Randi's Review	Sarah's Review	Rachel's Review	Cathy's Review	Kathleen's Review

Review by Randi

A paper trimmer is, in my opinion, a very basic first purchase for a scrapbooker. I have been frustrated for years with the trimmers I have owned because of their inability to cut straight. A paper cutter that could consistently cut straight has been on my wish list for a very, very long time. I have kept my eye on the market and tried out various new ones in hopes that it would be "the one." Honestly, I had all but given up hope that my dream trimmer existed. Then I came upon the Tonic-Studios booth at CHA. Tonic Studios is fairly new to the USA, but has been around in the UK for a few years. Ok, I will admit that the charming British accent caught my attention before the trimmers, but Simon's demo of the trimmers soon had my full attention. I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of these trimmers at home to see if it REALLY works as well as we were shown in the demonstration.

Shortly after CHA our team received the trimmers. I have been working with mine, pretty much on a daily basis, for over three months and I LOVE it! At last, a paper trimmer that actually cuts straight EVERY TIME unless I make a mistake! Introducing my "dream trimmer!"

I have the 12" Large Base Guillotine from Tonic Studios. It comes with a FIVE YEAR guarantee against defects from faulty materials or workmanship. Now THAT is a company that backs their product! It is labeled for use from vellum to cardstock, but I have cut everything from vellum to cardboard with mine to test it out. It consistently gives a clear and even cut. The "secret" to the straight cut every time is the paper holding bar. It may take a little while to become used to pressing this orange bar each time to cut, but it quickly becomes routine.

At first glance the Large Base Guillotine may cause you to think a couple of things:

1. It looks dangerous! and

2. It will take up too much room on my scrapping desk.

1. Yes, it is a substantial blade! Let me share a story of my stupidity and how I tested out the safety of the blade. The Large Base Guillotine comes with the handle stored underneath the base. When I put it on, I totally forgot about that BIG BLADE in my excitement to try this, and grasped it with one hand, put the Kushgrip handle on with the other than RAN MY HAND down the blade to try to apply more pressure to put on the handle. When I realized what I had done I was thinking, "Oh great....stitches." Nope.....just a small paper-like cut on my thumb! I was amazed!!!! I do not recommend testing out your blade like this. Let my paper-cut and stupidity demonstrate that the blade really isn't dangerous!

2. Yes, this trimmer is BIG! I chose the Large Base because of the grid system and ease of measuring. I hated pulling out the ruler on my old trimmer. There is no need for this with the Large Base Guillotine because a full 12" ruler is built into the cutting surface! I love the grid system on it which shows me at a glance if I have the paper lined up straight in all directions. I guard carefully what is worthwhile to keep on my desktop, and this is a keeper! If you feel you don't have the space, evaluate again. I don't regret the large space allotted for my trimmer!

Another unexpect benefit of my "dream trimmer" is that this trimmer saves me time. How? I am a scrapping slob. That is just a fact. In the past I was always losing my trimmer underneath a stack of paper or embellishments. I have NEVER lost this trimmer on my desk. I DID lose my keys once UNDER it, so take care where you set it down!

The trimmer blades are made of hardened stainless steel precision ground blades. One does not replace the blades as is customary on other trimmers. I asked the owner, Steve, how often one might need to replace their trimmer. Mine gets HEAVY use. Since he doesn't know of anyone who has had the need to replace their trimmer due to dull blades, he wasn't able to give a precise answer. The trimmers have been on the market in Europe for about three years and this has not been an issue. Why? The blades designed to try and keep the edges realigned. As you open/close the trimmer you can hear the two blades running against each other. This helps to keep the edge of each blade stay sharp. It does not actually sharpen the blades, rather it helps keep the edges in alignment and minimizes the possible "rounding off" which could lead to dull blades.

What else might cause the Guillotine to develop dull blades? Adhesive residues! If you gum up this trimmer it will not cut properly. Be sure to clean your blades with UnDu or a similar product when cutting papers that have adhesive already on them.

Like anything new, I had to get used to new "landmarks" on where to cut my paper so that my mats were the same width all the way around, etc. I recommend that you use this trimmer sitting down. It was much easier for me to see WHERE to cut when I viewed it at eye level as opposed to standing above it.

I cannot recommend this trimmer highly enough. Unless I place the paper on it crookedly, IT WILL CUT STRAIGHT EVERY TIME! I absolutely love my Large Base Guillotine and refuse to buy any cutting tool now unless it has the Tonic-Studios name on it! Depending on where you purchase this trimmer it sells in the neighborhood of $50 and it is worth every penny.

