The Best Rotary Cutters

Honey’s Heaven Rotary Cutter Set

Cuts to the quick

A complete set including a rotary cutter, replacement blades, cutting mat, and craft clips, this is the perfect package for your first rotary cutter.

Best Overall

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The Honey’s Heaven rotary cutter set is an all-in-one kit that gives you everything you need to get started. The rotary cutter uses high-quality SKS-7 steel blades with astonishing sharpness, so they’re suitable for cutting materials like denim, vinyl, and more. The kit also includes a self-healing cutting mat with a double-sided design made from a durable polymer material for accurate and safe cutting. The ergonomic handle with an adjustable screw system ensures high blade stability, giving you full control over your cutting blades for smooth operations. The set also includes five extra blades and 20 sewing clips.

Pros:

• Built-in safety lock 
• Available in three colors
• Available with three different sizes of cutting mats

Cons:

• Fabric can stick in cuts on the safety mat
• Rotary cutter finish can dull

Fiskars Crafts Rotary Cutter

Handle it

With its comfortable, ergonomically-shaped handle, this rotary cutter feels super secure in your hand.

Best Grip

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With a rotary cutter, precision is absolutely essential. That’s why we love the Fiskars Crafts rotary cutter, with its ergonomic, full-sized handle. This tool is ideal for cutting thicker materials, including foams, batting, leather, and stacked fabrics. The rotary blade can be affixed to either side of the rotary cutter, providing optimal blade visibility for both right and left-handed users. We also like the fact that the blade itself is thicker than most. It’s a precision-ground, 60-mm rotary blade with a titanium coating that’s three times harder than steel for improved durability and lasting sharpness.

Pros:

• Replacement blades available 
• Safety switch on top protects fingers
• Durable knuckle guard

Cons:

• Blade it’s shipped with can get dull in the shipping process
• The blade does not extend as far from the holder as the 45-mm version does

OLFA 45-mm Tungsten Steel Rotary Cutter

Stay sharp

Packing a quality blade and an easy-changing blade holder, this rotary cutter stays sharp with each cut.

Best Sharpness

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If you’re looking for a tool that stays sharp after multiple uses and is comfortable on the hand as well, try the OLFA 45-mm Tungsten steel ergonomic rotary cutter. The handle is curved to provide minimum wrist turns as you cut, while the raised inserts on the handle provide control and comfort. Designed for both left-handed and right-handed operation (though you must reverse the blade for left-handed use), the razor-sharp blade is engaged with an easy squeeze of the handle and retracts when not in use.

Pros:

• Easy to change the blades
• Accepts decorative-cutting blades as well
• Cuts up to six layers of fabric

Cons:

• Safety latch can get jammed during blade changes
• May only cut through three layers of thicker fabrics

OLFA Small Rotary Cutter

Cuts like a knife

This tiny blade is perfect for fine details and circular cuts.

Best For Small Cuts

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For projects that require small, precision cuts and finely-detailed work, the OLFA small rotary cutter is a dream come true. Equipped with one of the smallest rotary cutting blades available — a mere 18-mm — it’s perfect for templates, trim seams, and on applique and miniature projects. Preloaded with an RB18 stainless-steel blade, OLFA’s rotary cutter has the strength to cut thick fabrics but is small enough is to cut curved pieces for quilt projects. It’s also ideal for paper projects, as the thinner blade is less likely to crease or tear paper.

Pros:

• It is also available in packs of two, three, and five
• Blade cover for safety
• Can be used by both right-handed and left-handed people

Cons:

• Not for multi-layered fabrics
• Small cutter means small handle

OLFA Straight Handle Rotary Cutter

Get a grip

With a long, heavy-duty handle, this rotary cutter has the power to cut the toughest fabrics.

Best Straight Handle

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The OLFA 60-mm classic straight handle rotary cutter is created for your most heavy-duty projects. The durable body and handle are designed to allow maximum torque against the cutting surface, while integrated grooves in the handle help prevent fingers from slipping. Equipped with the largest blade available for a hand-held rotary cutter, it can cut up to eight layers of material in a single pass. The RB60-1 rotary blade is made from high-quality tungsten carbide and offers unparalleled sharpness and superior edge retention that’s perfect for use on cotton, wool, paper, vinyl, leather, and more.

Pros:

• Available in multi-packs
• Also comes in a 28-mm blade version
• Suitable for industrial applications

Cons:

• No quick-release blade-changing mechanism
• 60-mm replacement blades are difficult to find

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a mat for a rotary cutter?

We definitely recommend it. A rotary cutter cuts through multiple layers of fabric and a pattern without lifting the stack off the table, unlike using a pair of scissors. If you don’t place a mat under the stack of fabric, you may scratch the surface of the table underneath and dull your blade.

Can you sharpen rotary cutter blades?

Yes, you can. Though many rotary cutters come with a set of replacement blades, you can also purchase a sharpener to restore a razor-like edge. Sharpeners simply use a manual twist of the handle to create abrasion against the sharpening disk, which sharpens and smooths the blade’s edge.

How many layers of fabric can a rotary cutter cut through?

Typically, a sharp rotary cutter should be able to cut through four layers of fabric at a time. It also depends on your blade’s diameter and the thickness of the material in question — cotton will be easier to cut than leather, for example.