Pros and Cons of Scissors vs Craft Knife for Paper Cutting ~

Posted: 2012-November26-Monday,

cut paper design Pros and Cons of Scissors vs Craft Knife for Paper Cutting

scissors - pro
no cutting surface needed
easier on the hand (for me)
posture optional
doesn't tend to tear the paper
tends to bend the paper
scissors last a long time

less likely to give you a bad cut

scissors - con
harder to make inside cuts (needs a hole punch)
harder to make tiny inside cuts
a little harder to make a smooth cut line

scissors - other
tends to favor flowing designs

knife - pro
easy to make inside cuts, even tiny ones
keeps the paper flat
easy to follow a curve; can use a ruler for straight lines


knife - con
needs a cutting surface
hard on the hand (for me)
can tear the paper if knife is dull or used wrong
hard on the back if you're cutting on a table
more likely to give you a bad cut
knife blades need to be replaced often

knife - other
tends to favor controlled designs

I started out using a craft knife and made quite a few designs that way (for examples, see Stencilletta Classic in the sidebar, or my Leafy Horse design). Recently I felt the need to try scissors, and having a acquired a very nice pair, I would prefer to favor scissors and a hole punch as my tools of choice - but some cuts just want a knife! Oh, well...

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