TikTok Is Obsessed With This Viral Glass Cutting Tool For Home DIY Projects
A viral glass cutter? Only on TikTok could such a thing exist. Maybe 30 years ago, stained glass hobbyists would have been writing letters to a somewhat ill-tempered publisher of a stained glass magazine based out of Boise. "What a difference this new glass cutter makes," the letter would have said, and all six subscribers would have bought one and waited anxiously six to eight weeks for it to arrive in the mail. Today, @amayajadeart's TikTok post about the ITRK glass cutter available on Amazon has made it go viral. The Camdios glass cutter has 4.1 stars and over 12,000 ratings, but many reviews are for a variation that includes a wine bottle cutter.
In her video, @amayajadeart tests the cutter on a piece of glass she's had trouble with when trying to break it cleanly on other cutters' score lines. She reports that it scores smoothly and is almost silent and that its weight helps to break the glass by tapping it. A video on the product page demonstrates using the cutter on ceramic tile. There's also a YouTube short in which @amayajadeart uses the Camdios to cut a stack of IKEA mirrors for a stained glass project, which appears to perform flawlessly. It seems to be just the tool for DIYing unique stained glass windows that will add a pop of color to your home.
Features of the Camdios ITRK glass cutter
So what makes this glass cutter special? The Camdios, referred to sometimes as an ITRK glass cutter, comes with three cutting heads (for cutting thicknesses of 2 to 6 millimeters, 6 to 12 millimeters, and 12 to 20 millimeters) and a small Phillips screwdriver for changing them. Each head has a carbide cutting wheel, and the seller touts its smooth operation. If you've added cutting oil to the handle, a mechanism releases oil when you apply pressure to keep the wheel operating fluidly. If yours doesn't come with cutting oil or a dropper, you may need to purchase these items separately.
The Camdios also functions as a bottle cutter, so it's likely suitable for some of those creative ways to upcycle your empty wine bottles as décor or to help you learn how to DIY a beautiful pendant light using upcycled glass bottles. A knurled alloy handle helps with gripping the small "pencil grip" handle, which the seller says is "ergonomically designed" and "reduces wrist fatigue." Based on reviewer comments, the cutting heads appear to swivel, which might be a feature responsible for any reduced wrist fatigue.
Customer reviews and alternatives
The Camdios seems to get better reviews from purchasers with more experience with cutting glass, which suggests there might be some amount of user error on the part of the tool's detractors. A few reviewers note that the device didn't come with a user manual, and while the product description instructs purchasers to download the manual, there doesn't appear to be a link on the Amazon product page. Five reviewers noted that the device has a swivel head. Two of these reviews were complaints, and three praised the feature. It's almost certainly best to use a straight edge when cutting straight lines with a swivel head, and the swivel should also help with etching curves.
Identical or nearly identical products appear to be widely available on Amazon for roughly the same price as the Camdios. The cutting heads tend to be branded differently, so it's hard to tell if they're all made by the same manufacturer or if some are knock-offs. A pistol-grip cutter with very similar interchangeable cutting heads is available from another company, but Amazon notes that it is a frequently returned item, so proceed with caution if this kind of handle appeals to you.