Looking for an adequate paper-trimmer

[Robert McClure]

I thought I'd toss out the following question to the group to get your thots and comments:

I'm getting my darkroom set up and am now at the trimmer stage. My primary need for starters will be to cut down 20x24 paper to get 3-out 8x20 for contact printing. I don't enlarge. My trimmer must therefore take up to 20" wide, or maybe 24" or 28" to be on the safe side and to have breathing space. The blades on the rotary trimmers all seem to be self-sharpening. Am I taking all this in correctly?

Anyone use any of the trimmers listed at the below link? I assume this company's array of 6 or so represents basically what's available in the size I need. I am not so much trying to save a nickel
as I am wanting to have an adequately user-friendly, semi-idiot-proof device that I won't have to end up selling on Ebay 30 days later as "minty." You get my point.

Many Thanks!!

http://www.machinerunner.com/ManualRotaryPaperTrimmers1624/Dahle552.html

[Oren Grad]

I just faced a similar issue - I needed a way to cut paper up to 16x20, into a variety of shapes and sizes. I find guillotine cutters more versatile and easier for that sort of use, so I got one of these instead:

www.machinerunner.com/GuillotinePaperTrimmers1725/GBCIngento1162ClassicMapleSeriesPaperTrimmer.html (http://www.machinerunner.com/GuillotinePaperTrimmers1725/GBCIngento1162ClassicMapleSeriesPaperTrimmer.html)

Just wrestled it out of the box and lugged it down to the darkroom last night, in fact...

[Al Seyle]

In my experience, guillotines tend to cut in a slight curve and to make the paper move slightly while cutting--not a good thing. Rotary trimmers cut straighter and with better accuracy. I am very happy with my Rotatrim Master II from Calumet. The throat is 26.5 inches. It has two guide bars for better rigidity than one.

[Henry Friedman]

I second Al's recommendation of the Rotatrim Mastercut. It's tough enough to cut 4 ply matboard, yet accurate enough to trim a mm from a print or sheet of film. And they come in a variety of lengths. They're not inexpensive, though.

[Oren Grad]

I have a big Rotatrim too, and for some purposes it's great. I've just found from experience that a guillotine is much easier for my usual darkroom tasks. I've not had a problem making straight cuts with paper using a guillotine, although I have with sheet film. On those rare occasions when I cut down sheet film I would use a rotary trimmer.

[Conrad Hoffman]

I've used both but ended up with a guillotine for cost reasons. Hint- keep a piece of wood about an inch wide next to the blade. Use it to hold the paper down as you cut- no more slippage or curved edges. If I were buying a cutter now, I'd probably go with a rotary. OTOH, if you cut a lot of paper at a time, there are the big Seybold cutters...

[Ed Sandifer]

I couldn't find a Rotatrim in my price range and instead purchased a Keencut which has been working extremely well in my small photo business for the past three years. It is capable of very small and precise trims and seems to be just as sharp today as when new.

[Todd Schoenbaum]

I found a Dhale rotary trimmer (model 444) at a good price, and although it does a nice job of holding the paper in place while cutting, the pressure bar tends to dent the paper a bit. I probably wouldn't buy another Dhale.

[robert_4927]

A 39" and an 18" Ingento guillotines. They're both about 25 years old and still work great.

[Paul Butzi]

A short while before I bought my paper trimmer, I visited the darkroom of a good friend. He had one of the guillotine style cutters, complete with a fancy guard. When I asked him how he liked it, he commented that he called it the 'finger trimmer', and showed me a scar on the forefinger of his right hand.

I commented that it must have really hurt, and replied that what had really hurt was that he had bled all over a $100 stack of 16x20 Ilfochrome.

I bought a rotary style cutter (a Rotatrim). I've been pretty happy with it, and haven't cut myself.

[Robert McClure]

Thanks, guys, for your wonderful input! I love it!

I will continue to research a bit more the Rotatrims, and, as a card-carrying Obsessive-Compulsive, vow to continue the search as though the fate of Western civilization, as we now know it, rested upon my trimmer choice. (Sorry, I learned from my dad that when I did things exhaustively well I was "good.") Ha, ha! God, I love this photography stuff!

[Richard Schlesinger]

On the other hand; I've had a Nikor
(probably not made anymore) for about 40 years (a rotary) and it is ok except it does not seem happy with heavy (4 ply) board. Then on the other hand (the one cut off with the guillotine . . .

[Christian Olivet]

Robert, I noticed there is a company selling Rotatrims in all sizes at really good prices on ebay.com. Just search Rotatrim and it will come up. I definetly need one but I am afraid of spending money. Can't get out of broke! :)