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Review by Sarah

Tonic Studios Small Base Guillotine Paper Trimmer: Serious Paper Trimming with Personality

I started out with a love-hate relationship with my paper trimmer. The lovable things are truly and sincerely wonderful. And if the truth be known, the hate-able things boil down to a combo of mechanical quirks and my own cloddishness, clashing in fits of frustration. Nevertheless, thanks to unique design, quirky function, and best-friend-style dependability, Tonic Studios Guillotine Paper Trimmer has gone way beyond the status of “tool” in my scrapbooking world. This machine has personality. And anything with this much personality deserves a name. ScrapFriends, may I introduce Blakeney.

I knew there would be something different about this trimmer the moment I received it. I mean, anything that comes in a box emblazoned with the term “guillotine” in the title has got to be something unusual! Sure enough, when I took away the box and clapped eyes on Blakeney for the first time… well… let’s say it was not love at first sight. Take a look at this massive, 12 ½” stainless steel blade! In a word, I was intimidated. I may be the world’s biggest klutz and I just knew I was going to somehow decapitate myself a-la the original Guillotine!

http://www.knightsedge.com/medieval-weapons/medieval-guillotine.htm Guillotine photo from knightsedge.com

The good news is that scary as it looks, this blade is not really very sharp of its own merit. I suppose it would be possible to cut yourself if you tried, but the point is that you would have to try. It really isn’t going to chop you to pieces out of spite (or even your own ineptness). Even better news is that the extra ½” on the blade makes it easy to slice off “cut-off strips” identifying the paper’s manufacturer, or trim down oversized 12” x 12” paper.

As I learned that this trimmer really isn’t as frightening as it appears, I settled on naming it “Blakeney” in honor of a character from my favorite book, The Scarlet Pimpernel. The fictitious story is set during the French Revolution when the guillotine was in excessive use to behead French Royalists; and Sir Percy Blakeney is a “personality” type character who, through much of the story, leaves you wondering whether he’s brilliant, lovable, or just plain stupid. At this point, I didn’t know which would end up the true character of my trimmer, but Blakeney was christened with some Making Memories stickers, and his “personhood” irrevocably established.

The best and worst thing about Blakeney is the guillotine blade. Period. With it, I have cut paper and cardstock into strips a miniscule 1/16” wide - absolutely incredible! Blakeney, like all Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmers, has a precise metal ruler at the top as well as a ½” etched grid all over the base surface, making cutting by measurement a cinch.

On the other hand, it’s tricky figuring out just where to place the paper in order to “eyeball it” when cutting mats or cropping photos. I just can’t seem to get the knack of it, which is extremely frustrating to me. I’m constantly craning my neck down and around Blakeney’s raised blade, which gives me such an eerie feeling of doom.

Blakeney is also pretty big. He’s supposed to be the “portable” version of the Tonic trimmer, and even though you can remove the handle and ruler extension piece to reduce the size, let me tell you that Blakeney is not the kind of guy you just drag along for a ride. He doesn’t fit in a typical small rolling scrap bag, even in his “compact” form. In fact, he doesn’t even fit anywhere in my scrapping area. I have to keep him on top of the toy dresser, which puts him at a rather inconvenient waist-height. But this trimmer really needs a good, solid surface to sit on, because when you crop with Blakeney, it’s because you mean business about your cropping. This is no rinkydink personal trimmer that you toss in your bag – this is a serious-about-cutting guillotine!

Similarly, because Blakeney is not the typical personal trimmer type, you need to take your time when using this blade. Precise equipment demands precise workmanship, and Blakeney is no good at cropping in a hurry. You need to make sure that the paper is exactly lined up with the top leading ruler edge, and that you are pressing the paper down firmly with the clear, orange presser piece. Bring the blade down slowly and carefully to ensure the paper does not slip around. Also, if you have a tendency to cut through materials with adhesive on them, make sure to use some Un-Du adhesive remover to clean the blades as soon as they start to get gummed up, as this stickiness will mess up the cutting ability of the trimmer. Just like the book Blakeney… if you treat him poorly, he’ll deliver poor results back to you.

In spite of my frustration with his quirks, Blakeney conquers all with his incredible ability to cut straight, and cut straight a variety of weights and textures. Yes, I have to work a little more slowly than I would like. Yes, he’s not at all conveniently portable and I had to confiscate the top of my son’s toy chest. And I still can’t figure out the whole “eyeball it” thing. But the day I was truly won over to Blakeney was the day I needed a silver mat and was out of metallic paper. I went to the cupboard and hauled out some Reynold’s Wrap aluminum foil, which I have used previously in emergency situations such as this, and which I have never had satisfactory success at trimming. Need I tell you that Blakeney managed to cut my Aluminum Foil mat not only straight, but without the nicks, puckers or creases I’ve always ended up with previously? I was flabbergasted and ultimately impressed. It is POSSIBLE to cut straight cuts with Blakeney. How refreshing – a paper trimmer that actually cuts, cuts straight, and cuts well? In fact, if I’m not careful, Blakeney shows me up because my papers ARE cut straight, but I glue them down a little crookedly!

