Whats the difference between a tangential cutter and a drag knife cutter?
A drag (or swivel) knife cutter literally drags the leading edge of the knife around and pivots on the point of the knife to go around corners. On a tangential cutter the blade is steered by two bearings inside a special nose piece. To negotiate corners the blades lift, turns, returns to the vinyl, and then cuts in the new direction. This is a far superior method for materials like rubylith, or jobs that involve large amounts of small lettering on self-adhesive vinyl. A Summagraphics drag knive cutter can exert 400g down pressure, a tangential 600g so it is particularly appropriate for reflective materials, especially Class 1.
