Jul 08 2007
Tonic 12″ Guillotine Paper Cutter {C’est Bon}
I love my new Tonic 12″ Guillotine Paper Cutter. I’ve had it for a couple months now and it is fabulous.! I was so frustrated with the amount of money I was spending on refill blades for my Fiskars Euro paper trimmer. It was great for the money, but over time, even the triple track didn’t always cut perfectly aligned cuts every time. So frustrating, especially when you are getting down to the last of your paper and just can’t redo it! You also won’t believe how fine a sliver of paper you can cleanly cut off! With my old trimmer, you would get a nasty distressed looking edge if you wanted to trim off less than 1/8 - 1/16th of an inch.
Back to the refill blade issue…. there are NO refill blades. You have stainless steel blades that sharpen each time you use it…I never need to run to Michael’s and buy refills again. With the amount of papercrafting I do, my new cutter will have paid for itself in another 3 months. Yay….what a great investment! It should last the rest of my life. Basically one thing to remember when you are buying tools…look into what is available on the market and buy the best you can afford at the time. Your work will only be as good as the tools you use!
One of the best things I love about this paper cutter is its ability to cut through many thicknesses of paper and it can even cut through chipboard easily! Yay!!!! I love chipboard! You KNOW that! LOL but I always played it safe and used pre-cut shapes etc. Now I can cut my own squares or chipboard book backings…whatever I wish! The sky is the limit, baby!
Back view - easy part storage
This paper cutter is REALLY well engineered. Have you ever had a craft product that works great but with a few extra features, would be fabulous? I just love the extra care and thoughtfulness that was put into this design with the storage, comfort and portability aspects in mind. It was obviously designed by someone who knew the papercrafting industry very well. If you are worried about cutting yourself with it…the safety bar keeps your holding hand out of the way of the blade. Even if you do touch the blade, it is a flat blade and cuts with friction. You would have a hard time slicing anything on it.
Great Features on the Tonic Cutter…
- light and portable
- fits 12 inch square paper easily…love how it also fits the 12″ paper with the extra “lip” on the bottom (i.e. My Mind’s Eye)
- imperial and metric measures on the cutter
- blade self-sharpens
- safety bar - paper slides under the clear safety bar…pressure spots for your hand keep it safely out of the blade’s way
- you can see through the safety bar for easy lining up for matting
- 1/2″ increments grid right in the plastic base for easy measuring
- easily carried by orange “handle” indentations at top of cutter
- cutting handle and measuring bar projection can be removed for easy storage….there are also great little spots on the back of the cutter for them to clip into when not in use
- comfortable soft handle on the blade
- non-skid rubber feet on the bottom of the cutter
- sturdy high-impact plastic base
- reasonably priced
Hints for Using It…
- slide paper under the safety bar and press down on the oval spots to firmly hold your paper for a precision cut
- make sure your paper is butted firmly up at the top of the cutter….this gives you a perfect 90° corner and perpendicular cut …. most of you will already know this but I have seen a few people papercrafting who haven’t
- I did miss the little grid to the right side of the blade on my track paper trimmer for cutting off 1/4″ if my layer was a little large. To do this now, simple measure the cardstock, subract the amount you want to trim off and then line it up at the correct measurement on the left side. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of it!
Where to Get it…
- Scrapbook Studio - I bought mine in-store at the Scrapbook Studio $58.95 CDN ( I lucked out and bought mine while it was on sale….yay!
- Two Peas in a Bucket and other on-line stores
- Stampin Up - check out page 184 of the brand new catty…does this look familiar? I think so!
$62.95 CDN or $45.95 US
What You Can’t Do…
This article wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t tell you what you cannot do with the paper cutter. Unlike the track cutters, you cannot use a scoring blade with it. If you wish to score, you can use the end of a bone folder wtih a ruler or keep a small track cutter for this purpose. You also cannot make cuts to the inside of your paper, such as a window. If you wish to do this, you can use a track cutter (may not be the most precise method) or use a ruler and a craft knife. Perfect Layers is also a great product for this.
If you have any questions about this product, I’ll be happy to answer them by editing in at the bottom of this post.
Also, if you do decide to get one, I’d love to know if you like it too! Have a wonderful day!
Edited to Respond…
Julie asked… Does the cutter stay stable on the surface you have it on when you are cutting or do you have to make sure and keep a hand on it so it doesn’t rock or move?
