[Wendell]

I sometimes cut and bind small sheets of heavy paper to make a disposable, mini notebook. Recently, I got a small corner rounder to see if it made a worthwhile difference. I was actually surprised at how much rounding improved ease of use for something to be put in the pocket.

There are a variety of brands and sizes available, but they can be hard to find and it may not be obvious what size you should choose. So I've tried to compile a useful guide.

Corner rounders are sized by the radius of their cut. These are the common sizes:

1/8 inch (3.5 mm) -- This is the size of the corner on your credit card. The only punches I have found in this size are heavy-duty ones for trimming laminated ID cards. The cheapest one I know of is the Brady Corner Rounder.

3/16 inch (5 mm) -- I see this on some small Moleskine notebooks and the small Pen & Ink Sketch. The Creative Memories Corner Maker small is also widely sold in the USA as the Angle Eater and in Europe and Asia under many different brands. The direct order company Stampin' Up also has a 3/16" punch.

1/4 inch (6.5 mm) -- I see this on other small (and large) Moleskine notebooks and small sketchbooks. Maybe the best 1/4" punch is the EK Success Paper Shapers small.

5/16 inch (8 mm) -- I saw this on the large Moleskine sketchbook. I can't find a cheap cutter in this size.

3/8 inch (9.5 mm) -- Haven't seen this used on serious stationery, but it might look OK with letter-sized sheets. The Marvy Uchida is sometimes advertized as 1/4", but I measure it as 3/8". There is also the Angle Eater large in 10 mm. Both are highly rated by users.

1/2 inch (12.5 mm) -- Strictly for arts & crafts. It also seems to be the most popular size in craft stores. The Paper Shapers medium is 1/2".

There are some by Fiskars, but I've heard only bad things about their quality and durability, so I'll say no more. There is also one by Carl, which is advertized as a 1/4" cut, but I haven't seen one.

Finally, all the punches I've tried make clean cuts, but you need to spend some time practicing on scrap paper before attacking something you care about.

[Zoe]

I have the Carl on my desk right now. It's held up well after about 4 or 5 years.

Zoe

[Miranda]

Thanks for that information, Wendall and Zoe. I've been contemplating whether i needed one. seems it would be useful. [I make spiral bound journals/notebook.]

[Italicist]

How intriguing. I hadn't known that such a useful tool existed. Thanks for the details.

[Wendell]

Note: I've found that the 3/16" punch advertised by Stampin' Up is actually the 1/4" punch from EK Success in a different color of casing. Just an honest mistake, I guess. Those two sizes are very close.

So, the only option for that size is the 5 mm punch which is sold under many brand names around the world.