Paper Cutters: How to Keep their Blades Sharp and Reliable

Paper cutters are some of the most convenient tools for trimming documents and polishing printed materials. They come in various sizes and different sheet capacities, so you’ll always have something to choose from whether you need a tool to cut a single, a few sheets, or a voluminous stack of paper.

Purchasing a paper cutter is also easy. You can get one from your local art store or even buy from your favorite shop online. But as easy as getting a paper cutter is, maintaining its quality and reliability is a different story.

In fact, although paper cutters are not designed to be disposable pieces of equipment, the difficulty of keeping their blades sharp leads many to just dispose of them once their cutting capacity turns dull. To keep you from this problem, here are a few things you can consider:

Manual Sharpening

There are a few ways to manually sharpen your paper cutter. Of course, doing this is much easier if you’re using a student-grade cutter like what is often seen in schools and some offices. However, this isn’t so easy nor safe for stack cutters and paper guillotines.

To do manual sharpening, you can use your cutter to cut through sandpaper repetitively. Sandpapers help sharpen dull blades and smoothen out nicks. You can also use aluminum foil; fold a piece of aluminum foil several times till you have a thick layer. Once it’s ready, use your cutter to cut through it repetitively. Be sure to wipe your paper cutter blades afterwards to clean away small pieces of sandpaper or foil.

For paper guillotines and other long types of blades, you can use a grinder or stone. Note, however, that there’s a huge downside with manual sharpening: it can lead to uneven sharpness. Some parts of your blade can become sharper than the rest, which can lead to messy cuts.

Professional Services

Seeking professional help is a better option if you use your cutter to produce commercial or job-related documents requiring flawless cuts. To do that, you can start by asking peers or researching sharpening services near you. Letting experts do the job can save you from damaging your blades instead of sharpening them. Plus, this can also end up to be less expensive than choosing to DIY then asking help when something turns out wrong.

Opt for Self-sharpening Blades

To make paper cutters more convenient to use, some manufacturers use a self-sharpening technology which makes blades sharper the more you use them. Dahle cutters, for instance, are made with this technology and have become some of the top cutter choices today. Opting for self-sharpening blades eliminates the need for too much maintenance and also cuts down costs in seeking and availing professional sharpening services. These blades are some of the latest innovations in the paper-handling industry, and they’re now being used in different kinds of cutting tools.

To keep your cutter’s blade sharp and reliable, be sure to consider these choices. The first two are best if you already have a cutter while the third is a good piece of advice if you’re looking to buy a new one.

For more info, visit this page.