Title:A lovely, straight, aluminum foil mat adds the perfect touch to this page!
Materials Used:
Pebbles Inc. (Baby Boy Circle/Stripe Paper)
Prism (Prismatics Cardstock: White, Sunflowers Light)
Reynold’s Aluminum Wrap (Aluminum Foil)
Pebbles Inc. (I kan’ dee: Eyelet Brads - Blue)
Pebbles Inc. (Baby Boy Strips – Cardstock Stickers)
Rubber Stampede (Butterfly Stamps)
Jacquard (Pearl Ex Stamp Pad: Essential Color Black)
Adhesive Tech (Permanent Glue Runner)

Frog Tag by Randi:
Glossy Photo Paper, HP
Black Ink, Jacquard Pearl Ex Stap Pad
Adirondack Alcohol Inks, Ranger
Silver Metallic Leafing Pen, Krylon
Fibers
Eyelet

I’ve never had a tool before that frustrated me so completely, but in the end charmed me so much. Sure, I may gripe about his quirks, but really I begin to suspect that he just might be the best thing to hit my scrapping world. What Blakeney delivers in precise quality is definitely worth the relatively minor inconveniences that go along with learning to use a new tool with its own techniques.

In Summary: The Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmer is an absolutely essential tool for any serious scrapbooker. With an imposing 12 ½” lift-and-chop, stainless steel blade, this trimmer can cut precisely through a variety of materials including cardstock, paper, vellum, aluminum foil and Magic Mesh. The blade takes a bit of getting used to and can be frustrating until the technique is mastered, but delivers the ultimate in quality cutting and trimming. A tool with personality because of its unusual blade and exact techniques for use, the Tonic Guillotine Paper Trimmer is sure to make an impression on you. Highly recommended.

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Review by Rachel

I was enthralled when Randi, Kathleen and I watched the demonstration at the Tonic Studios booth at CHA in Chicago. Yes, the accent of the gentlemen doing the demonstration may have had something to do with it. So, when I found out that we were going to be reviewing this company I was ecstatic. Tonic Studio was started in 2001. They started their business in the United Kingdom and then brought it to the United States.

I have been looking for a trimmer for five years now. I have never been completely satisfied with any trimmer I have bought. I wouldn’t get straight cuts no matter how hard I tried, the paper would tear at one end even though I had just replaced the blade or it was just not easy to use. Some trimmers are actually shorter than 12” and that can cause problems also. I am sure you have had your own issues with trimmers and commiserate with me. Well, let me tell you something. I have found THE PERFECT TRIMMER!! I found it! I found it! I found it! You understand my excitement, don’t you?

Let me tell you about my new favorite trimmer! I was sent the Guillotine Paper Trimmer 12” with large 12” base. Yes, the Guillotine!! I bet you won’t forget that name! Actually, all of the paper trimmers are called the Guillotine. These paper trimmers come in four different sizes. I will be talking about the 12” Guillotine with the 12” large base (model no. 454). Ok, here is all the technical jargon. It is a table top trimmer. It cuts paper up to 12 inches x 12 inches. The trimmer measures 13.4 inches wide x 18.2 inches long. It has a measuring grid and comes with a 5 year guarantee. This trimmer will cut anything from cardstock to vellum. It has hardened stainless steel blades for long lasting cutting. The handle itself stores on the bottom of the trimmer. There is also a handle on the bottom for carrying purposes. It has a safety paper clamp that clamps down on the paper but also protects your fingers from the blades. This trimmer retails for $48.90 online. I have seen it online for as low as $38.70.

When I first received my trimmer, I sat at my kitchen table and started playing. I put the handle on, I unscrewed the safety paper clamp and screwed it back on and then I cut paper from velvet paper to vellum. I even cut a thin sheet of wood veneer with it and worked perfectly. This trimmer is so lightweight. You are able to move it easily with just one hand. It is so cool. It looks like it would be heavy but it is not. Well, I do most of my scrapping at night as I am sure most of you do also. I was scrapping late one night and finished up and went to bed. Yes, I left the trimmer out on the kitchen table where my 4 year old could get to it. My husband was upset at me until he sat down and played with the trimmer as well. I told him to run his hand over the blade and he looked at me like I was trying to kill him. LOL! So I took the trimmer and ran my finger over the blade to show him that it was safe. Okay, any other trimmer would hurt you if you did that but this trimmer does not. It is so amazing. I feel totally comfortable allowing my 4 year old to use it with my supervision, of course.

Another reason that this trimmer is my favorite is the fact that this trimmer can trim vellum without tearing or curling of the paper. It cuts a clean, straight cut every single time.

