. It did the job of cutting my wedding invitations decently. I had to be careful though because it did cut several of them loop sided even with me be very careful about lining them up straight

It was sharp, inexpensive, and cut a few sheets okay. Snap on handle tip appeared at first to be missing, but found it later buried in the packaging. It is very lightweight, not like those heavy and stable maple wood trimmers you remember from grade school (if you are old enough), but okay for occasional use.The design flaw is that it should have a hinged, clear, fold down ruler on the table near the cutting edge to keep the paper from moving and flat while cutting.

Cuts well ... but it's SO lightweight! Which normally might be a good thing but it moves easily when using sometimes. Especially if you're in a hurry and that's never a good thing. I wish it were a little heavier so it wouldn't move just from making a cut. Other than that it cuts extremely well. I have given up on using my previous trimmer.

Nice sharp blade, cuts straight lines. Would be totally satisfactory for use in hobby--scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc. However, I ordered this for use for cutting and assembling wedding invitations. My major problem with it was the lack of precision in the measurements. At the top, each 1/8th inch is marked with a line, 1/2 inch and inch with a larger triangle marking. These didn't match up with the grid precisely, which made cutting larger pieces a little more difficult. A couple inches further down there was another ruler; this one also included metric (which also didn't quite line up with the grid). However, these two rulers still didn't quite give me accurate measurements. If I didn't have such a need for precision, this would have worked quite well enough!I am returning in favor of continuing to borrow someone else's X-ACTO brand trimmer with wood cutting surface and gridlines that extend from major points of measurements (each 1/2 inch and each centimeter) all the way to the bottom of the surface.

Pros:> The blade is sharp and works well to deliver clean cuts. The tension between the blade edges is just comfortable so as to be allow trimming of upto 1 mm thin strips of paper.Cons:>Though the build quality is good the body is made of plastic, I would have preferred metal.>Also, the ruler which holds the paper against the platform is a thin metal rod that is NOT adjustable. The ruler guide in comparable units is made of transparent plastic with measurements of upto 1 mm and could be used to hold paper feed pressed close to the base so as to achieve better/ more reliable cuts. With the thin metal rod paper has a tendency to slide & slip.The CONS outnumber/ outweigh the PROS. Hence, the OK rating

Great build quality. Very sturdy, and the metal arm makes a world of difference over cheaper ones. The reason for the 3 star review is that the top ruler was crooked on mine. First thing I did was try to cut a straight line, and it failed. On closer inspection, I saw that the wooden ruler/guide at the top flared out towards the end. Easy enough fix. Removed it, sanded it on a flush surface, and now it's perfect. It's a shame I had to correct it myself, as cutting in a straight line is what this product was made for.

You have to pull the handle to the left as you cut.

My guillotine came a little defective. I need to twist the sheet slightly to get the perfect angle. Kind of disappointing.

does a fair job for pricesafety bar limits thickness of what you can cutruler doesn't extend to cutting edge

I used to have a 36'' cutter and somehow lost it. I tried to downsize and the 12'' does not cut the entire comp shingle. I am a roofer and the cutter gives me an excelent eadge on the ones that need cutting. I was surprised the ad said free shipping and then charged me for the shipping. I would have liked to change it for a 16'' but I had to use this one in order to see what it could do. Since I have used it for a couple days I dont think anyone else would want it. I am still useing it and it is easier to move arouned the roof and storrage may be a problem....I might loose it or end up covering it up with other tools.

I replaced the one I had because, multiple cuts to one piece of paper weren't accurate. This machine tends to pull the paper into the blade as well, so you have to be really careful while cutting.It's solid enough and the blade does appear to be sharp. I waste some paper trying to get the cuts right however.

The one I received grabs the paper and does not cut a straight line. Now I'm waiting on amazon to approve my return request. I don't know if it was just a defective individual item I received or the design is flawed. I think the cutters that have a sliding blade are better.

It doesn't cut the best, especially towards the last half of the board. It tends to instead fold the paper and crease it. Pretty disappointing.

The first couple of cuts were great, however we have noticed that as we have been using it more, the bottom portion of the cuts are anywhere from 1/8-1/4" wider than the top. Would love to contact the company directly to report it and return it, but for whatever reason the information is no where to be found here on Amazon.

I am very disappointed with this cutter. I wanted this to cut InkJet paper for T-shirt designs.. I only cut ONE piece at a time and the cutter does not cut a STRAIGHT line.. The cut is perfect at the top of the paper but towards the bottom the cut is way off.. I thought maybe my Paper was not lined up correctly.. After a ton of tries, and my whole household trying it out we could not get it to cut straight. Its possible the handle has been bent. I would not recommend this product. If I wouldn't have used st the package to start a fire in the pit, I would return this..

