CARL Heavy Duty Rotary Paper Trimmer 25 inch. - 12250

It's not generally difficult for me to make purchasing decisions, but a paper trimmer became a glaring exception. I needed it primarily to create labels for a product we make by hand, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make the labels by hand that were up to the standard of the product.With their generous one-item coupons in mind, I checked the on-line catalogs of Joann Fabrics and Michael's Crafts, gave eBay the required cursory look just for price comparison, and concentrated on Amazon for reviews & Prime. I was prepared to drop $25 or $30.I bought this trimmer from Amazon, and that was the right decision for me. Here's why. I needed to see the exact place where the cut would be made. I print tiny registration marks in the labels to help me keep them lined up properly as I change the item specifics in each, and also to show me precisely where to cut. For whatever reason, my printers haven't always placed a print in the exact same place on a page from copy to copy. Once I cut that first line, then the rest can be cut in a stack.That brings me to a second point. The old guillotine cutter I bought years ago only manages a few pages of this 32# 100% cotton stock at once. It takes 2 passes of the cutter head, but with this trimmer, I can cut 20 pieces of that paper at once. The cuts are perfectly clean, straight, and square, and effortless to make.The locking mechanism is both brilliant, and the reason this trimmer works so well, cuts such straight lines. If the lever is raised, the mechanism is unlocked, and paper can be moved around under it. Once lowered, it holds the paper absolutely still while you cut.Many of the trimmers in the $25 to $30 range, and well into the hundreds, have some part of the contraption built into the base in such a way that the scale and/or grid is missing which makes cutting a narrow strip from a narrow strip impossible. You can do that with this trimmer, and the entire base is both intact and visible, though the portion directly under the locking mechanism is somewhat obscured by it.The only other trimmers I saw with metal bases like this were made by X-Acto, but they lacked a sophisticated locking device for the paper, and they only cut a few pages at one time. I didn't want plastic.The single con is the magnetic bar that's intended to be used for making multiple cuts of the same size, and the way it relates to the Slimer-green "light-gathering acrylic" guide. First, since my labels are about 1.275" wide and the guide is about 2" wide, the magnetic bar can't be brought close enough to use. Second, the magnet is quite strong, and that's good; it prevents accidental movement. It's also not so good in that the bar doe not have any mechanism to stay square, and must be manually squared each time it's moved. It takes a little effort because you need to fight with the magnet. I solved that by removing the magnet.I like well made tools, and I have some of my grandfather's who passed more than 30 years ago who also invested in good tools during his life. I've skipped meals to buy well crafted tools, and I scrimped to get this one. Quality tools last, and they pay back much more than they cost over their lifetime of service. There weren't any shortcuts taken in the fabrication of this tool so far as I can see. Seams & corners meet perfectly, and the craftsmanship in general is impeccable. I feel comfortable in recommending this trimmer to anyone who's serious about their work. I wish I had another star to give out every hundred reviews. If I did, this would get it.

Seriously, if I could give this thing 10 stars in the Amazon rating, I would! This is a REAL rotary trimmer! !8" capacity width and the blades are S-H-A-R-P! the cutting head is smooth and even when I was cutting sheet after sheet of Hahnemuhle’s new 350gsm Canvas Metallic fine art canvas, I barely new I touched it!Carl put extra blades, (1 straight and 1 perf, as well as 1 additional cutter strip), in this trimmer! The instructions are meant for those who've used a more advanced, professional quality rotary trimmer. Unlike some of the less advanced systems, the instructions for the Carl 18" trimmer don't spend much time reminding you of how to line up, watching for ripples in your paper, and best standing position, etc.I've seen some reviews complaining about how the cutting strip didn't last, or moved on every cut or that the blade went dull after one or two cuts. I have a pretty good idea of what they're probably doing to get that result but because I wasn't there, I won't express any of my guesses here.The bottom line is that this cutter is a good, flat, metal-based trimmer. The measurement lines are dead on, and don't get me started about how well and accurately the side guides are mounted 90 degrees to the cutting rail giving a very dependable 90 degree cut!I store my rotary trimmers in the box they came with to keep them from dust and to avoid accidentally dropping something of the Cutting Head rail. I also use the foam supports when I store them as well. If you accidentally drop something on that cutting rail and inadvertently bend it, there goes the ball game! Be sure to avoid lifting the Trimmer from the box by the rail whenever you take it out. I always lift it from an edge under the table surface.At first I looked at this like the smaller the blade diameter, the less the circumference, (remember: π x diameter), and that means lower edge life per inch. Then I realized that the smaller diameter blade is likely to be the reason why the Carl Heavy Duty Rotary Trimmer is so consistently accurate and the cuts are so straight.There's a magnetic guide that comes with it but if you plan to use it as a stop for multiple, repeated, production cutting, don't count on it for squaring up your sheets. Always use the side guides for that.The magnetic attachment is great as a stop because it has a powerful magnet and it takes a lot to move it once it's in place. However, it’s got enough play to make it undependable as a 'square guide' tool. I don't think it was even meant for that unless you square it up to the side guides with a square first.I use it to help hold down the paper. It certainly can keep the paper from buckling or if you have a curled edge, this magnetic attachment would keep it flattened. When you lock down the paper, the high visibility you get from the paper lock is incredible! The lock holds that paper tight, whether it’s a sheet of standard 8 ½ x 11” paper or 350gsm+ high quality, canvas, that paper stays put until you unlock it.Really, this is the ‘cat’s meow’ of 18”, affordable, quality trimmers so stop reading and buy it. If I had one thing to say that may be called a ‘con’ it would be about the blades diameter. The cutting blades are 1.1” in diameter and my old, definitely not nearly as good or accurate, trimmer had a 1.77” diameter cutter.That smaller diameter blade won’t “walk” as easily as a larger one and therefore, I can’t even call the 1.1” a con. The entire Trimmer is a Big Plus! 5 Stars, hands down! Now go buy it!