Best Mat Cutters

[Michael Kadillak]

Who makes the best mat cutter and what model do you use?

I am not asking for the cheapest not the most expensive, just the best combination of price and functionality?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Peter Rip]

Hands down it is www.speedmat.com. Certainly not cheap. The cutter to handle 40"xanylength mats is ~$3000. But it is a sweet piece of equipment. It wall mounts. There are 4 stops; so cutting mutliple mats of the same dimensions is just zip-zip-zip-zip. Handles 4 ply and 8-ply with attachment. It has a pneumatic cutter option for real production environments (not me). It can cut glass (and I think plexi) with optional cutters, too. (Straight edge on the glass and plexi).

I love it. I got tired of fighting the tabletop variety.

[Merg Ross]

Michael, for a little less price than Peter's suggestion I can recommend the Fletcher 2100 as a fine piece of equipment. You would want to get the production stops and squaring arm if you plan to cut full sheets. Check out UMS for prices.

[Dave Schneider]

I looked at the Fletcher 2100 and decided against it. I bought the Keencut Ultimat instead. I looked first to the Keecut because it is a metal base as opposed to the Fletcher particle board base. Further investigation shows that the Keencut is less costly than the Fletcher by the time you add all the accesories that Merg mentions. The production stops, squaring arm, alignment jigs are all included with the Keencut. By the time you add all those accessories to the Fletcher you have increased the price to $300 more than the Keencut. In use the Keencut is really a dream machine as far as tabletop cutters go. Very precise cuts are possible, very repeatable and it holds alignment perfectly. I agree with Peter that the Speedmat looks to be a great product but I didn't have the space or the budget for one of those.

[Merg Ross]

Dave, my Fletcher 2100 is about four years old and steel all the way, no particle board. Perhaps the design has changed.

[David R Munson]

Well here's a very low-cost solution that is easy to use and effective as well. Got this idea from one of my professors (hope you don't mind, Bill), and having been very satisfied with the simplicity of the thing I'll likely be building my own shortly. The basic concept is illustrated in the image below.

http://www.davidrmunson.com/ref/matcutter.png

The whole thing is built on a base of plywood (3/4" I believe). The only parts to the thing other than that are a piece of stock steel (A) and two hold-down clamps (B). There are also two screws that *loosely* hold down the steel, one at each end. In use, you draw lines where you want your cuts (D) on your mat board (C), slide the mat board under the steel, line up your line with the edge of the steel, and put the pressure on with the hold-down clamps. You use the stock steel as a straightedge to guide the cutter. I cut the mats with a Logan 4000 mat cutter (about $30, available here (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=32124&is=REG)), though realistically you could do the same thing with any one of a number of cutter heads. I score the mats with one pass to keep the cuts from hooking in the corners and then do the actual cut, remove the mat, turn it 90 degrees and do the next cut.

I wouldn't even be suggesting this if it didn't work so well. It's quick, simple, accurate, and ridiculously servicable and customizable. It's also very scalable (you could build one to accomodate just about any size mat for only a marginal difference in cost). Total investment runs about $50. Sure, not a damned bell or whistle on the thing, but at around 1/60 the cost of something like the Speed-Mat, I'm not exactly going to complain.

[Mark Sampson]

Assuming you're not going into the frame-shop business, a look at the Light Impressions catalog might be in order. They show a wide variety of tools, cheap to expensive. I use a very old, worn-but-not-worn-out 40" C&H at home, and at work, a tinny copy of same made by 3M. They are nice but a straightedge and hand cutter can do very well... if you're careful.

[David Vickery]

Logan model 650 Framer's Edge. Bought new at a good price from an eBay dealer. It is super easy to use.

[Dave Schneider]

Merg, My mistake on the Fletcher being a particle board base. I remember now that I also looked at the Logan 655 which is particle board.

Dave

[Merg Ross]

Thanks, Dave, and an added thought to Michael; whatever you end up with, change blades often! They are inexpensive and sharp ones make a tremendous difference. I prefer the .015 blades.

[N Gray]

I'm very happy with my mat cutter from Lee Valley.

They have three models all shown here (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=32123&category=1,43293.).

I have the middle model (B). These are on the cheap end of the scale and not pro (or best) solutions as being described in the posts above. However mine does produce accurate cuts for small shows or one off framings. Suiting my needs well.

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Michael, I've been using a Logan (2200, I think) for close to ten years. This thing has been great. The secret, I believe, is to make sure the blades are sharp. With sharp blades, I seldom have a disappointment.

[Michael Kadillak]

Wonderful recommendations and I very much appreciate everyone taking the time to contribute. I will follow up with what I end up with after I have a chance to put the cutter through its paces. Cheers!

[Ted Harris]

Michael if you tune in again I second the votes for the C&H. I use the current series Advantage Pro 48" Looked at Logan and Fletcher and decided they just didn't do the job for me (partly a personal choice and partly how the cutter mounted). Couldn't affor the very high end so wewnt for the C&H ... the final seal on the C&H dedcisionw as their customer service which is just outstanding ... can't say anything more. There is one guy their that handles theh questions and he is patient and helpful and friendly .... name is Gritsco and hewa a large part of my final decision.

