Fiskars 45 mm Loop Handle Rotary Cutter

I was pleasantly surprised by how sharp this blade is! I was expecting it to be like an Olfa blade, it is much much sharper! It stops on a dime, thereby avoiding overcutting which I unfortunately find very easy to do with my Olfa rotary cutter/blade. However the rotary cutter in whole, is a bit flimsy, not as well constructed as an Olfa. It's a sacrifice of construction for blade sharpness. I'll update my review after using the blade for a while, and do a comparison with Olfa blades (which is what I've been routinely using for many years now).

I use this rotary cutter to cut fabric or embroidery stabilizer, which is essentially very thick fabric. I have had no problems with 2 layers, though 4 of fleece will not work due to the blade thickness. This came with one blade, and I got a 5 pack of new blades that have lasted me daily use for a few years. Incredibly simple to create aligned patterns vs scissors. Also much easier on your hand if you are cutting for hours at a time. Hard grippe scissors will kill my hand after about 10 minutes, but I can't remember this ever hurting my hand at all. My only gripe would be that the blade does not handle nicks at all. I dropped it on the hardwood floor twice, and both times it knicked the blade. That made the blade unusable because it would 'skip' cutting a portion on each rotation of the blade. don't drop it, and it is great. Don't skimp out and try to get cheap blades, I had horrible times with them.

I'm pretty new to fabric cutting so I don't really have anything to compare this too. My primary reason for buying this is to cut up t shirts and customize the length of jeans. The unit feels good and sturdy, fits my hand and is pretty straightforward. The enclosed blade tho is pretty weak. I was taking up a pair of jeans one leg at a time and you just can't get this thing through the inner and outer seams. I was literally sawing back an forth with it. The flat denim was a breeze and it cuts thru tshirts like butter but again it won't go thru the seams if I'm cutting off the neck of a shirt. One thing I'll add is that it tends to push fabric away from you which really really messes up a clean cutting line. I'm putting good even pressure and cutting on a self healing mat. I'll buy replacement blades and see how I get on. Maybe they just send these out with dull blades to encourage you to buy a replacement set.

I bought this rotary cutter to cut fabric on a Dahle cutting mat. The handle feels ergonomic in my small hands and comfortable to hold and use, even though it’s all hard plastic and nothing fancy. I like that you can use the hand guard to hang it up when it’s not in use. The 45 milimeter blade that comes with the cutter is very sharp, and cuts through fabrics like butter. I’ve tried it on spandex and even tougher materials like 20 gauge vinyl and cotton canvas, all without any problems. The blade extender is on the top of the unit, where your thumb naturally rests when holding the cutter, and locks into the extended cutter position with a sturdy click. The blade comes configured for a right-handed user, but if you’re a lefty, it’s easy to unscrew the blade and put it on the other side of the cutter. The blade retracter is the only thing about this cutter that’s not so ambidextrous – if you’re a righty, it feels very natural to press it with your thumb. But if you hold the cutter in your left hand, your thumb has to cross over to hit the retract button, which feels kind of awkward. If you’re right-handed (like most of us), this is definitely a good rotary cutter to start with, but if you’re left-handed, you may want to spend some more time searching for a more lefty-friendly design.

Great scissor/blade. Easily cuts through thick cardboard and cutting out various shapes. Works well where regular standard scissors were so awkward and cumbersome. Additionally, the roatary was so gentle on my hands- which remained pain free. While using regular scissors the pain was terribly as the scissors aggravated my arthritis In the worse way. I actually find myself looking for projects to use the rotary because I’m so happy with this purchase and just how easy they are to use. I highly recommend This merchandise.