{"id":45367,"date":"2026-01-05T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=45367"},"modified":"2025-12-29T12:52:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T19:52:33","slug":"paper-cutting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/paper-cutting\/","title":{"rendered":"Paper Cutting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Optimal place to cut<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Self-Healing Cutting Mat<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You razor-cut things on this mat, and unlike other materials it won\u2019t accumulate a field of cut marks to misguide your blade. The self-healing rubber keeps the surface uniformly smooth, clean, and firm. And protects your table. Get the largest one you have room for and can afford. A large mat also says: don\u2019t pile stuff here. \u2014 KK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Self-sharpening paper cutter<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dahle 550 Paper Cutter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until a couple of years ago I had struggled with different inexpensive paper cutters, but I kept finding myself going to Kinko\u2019s and using the cutters there. Then I got smart and jotted down the brand name, Dahle 550 Rolling Trimmer Paper Cutter, and bought one online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I appreciate most about this cutter is that I never have to change blades, or deal with dull blades, because it\u2019s self-sharpening. The steel rotary blade contained within the plastic safety housing moves across a stationary blade that extends the length of the cutting platform. This action hones the rotary blade, which remains constantly sharp. It\u2019s also set up for wall mounting, which is ideal in my home office layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the Dahle\u2019s downsides is that the plastic plate that holds the paper down got dinged up \u2014 keep away from kids \u2014 causing the blade to run off the track if I\u2019m not careful. Also, the next one I buy will be a larger model: The 550 is meant to cut up to 14 1\/8-inch paper, but it\u2019s awkward cutting anything over 8\u00d710. \u2014 Andrew Heidrich<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Better than razor blades<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fiskars Rotary Cutter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rotary cutters aren\u2019t new tools. It\u2019s just taken me awhile to appreciate how great they are. The Fiskars Rotary Cutter replaces exactos for most heavy-duty cutting jobs in our household. It\u2019s faster, surer, easier and therefore safer to use than razor blades. It will slice through paper, vinyl, cardboard, fabric, and foam board with ease and accuracy. I can only manage perfectly straight long cuts with a rotary cutter and straight edge. Cutting curves is buttery. Seamstresses can add pinking blades. The replaceable blade retracts when not in use; it can be side-switched for left-handers. When I think \u201ccut\u201d I reach for this tool. \u2014 KK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Safe paper trimmer<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fiskars Paper Trimmers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is simply impossible to make a genuine straight, right-angle cut on paper using scissors, or even a razor blade and straight edge. The old guillotine paper cutter could deliver a clean cut, but at the risk of taking your fingers away. Fiskars, the scissors makers, invented a cutter with a tiny blade mounted on a hinged holder that zips through paper without any possible harm, even to the youngest children. It\u2019s fast, accurate, and crisp. \u2014 KK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Paper scoring and folding<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bone Folder<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A classic bone folder is made of real bone, not plastic or Teflon, and resembles a fat, blunt-edged tongue depressor, rounded at one end and pointed at the other. With it, I can turn a digital print, piece of cardstock or watercolor paper into a professional-looking note or greeting card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pulling the pointed end alongside a straight edge and across the paper produces a subtle score that facilitates a perfect fold. Next, I fold the card very gently by hand along the score, and then stroke one of the short, straight sides of the bone folder along the score to flatten the rounded fold to a sharp crease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When sending a letter that I want to look good, I make two quick strokes of the folder along preliminary hand folds to create folded edges that are sharp and square. Bone folders also can be used to burnish paper as it is glued to cardstock, album or scrapbook pages. They produce accurate and sharp folds and creases on origami papers as well as facilitate sculpting, architectural modeling or bookbinding with paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recommend rubbing your bone folder with olive oil from time to time to avoid flaking or brittleness. Folders made of real bone are best, unless you wish to use a Teflon folder to avoid the slight luster sometimes created by the friction of a real bone folder. \u2014 Clifford Peterson<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Safe, quick newspaper clipper<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Single Sheet Cutter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like to clip items from the newspaper or magazines that are relevant to my clients and prospects. This tool makes that task simple \u2014 just grip between thumb and forefinger and trace the outline of the article you want to clip \u2014 you even leave the underlying pages intact! \u2014 Bruce Bradford<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Perfect for cutting rolls<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rolling Scissors<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two rotating wheels slice paper the way an open scissors does occasionally. Absolutely marvelous for cutting wrapping paper or making lots of long cuts. Also great for kids who don\u2019t quite have the coordination to use scissors well. We keep ours in the gift wrap box. \u2014 KK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Once a week we\u2019ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because\u00a0the possibilities they inspire are new.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 171<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13684,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2387],"tags":[2388],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45367"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13684"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45367"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45375,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45367\/revisions\/45375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}