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Need to trim paper once in a while without buying a big guillotine cutter? I picked up the cheapest 12-inch paper trimmer I could find on Amazon.
Mine is a Jielisi titanium paper trimmer, and it cost about $14. It’s a sliding cutter instead of the chop-style guillotine I used as a kid. The current Amazon listing shows the same style of 12-inch trimmer. Here’s what’s in the package, how the guides work, and how clean the cuts came out.
- Super clean, straight cuts
- Doesn’t push the paper to one side like a guillotine
- Comes with a spare blade
- Grid lines up with the cutting channel
- Very cheap
- All plastic, not super sturdy
- The small blade will wear over time
- The cutter head can bump fingers placed on the ruler
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
Why I bought the cheapest one
You might need to cut papers down to size, trim pages out of books, or do home crafts. I don’t cut paper very often, so I just wanted the cheapest paper cutter I could get delivered.
The old chop-style cutters are super reliable and robust. The one my family had was old and used. This one is all plastic, the whole nine yards.
The spare blade
It comes with an extra blade. It looks like the corner of a razor blade inside a little protective housing, so you don’t slice yourself. I’d assume you can buy more if you need them.
How it’s built
There’s a clear plastic arm, kind of like a ruler, with a center channel where the blade rides. Push down on the cutter head to lower the blade, then drag it. It slides pretty smoothly and reminds me of a mat cutter for framing.
Underneath there are 6 foam feet. On the base there’s a grid with inches and centimeters plus angle lines for trimming corners. The nice thing is the measurements line up with the cutting channel, so you can cut an index card or anything else to a specific size.
How clean is the cut?
Lift the arm, slide the paper under, push the cutter all the way off the edge, then hold it down and pull. It cut all the way through with a super clean edge.
I actually like that better than a chop cutter. Guillotines tend to push the paper, and I’d sometimes get angled cuts because of how the blade is tensioned against the other edge. This one has no bias. It doesn’t push the paper either way.
One tip: I had a finger on the ruler and the cutter bumped it. It didn’t hurt, but you don’t need to press there. The plastic ruler seems to hold the paper firmly enough on its own.
FAQ
How much did it cost?
About $14 when I bought it.
Does it come with a spare blade?
Yes, one extra blade in a protective housing.
Is it better than a guillotine cutter?
For clean, straight cuts I liked it better, because it doesn’t push the paper to one side. It’s not as sturdy, though.
Do I need to hold the ruler down?
Not really. The plastic ruler held the paper well enough in my test.
Can I cut to an exact size?
Yes. The grid lines up with the cutting channel.
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