NT Professional Mat Cutter,Red, 45 Degree Bevel Mat Board Cutter, 1 Cutter (MAT-45P), Aluminum Die-Cast Grip

Takes a little practice but works well & gives a good finish.I made a mess of two boards at first, but 3rd was a charm.

This cutter is sturdy and reasonably easy to control, far better than the cheaper, plastic ones. Well worth the extra money

A quality made product for sure, however trying to use it and get good results is an exercise in frustration.Trying to keep a ruler in place whilst guiding this through a mat in a straight line, without either slipping, is very difficult. You need to apply a lot of pressure, to keep both the ruler down and to push the cutter through the mat. It is so easy for the cutter to wander or the ruler to move slightly. That's all it takes to make a mess of things. Some people here have said to make a few cuts rather than try and cut through in one go, but that can leave a scruffy finish and you increase the risk of your ruler moving.I have been trying to cut mats for framing 50cm x 40cm and 70cm x 50cm pictures. I think maybe a free hand cutter just isn't up to doing ones that big. For framing smaller photo sized pictures it might be more doable as you have a much shorter distance to keep it in line, but it certainly hasn't worked for me doing the larger pictures. I have actually managed to cut 2 usable mats for framing, but they were a little rough and slightly wobbly, however that suited the pictures they were for.Overall, my advice, don't buy a free hand mat cutter. Save your pennies and put it towards one with a guide and clamp; something like the 'Logan 301-1'. A lot more expensive to be sure, but it will save you a lot of wasted time, effort and board.

There's a knack to using this cutter, so it's worth doing some test runs on spare mount board before you use it for the real pieces. It took me a few cuts to get the method and pressure to use on the cutter right. So, be patient and steadily learn how to use it properly. The blade is sharp and precise. A great tool!

This product was very disappointing for the price!!! The instructions are in Chinese. It is not easy to get a good cut by just using a ruler!!

...and I don't have it.Can't get it to cut straight. I think it needs very careful setting of the cutting depth, so you're cutting the mount card and not cutting too deeply into the mat beneath.It's hard to hold the mount, the straight edge and the tool so that nothing slips.

I used a plastic bodied cutter for years to cut mounts for my paintings but I was never really happy with it. After a recent clear out, I mislaid it so after a search on Amazon for a replacement and reading the reviews, I opted for the NT cutter. It was reasonably priced, looked very robust and had good reviews, so I went ahead and placed the order. It's much larger than my old one and takes a bit of practice to get used to it but it works very well. Cuts cleanly right into the corners and the large domed top means you can apply a bit of pressure. One thing I would suggest is make sure you have a good straight edge to guide the cutter along, preferably metal.

The main thing to remember is to use a soft cutting surface. If you use a cutting board the blade can bend off the cutting line. If you use a piece of cardboard it cuts very well.