Swingline ClassicCut Compact Guillotine Paper Trimmer

The first thing you will notice and appreciate about the Classic Cut Compact is that the base is made of a sturdy and durable plastic. A lot of paper cutters at this level seem to skimp on this detail, but the Classic Cut Compact appears to be doing what it can to give you a solid cutter in this extremely low price range.

The Classic Cut Compact has a storage tray that makes it easier to keep you supplies on hand and to store them along with the cutter itself. The cutter itself is so small that you could probably find room for it in a drawer somewhere - a big plus for small or cramped crafts rooms or offices.

For such a small machine, the cutting capacity is not bad at all at 5 sheets of 20lb paper per lift. This should be more than enough cutting power for home scrap bookers and crafters, and when coupled with the small profile and easy storability, the Classic Cut Compact makes for a good entry level guillotine cutter.

The six inch cutting length makes this a great fir if you are going to be cutting mainly smaller items such as photos, business cards, labels, and smaller pieces of paper for craft projects.

The fact that Swingline offers a one year warranty with this cutter, even though it comes in at less that twenty dollars is a nice touch.

The cutting table of the Classic Cut Compact features a handy grid and a ruler to help you make straight and accurate cuts.

The fast that this machine is a Swingline has to be considered a plus as well. This is a company that has a great reputation for making durable machines, and the have done pretty well in the case of the Classic Cut Compact of making a quality machine for a very low price.

While the cutting width of six inches is great for smaller projects, if you are cutting longer sheets on a regular basis, you will probably want to look for a larger paper cutter.

The ability to cut up to five sheets per lift is a nice feature in a machine that you can store in a drawer. You will have to consider what types of projects you will be using your paper cutter for, however, and make an honest assessment as to whether the low price makes up for its relatively low capacity.