Tip: When using this trimmer, be sure to push down the safety paper clamp every time or your paper will slip and you won’t get a straight cut. This will take some getting used to but once you have the hang of it, it will become second nature to just hold it down.

This trimmer is easily cleaned with soap or water, baby wipes or even just a tiny bit of Un-du if you end up getting adhesive every where like I do. You can even clean the blades and under the safety paper clamp just by unscrewing the screws that hold the clamp down. So user friendly!!

In conclusion, I am NEVER going back! This trimmer is the absolute best trimmer I have ever used. This trimmer is so worth the price! So all you have to do is pick one of the four trimmers that fits you best and enjoy your scrapbooking experience without frustration. Well, at least no frustration that your trimmer has caused. I HIGHLY recommend this trimmer for all scrapbookers, paper artists, or even home offices. I know you will enjoy this product as much as I have!

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Review by Cathy

Tonic Studios has a really wonderful 12" trimmer. The trimmer is slightly larger and bulkier to carry than a standard 12 inch paper trimmer but is definitely a step above. The Tonic Trimmer is definitely the Cadillac of paper trimmers. The base is sturdy; the handle has a comfortable cushion; and the blade cuts straight. When my Tonic Studio trimmer arrived I had some very easy assembly to do. The directions were clearly written and I could easily figure out how to use it. The trimmer has a plastic paper clamp which holds the paper in place while the blade cuts the paper. I really liked this feature. The measuring arm attaches for accurate measurement and then can be removed and stored under the base of the trimmer.

Tonic Trimmers are ideal for scrapbooking; card making; and papercrafting. The Tonic trimmer has stainless steel precision ground blades that give a perfectly straight clean cut for up to 5 pieces of cardstock at one time. I have been using my Tonic Trimmer for several months and can give it my highest recommendation. It is definitely the best paper trimmer I have tried and I have confidence that you will definitely love it also.

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Review by Kathleen

I first laid eyes on Tonic Studios 12" Portable Trimmer at the Craft and Hobby Association tradeshow last July. At first glance, these trimmers reminded me of the old, paper cutters that were common place in school craft areas. I believe I even made a comment about how they looked like they could take off little fingers with ease. Now, I have two curious toddlers and I just couldn’t imagine having a paper cutter in my home.

Luckily I didn’t walk away before listening to the representative for Tonic Studios tell me and my companions about this product. In ten minutes he dispelled all my pre-conceived notions about these trimmers:

All paper cutters are heavy. False! The 12" Portable Trimmer is surprisingly lightweight and weighs about 1 1/2 pounds. Very easy for transportation. This trimmers weighs slightly more than a standard rotary trimmer.

All paper cutters are bulky. False! The extendible measuring handle and blade handle both detach and store neatly underneath the trimmer. This is a great feature as it does not take up a lot of work space.

All paper cutter blades are dangerous. False! Sure the paper cutters back "in the day" could lob off a small child’s arm, but the 12" Portable Trimmer’s blade won’t even make a scratch. I tested that out for myself at the tradeshow .

Now, while all the above features are great, my favorite feature is the ability to cut very small strips of paper. One of my pet peeves in scrapbooking is when 12"x12" papers don’t match up and there is an overhang of paper. I have tried to cut that edge away with my rotary trimmer, only to take off more than I wanted because I couldn’t get a small enough cut. And I have tried scissors only to end up with a crooked edge. With Tonic Studio’s 12" Portable Trimmer, I am able to trim those edges with ease. I love that! Below is a sample of just how thin you can trim the paper, including vellum.

Title:"Sample of trimmed paper with Tonic Studios 12" Portable Trimmer"

Another handy feature is the ability to cut through several sheets of paper at one time. The number of sheets depends on the thickness of your paper of course, but I have successfully cut through (in one shot) three sheets of Prism cardstock, which is a fairly thick cardstock. And here is the important part, the edges are clean - every time.

Combined with all the features mentioned above, the Tonic Studios 12" Portable Trimmer is sturdy and well constructed. The body of the trimmer is plastic and the blade is stainless steel. There is also a finger guard feature that allows you to safely hold your paper in place to prevent slipping.

I really love my trimmer and find myself using it more and more each day. The only time I go to my old rotary cutter is when I want to cut into a piece of paper only part way and not through the entire sheet. The blade on the Tonic Studio’s 12" Portable Trimmer does not allow for precision cutting, at least that I have been able to figure out.

I do however recommend this tool highly. It is excellent for cutting through one or several sheets of paper with a perfect, straight cut each time. It cuts vellum with ease and it is very easy to work with. I have found myself cutting things up in no time.

If you are looking for a paper cutter with some real "wow power", definitely take a look at Tonic Studio’s 12" Portable Trimmer.

For more information visit Tonic Studios