Cut card along a plastic ruler once, then look at the ruler: a shaved notch where the blade wandered, and every line after that comes out crooked. Steel does not take that damage, which is the whole reason a metal ruler exists. It also stays flat and true — a plastic one left on a dashboard in July comes back with a curve in it — and the markings sit on a thin edge, so the line lands where the number says, not beside it.
— The Ghalyh team · How we pick
Good for
Knife-cutting card and vinyl · score lines and straight tears · workshop and drawing measurements
Not for
A small child's pencil case — it is a metal edge with weight behind it, and neither it nor the furniture survives being used as a sword. It is also no use for curves; a flexible ruler does that job.
Specifications
- Length
- 30 cm
- Material
- Stainless steel — won't warp, won't melt
- Edge
- Straight metal edge for craft-knife cuts
Questions people ask
Is it safe to cut along with a knife?
That is what it is for — but keep your fingers on the middle of the ruler, away from both ends, and run the blade along the edge in a few light passes instead of one deep one.
Does it slip on paper?
Steel on paper can slide. Press down more than you think you need to, or stick a strip of masking tape on the underside for grip.