[neil poulsen]

I have a Logan, the one with the perpendicular bar with a scale on it. It's served me quite well. I picked it up at a swap meet for about $150 or so. You can get both the beveled cutter and the straight cutter.

I agree with Robert. The secret to using mat cutters is to make sure the blade is new.

[Brian Ellis]

I think it depends on why you're cutting your own mat. If it's just to display photographs at a camera club or "amateur" exhibitions I think one of the inexpensive Logans and probably other brands will do the job. However, if you plan to go into business, or if you're selling your work for relatively high prices, I'm not sure an inexpensive Logan or comparably priced other brand will do the job. I bought a Logan from Light Impressions a few years ago. Sorry I don't remember the model designation but it cost around $130 as I recall. I hated it. The main probblem for me was that it didn't have any clamps to hold the board in place, you had to do that by hand. Since you cut in the direction of the hand that was holding the board in place, I always had the feeling that with just one little mistake I'd end up slitting my wrist. The other problem was that no matter how hard I tried I seldom could get the final corner properly cut. Either I left a little too much board so that it had to be torn off, leaving an unsightly little mess, or a little too much so that it left a noticeable cut in the corner. However, I'm not real big on "do-it-yourself" stuff. I'd generally rather pay someone else to do anything that isn't enjoyable to do and I don't know that mat cutting with any tool would be high on my list of fun things to do.

[Jim Becia]

Michael,

I have been using the Fletcher 2100 for 13 years and it's still going strong. While I have never used anything else, I can vouch for it's durability and accuracy. I own a frame shop so it gets heavy use and has never let me down. Jim

[Frank Petronio]

Hi Michael, Hate to hurt the economy by suggesting that you save your money, but when I was young I worked in a frame shop and we all used inexpensive Dexter hand held mat cutters (the big curvy chrome ones) and thick beveled aluminum straight edges from Light Impressions. One or two practice cuts and you're good to go - was simple and versatile. An hour's practice and you'll have a skill for a lifetime - seems more valuable than an expensive clamping set up (and about the same failure rate). Save your money and buy more sharp blades.

[Mike Troxell]

With many places using computerized mat cutters, I normally just pay a couple of dollars more and have the mats cut. I save the initial expense of the mat cutter, the time spent cutting the mats (which I hate doing anyway), and with a computerized mat-cutter there is no such thing as an overcut mat, at least in my experience and as long as you use someone who knows how to set up the cutter. Superior Archival Materials, Inc is a good source.

www.superiorarchivalmats.com

[Paul Schilliger]

Michael,

I am not talking from my own experience here, but after I sought advice and looked at the specs of different models last year, I had decided that if I were to sell prints, I would purchase a Keencut Ultimat. The best prices I found were from
Eximvaios (http://www.eximvaios.com) but I just looked at the website and couldn't find the mat cutters any more.

[Charles Megnin]

I would recommend avoiding the Logans: mine was the 40" (model 650). The base
is made of particle board which gets warpped at any hint of humidity, including
ambient. I have had to throw away two of these in as many years and am now
switching to a Fletcher (which has a metal base).

[Frank Petronio]

When I was young I worked at Light Impressions here in Rochester; I matted prints for the Eastman House, including a set of Paul Strand's work which was a special treat. Back then I used a heavy duty, 1/4 inch thick aluminum straight edge with a beveled side and a Dexter Mat Cutter with fresh blades. I can still cut a decent mat but I need more than a few practice cuts before I regain resonable proficiency again.

Now I have an automated cutter do a perfect job. I look at the corners of every show I see - a bad habit - but the good auto cutters are far better than us mere humans.

[darr]

The Valiani Astra 120 or 150. (http://framingsupplies.com/Valiani/ValianiMatCutters.htm) I have been using a 120 for many years and still love it.

[charliegregg]

For a total amateur, your setup, David, sounds really useful.

Would you mind re-posting the picture? I think it was hosted on your web site in 1999!

Thanks,
Charlie


Well here's a very low-cost solution that is easy to use and effective as well. Got this idea from one of my professors (hope you don't mind, Bill), and having been very satisfied with the simplicity of the thing I'll likely be building my own shortly. The basic concept is illustrated in the image below.

http://www.davidrmunson.com/ref/matcutter.png

The whole thing is built on a base of plywood (3/4" I believe). The only parts to the thing other than that are a piece of stock steel (A) and two hold-down clamps (B). There are also two screws that *loosely* hold down the steel, one at each end. In use, you draw lines where you want your cuts (D) on your mat board (C), slide the mat board under the steel, line up your line with the edge of the steel, and put the pressure on with the hold-down clamps. You use the stock steel as a straightedge to guide the cutter. I cut the mats with a Logan 4000 mat cutter (about $30, available here (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=32124&is=REG)), though realistically you could do the same thing with any one of a number of cutter heads. I score the mats with one pass to keep the cuts from hooking in the corners and then do the actual cut, remove the mat, turn it 90 degrees and do the next cut.

I wouldn't even be suggesting this if it didn't work so well. It's quick, simple, accurate, and ridiculously servicable and customizable. It's also very scalable (you could build one to accomodate just about any size mat for only a marginal difference in cost). Total investment runs about $50. Sure, not a damned bell or whistle on the thing, but at around 1/60 the cost of something like the Speed-Mat, I'm not exactly going to complain.