The cutter does stay stable on the table but the way that you do cut, to keep the paper so that you get a precision cut is by pressing down on the safety bar (see the two oval projections) with your left hand and slicing with your right.
Libby asked… Do you happen to know if the SU one is exactly the same, ie with the little storage compartment?
I actually need a SU demo or someone who owns the Stampin Up version to answer this one. I’m pretty sure they are exactly the same but I really need confirmation on this. *****Lisa C has just replied to this…”I know that the SU one come apart the same way as the Tonic does, as this is the Tonic cutter, just done in SU colors.”
Becky asked… Do think it would fit in a XXL scrapbooking bag?
Honestly, I have no idea how big an XXL scrapbooking bag is! LOL I usually design from home. I’m fairly sure that it would…this is really quite portable! I’ll give you the dimensions and then you can tell me!
Karen asked… do you use it sitting down or standing up? I think I wouldn’t enjoy using it if I were always popping up and down at my desk.
I’ve used it all sorts of ways! Works great sitting at your desk, works great standing up….LOL I’ve even used it on my lap when I ran out of desk space! Can’t imagine why that happened!
Terri asked… The problem I had with other paper trimmers of this type was guessing the measurement over the part where the swing arm meets the bed of the trimmer. Any comments or suggestions on this?
I had this problem myself….espescially with my Fiskars Euro trimmer. I make a lot of 5 or 5 1/4″ square cards and it could be a bit of a problem for me. The Tonic portable trimmer has the “break” in the measuring between 6″ and 6.5″. If you do a lot of measuring at those point you are fine…it is just that small 6.25 measurement you may have trouble with. If this really bothers you, Tonic always makes a great full-size trimmer with a full-size flat bed. I believe it may be more expensive and less portable but it does give you them option of which suits your needs best! HTH!
Cornish Heritage Farms Staff Designer Coordinator
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THANK YOU for this great review, Julia! I have been looking for a new cutter for years. I go through TOO many of the Fiskars cutters, but didn’t want to invest in another brand that I didn’t know anything about. I am so glad you and others offer these product reviews!!!
I’ve had the SU version of this cutter for about 9 months now and I can only confirm Julie’s review. I LOVE my cutter! It’s the best one that I have ever had.
One thing that I didn’t know was that it can cut through chipboard. Thank you for that knowledge. I was always afraid to try for fear of damaging my cutter. Can you tell me, what weight of chipboard you’ve managed to cut. Obviously the lightweight chipboard, but what about the medium and heavy weight?
Thanks Julie!
Linda
Hi Julia,
I do have a question. Does the cutter stay stable on the surface you have it on when you are cutting or do you have to make sure and keep a hand on it so it doesn’t rock or move?
Hugs
Julie
Thanks for the great review, I’ve been frustrated with my trimmer for a while now & was trying to decide if I should get the SU version. Do you happen to know if the SU one is exactly the same, ie with the little storage compartment? Thanks so much!!
What a great review! I have also been very frustrated with my fiskars Euro trimmer as well. Just one question: Do think it would fit in a XXL scrapbooking bag?
I have the Tonic with the actual 12″ cutting base (rather than the measuring extension). Thankfully, my work table has plenty of room for it … I love it and would highly recommend it as well.
I have one, ok, actually I had 4 of these, now have 3..lol. I have the one you have, I have the one with the 12 inch base and the little mini cutter, if you don’t have the mini, you have to get it, well worth it!!
I know that the SU one come apart the same way as the Tonic does, as this is the Tonic cutter, just done in SU colors.
Oh yes, one suggestion of something I have done, next to my cutter (above on the wall for me) I keep a sheet of paper and put down the most common measurements that I need for subtracting sizes and where to cut for certain things, like when I am stamping Bella images for a swap, you have to have them with a 1/4 inch border on all sides, well, I figure out how big the paper needs to be, then write that down with where to cut at. Let me know if this doesn’t make sense..lol.
Thanks for the review. I am in the market for a new cutter and this answers some questions that I had.
Yep, I love mine, too, J!! Great article!!:D
I have the 12″ and have only had it for a couple of months. And I have not done half of what I normally do in that time. Just last night when I was cutting paper for a class I was getting tons of frayed edges on the cardstock? I was very frustrated. Does any one have any idea why? I was holding the guard, but the blade seems kind of dull? I wonder why it is not sharpinig itself? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Up till now I have loved it. Is anyone else having this issue or is it something with mine? I keep thinking something is loose the cut looks like I am forgetting to hold down the guard.
