Greetings, crafty citizens! With the recent release of the "Napoleon" movie, it's the perfect time to reminisce and fete the fact that guillotine paper cutters (and their namesakes) are now, thankfully, relics of the past.
French Revolution: The Guillotine's Grisly Beginning
As we all learned sometime between 6th & 12th grade, the guillotine was originally designed for, ahem, less artistic endeavors. What you may not have learned is the original device was quite the "cutting-edge" technology during the French Revolution. What you definitely didn't learn is it was first proposed to the French government as a more humane means of execution in 1789 by a Doctor Guillotin,
who was opposed to and trying to abolish capital punishment, and built a few years later by a German named Tobias Schmidt. It made its infamous debut in 1792, and the rest is history. We're actually closer to this period than you may think, as the last guillotine execution in France took place in 1977!
Crafting Revolution: Madame La Guillotine Begets the Guillotine Paper Cutter
In the meantime, the guillotine concept found a home in a seemingly unlikely place- the crafting world. To whichever degree, the device became the inspiration for a paper cutting instrument for hobbyists and professionals alike when French inventor Guillaume Massiquot created and patented a paper cutter modeled after it, proving that even the most macabre origins can take a creative turn. Yet although paper trimming improved, craft cuts still weren't very precise, and fingers (big and little) were still subject to a "reign of terror."
Precision Plus: La Vie Crafting En Rose
Thankfully, after centuries of unnecessary, wonton carnage, Kelly Thompson finally came along with a "revolutionary" take on paper cutters, now a far cry from their historical ancestor, and CutterPillar was born.
With precise measurements and sleek designs, our modern, safe, cute, self-sharpening paper cutters are the unsung heroes of the crafting realm. No longer associated with hair-raising
tales, they're now a symbol of precision, efficiency, and fun!
Regardless of whether you embark on the cinematic journey with Napoleon, take a moment to appreciate the quirky path that paper cutters have traversed. From their ominous beginnings and less than stellar cutting abilities, to now being safe, indispensable tools in the world of crafting, thanks to CutterPillar...these cutting companions have truly reinvented themselves.