I've been using this cutter for about a year. There are plenty of good reviews here so I'll just skip to my pros/cons.Pros: It is still cutting as well as it did a year ago. I've cut cardstock, chipboard, and paper - probably totaling a few thousand cuts. Also, it is sturdy. I've had no issues with cracking or sticking. It balances well.Cons: The biggest, and the reason for my low rating, is that the handle/blade/grid are not properly aligned. If you align your paper to the vertical grid, it will be off. If you align it to the horizontal grid, it will be off. If you guesstimate, it will be off. Cutting perfectly even paper requires pre-measuring with a ruler for my unit. Also, the latch that is supposed to hold the handle down rarely secures it for more than a few minutes. Then, it falls off. Finally, you must hold the paper down close to the guard bar or you'll get slippage toward an incorrect cut.I'm finally going to break down and buy another paper cutter. It's sad because this one still cuts but the hassle of never having even pages without a few extra steps is more than I want to deal with right now. I hope that my unit was just defective and no others are having this issue. Still, I thought I'd share a review in case it happens to someone else. I didn't ask for a replacement because I always thought I must be doing something wrong. Finally, after a year of botched cuts, I asked someone else to try it. When their cuts also failed, I realized it is the tool.

**Please read with the caveat that I purchased this for trimming of photos for framing.**Upon first opening the package, this trimmer was disappointingly light and did not seem of high quality. Minor assembly was required -- simply snapping the handle onto the blade -- and ready to go. I took a test slice of the instruction manual, and it cut well, although with a pretty nails-on-chalkboard kind of sound.I then took it to its main task -- trimming small sections off of photos so they could fit in frames. For reference, I was cutting high quality photo paper, professionally printed, and I was cutting sections ranging from 1/4 - 1/16". The paper cutter did not handle the small cuts well at all, resulting in significant fraying and creasing, rather than cutting. The trimmer fared marginally better with the larger cuts, yet I still had to position and reposition and try different techniques to get it it cut well.Verdict -- fine for cuts where convenience is required, but not quality. Would not recommend for photos.Pros:+ Cost-effective based on what else I saw on Amazon.+ Sharp blade. Talk to my girlfriend's hand.Cons:- Feels cheap and plasticky.- Does not cut photos at all.- Felt like I needed to try different techniques / ways of holding, yet nothing worked.- Markings were not as small or precise as I would have liked them to be.

I'm quite disappointed with this cutter as I expected more from a reputable name brand for the cost. The blades are metallic, though not sure if they are steel. The arm that one blade attaches to is plastic. My first attempt at cutting was a disaster. The countersunk screws were not flush catching on the stationary blade on each pass. An attempt to tighten one of them resulted in stripping the threads in the plastic arm. The amount for a clean cut of 20# paper is less than I would expect for what I wanted. I would not recommend this.

This paper cutter's spring mechanism broke after a years use. I would not recommend it

I ordered this cutter and was excited to get it...good reviews... I am not sure, but it did not work for me. Once I put say an 8x10 picture and start cutting, it lifts the photo paper towards the end and then the cut is not straight. I need to put my fingers very close to the edge of the cutter holding the paer down and this is not very secured... I tried and tried, and followed instructions of putting pressure moving the handle towards the left, it was still doing the same. Cut was sharp but not straight.:( Now I need to find another one...

Very unsafe!Cut paper in an inclined line not straight so the papers end up having white ages from at the end.

Had to return. Would not cut a straight line. Every page I tried was a slightly curved edge.If you just need things cut and don't care about precision, this will work. If you need a straight line, try something else.

Does not cut thick paper evenly all the way. the item is made so cheaply that the plastic bends and it is hollow and thin. the blade wobbles and flex like a bow when cutting a few sheets together. this one for $40 is not worth the price ( cheap plastic+ blade=$10 worth)

After only a few cuts, this paper trimmer started tearing my paper instead of cutting it. As I trim mostly expensive, quality paper, this just wouldn't do. The plastic base seems too light for the blade. Perhaps this imbalance caused some of the cutting issues. For light trimming tasks on standard printer paper where accuracy isn't important, this might do the job. Otherwise, I would not recommend it. Spend a couple more dollars for a trimmer with a sturdy metal base.

The blade on both side was made of poor quality rough edges. The blade is just a piece of metal that wasn't sharpened. There is no way it will cut 1 piece of photo paper sharply and like a scissor. When I try my first cut it thorn my photo didn't even make through a quarter of the paper. I regret having bought this product. I do not recommend this product at all.

After a few uses, doesn't cut regular paper. Paper just slides between the edge and the blade uncut. Waste of money.

would not cut through 2 pieces of thin paper clean, rough edges. junk is junk!

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! Does not cut straight!!! I even had a replacement after the first was more than a 1/4 inch off... still not fixed.. its sharp, but not accurate at all..

I just returned it because it can't cut more than 1 or 2 pages together. There's no press to hold the paper tight and overal quality of this product is completely unacceptable.product reviews seems too good to me and I so decided to buy it for my office but I was wrong.

Swingline Classic Cut Ingento 12 Inch Maple Guillotine Paper Trimmer, CL500m - 1132is completely useless.Its incapable of cutting even one sheet of copy paper.I returned it the same day it arrived

I was really excited about this cutter, I thought I am going to spend some money for 12 inch maple swingline cutter. However I cant even cut a sliver off of normal piece of paper , let alone any of my photos that I intended to use this for. The blade just fold the paper back, or photo back? If I hold my hand really close to the blade and cut it will work. Does anyone know if I am doing something wrong? I am very unhappy with this cutter!

Bought this cutter for trimming various art papers, it doesn't cut cleanly unless you are doing a single sheet, so returned it.