In order to cut the binding off of books for scanning, I have needed a stack cutter for a long time, but couldn't afford one. I took a chance on this, thinking that the price made it a low risk purchase, but because of the low price I also had low expectations. Wow! Was I suprised at how well this worked. I've cut the binding off of three books to scan them, one was over 400 pages, and it cuts through the stacks easily and precisely. This exceeds my expectations in every way. The "clamp" holds papers in place well and is easily tightens down with the substantial "wings" that give you plenty of leverage.