A paper cutter (also known as a paper cutter, and commonly misassigned as a "paper cutter") is a tool often found in offices and classrooms, designed to cut a large set of paper at a time with a straight row. Paper cutters, similar to those of today, were patented in 1844 and 1852 by Guillaume Massiquot. They have existed since the late 1830s, when, in 1837, Thirault built a model with a fixed blade to a flat surface. Since the mid-nineteenth century, Fomm and Krause of Germany, Furnival in England and Oswego and Seybold in the United States have improved considerably.
Paper cutters vary in size, usually about 30 centimeters (1 foot) long on each side for office work to 841 millimeters (33.1 inches) (a paper edge A1) in design workshops. The surface will usually have a grating painted or inscribed on it, often in half-inch increments, and may have a ruler across the top. At the very least, it must have a flat edge against which the user can align the paper at right angles before passing it under the blade. It is usually relatively heavy, so it will remain stable during use.
On the right edge is a long curved steel blade, often called a knife, attached to the base in a corner. Larger versions have a strong compression coil spring as part of the attachment mechanism that pulls the knife against the stationary rim when the knife is pulled down to cut the paper. The other end of the blade unit is a handle. The stationary right edge of the base is also steel, with an exposed, finely-ground edge. When the knife is pulled down to cut the paper, the action resembles that of a pair of scissors, only instead of two blades move with each other, one is stopped. The combination of a blade mounted on a stable base produces clean and straight cuts, such as those that would otherwise require a ruler and a razor blade to achieve on a single page. Paper cutters are also used to cut sheet metal, cardboard and plastic. The sheet in a paper cutter is made of steel which makes it almost impossible to break.
A variant design uses a wheel-shaped blade mounted on a sliding shuttle attached to a rail. This type of paper cutter is known as a rotary paper cutter. The advantages of this design include being able to make corrugated cuts, perforations or simply mark uncut paper, with the use of several circular sheets. It is also almost impossible for the user to cut, except when changing the blade. This makes it safer for home use. Higher versions of rotary paper cutters are used to precisely cut the paper and are popular for cutting photos.
An even simpler design uses double-edged blades that do not rotate but cut like a razor. Although it is cheaper, this design is not preferable for serious work due to its tendency to tear paper and poor performance with thick media.