I have the SU version of this cutter and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! At first I was not going to get it. I would see them, but thought I have like 8 cutters already, do I really need another one..till I used a SU demos. OH MY GOODNESS, ordered it that very next day! I love it!
xoxo
ronee
The problem I had with other paper trimmers of this type was guessing the measurement over the part where the swing arm meets the bed of the trimmer. Any comments or suggestions on this? Thanks, Terri
Thanks for the great review! I keep thinking I need a better cutter but don’t want to spend the money if it’s not worth it. It’s good to hear about what it can and can’t do. I do have a question - do you use it sitting down or standing up? I think I wouldn’t enjoy using it if I were always popping up and down at my desk.
Thanks for the great write-up!!!!
Hello Julia -
This is a wonderful review of a fabulous product. I have the model you have at our second home - I ran out and bought it at Christmas when I decided I needed to make more cards - and then I purchased the verson with a “full” cutting surface for use at our “regular” home. I love it!
One tip I have though is to be sure to hold your paper down with the guard or it too can be shifted slightly and you will not have a straight cut.
I did not realize the one in the SU catalog was a TONIC!
I used the 12 TONIC at a Club Scrap Retreat last month and fell in love with it.
I, too have spent many $$ on different cutters and wish I had found this one first.
Well worth the money especially if you make a lot of cards or if you scrapbook
Can the Tonic cut matboard?
Great review, and thanks so much for the wealth of information! I was thinking of getting the Carl 12″ cutter from Staples. Does anyone have experience with that and know how it compares to the Tonic?
Thanks for any insight y’all have!
[…] Sorry…I have forgotten who asked this! - My question would be what’s one supply that you use all of the time that you didn’t think you needed at first. This is a tricky one! I’m trying to think! LOL I more often buy things I think I can’t live without and then they sit in the bottom of the drawer! I guess I would say my Guillotine Paper trimmer. I bought it a few months ago and just LOVE it! I use it all the time and would never go back to my old Fiskars one. A couple of months ago I wrote a {C’est Bon} entry on it. If you missed it, you may want to check it out HERE. […]
[…] chipboard layers, I pulled out my Stampin Up Ginormous chipboard set and cut them to size with my Tonic Guillotine paper cutter. I then covered them with Crystal Effects and then some blue microbeads from Michael’s. You […]
How many sheets of cardstock can you cut at one time?
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I am thinking of getting a new paper cutter for 12×12 papers. I don’t run into my CM rep anymore and the blades just don’t
last long enough for me. Unlike the smaller CM personal paper cutter. That is just wonderful. I have had it for years and it
still works great. So hurray that you found one to work nicely for you! I’ll add it to my list of possibilities
Is the guillotine blade for the 12×12 Tonic replaceable? If not how can I keep it sharp? I think I read that it was self sharpening??
I forgot to mention that the reason I was asking is because in cutting 2-3 12×12 card stock paper I sometimes get a frayed edge towards the bottom of the paper. I’ve only had my cutter about 2 months.
I was doing some research tonight and I happened on your blog. I just wanted to say I am very impressed with you Julia and the wonderful following you have. Obviously you are doing something very right here. I would have never expected to see so many responses to a blog post about a paper cutter!
I have a Guillotine type Paper Cutter with a Deco cutting edge. I would like to buy another one but I am having great difficulty finding one. The only Deco cutting edge cutter I can find are the rotary ones.
Do you make a Guillotine type cutter with any type of edge other than a straight edge ? If not, do you know where I might find one ?
Thank you for your help!
Do you know if the Tonic can cut thin acrylic? I’m definitely in the market for guillotine - have too may rotaries and they have their flaws. My best and longest lasting was my original 12 inch Fiskars before rotary came along. It’s still going strong, but I need something with a bit more umph…Thanks!
[…] Mess; No Time to Stamp; paper Cookies; paper Delightz; paper Pleasing Ideas; paper trufflez …http://bellepapier.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2007/07/08/tonic-12-guillotine-paper-cutter-cest-bon…stampinkub.com :: blog ? 2007? JulyPaper trufflez · Pink Lemonade. Hope the rest of you […]