How to Know When Your Cutter Knife Needs Sharpening

challenge-paper-cutter-knife_12How to Know When Your Cutter Knife Needs Sharpening

Sharp knives result in better cuts. Frequent sharpening helps your cutter knives perform at their best. As a rule of thumb, your cutter knife needs to be sharpened around every 2,000 to 5,000 cuts.

Here are a few telltale signs that it’s time to sharpen your knives:

  • The knife hesitates or stalls while making a cut.
  • The sheets are not all cut to the same length (usually the top few sheets are longer than the rest of the sheets – this is sometimes called “draw”).
  • Cut marks appear on the paper’s cut face.
  • The profile of the cut (side view) is not perpendicular to the table.
  • The cut does not appear straight when viewed from the top.
  • The knife makes a “rougher” sound as it passes through paper.
  • Nicks are visible on the cutting edge of the knife.

The Challenge Advantage

At Challenge Machinery, our goal is to design, manufacture, and market equipment that adds value to your customers’ printed products. We offer drills, paper cutters, book trimmers, cornering machines, and other print finishing equipment that can improve your customers’ productivity and make their lives easier.

Contact Mid-State Litho, Inc. if you have any questions about a specific product at 1-800-343-4231 or email us at sales@midstatelitho.net.

Visit us on the web at midstatelitho.com


Mid-State Litho, Inc.
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
midstatelitho.com