The ChompSaw: A benchtop power tool that's safe for kids to use

Tool concept & mechanism

• ChompSaw is described as a tabletop “nibbler” / oscillating cutter for ~3mm cardboard, with the blade recessed under a puck so fingers can touch the area without injury.
• Several commenters liken it to a safe, kid-scale router table or jigsaw for cardboard: freehand curves and shapes without needing a straight guide, though not true 2D sideways motion like a router.

Safety debates

• Many appreciate a genuinely finger-safe power tool, arguing kids inevitably get careless and this lets them explore before “graduating” to dangerous saws.
• Others worry it could create a false sense that power tools are inherently safe, bypassing the crucial lesson of respecting sharp, dangerous machinery.
• Long subthread on how “safe” scroll saws and bandsaws really are: some say they rarely cause serious injuries and are safer than many kitchen knives; others insist they absolutely can maim, and complacency is the real danger.
• Concerns raised about loose hair and sleeves; defenders note oscillating motion doesn’t pull material in like rotating spindles, and the product video explicitly shows hair contact tests.

Price & value perception

• The $249 price is widely criticized as “toy priced like a real tool.”
• Comparisons: actual scroll saws, router tables, metal nibblers, or even 3D printers can cost the same or less.
• Some argue that avoiding even one serious finger injury justifies the cost; others see it as a niche, affluent-family or institutional purchase (classrooms, libraries, makerspaces).

Alternatives & comparisons

• Many suggest cheaper options: scissors, box cutters, kid-safe cardboard systems (e.g., screw-and-saw kits), X-Acto knives, coping saws, hand tools, or teaching knife use with cut-resistant gloves.
• Counterarguments: cutting corrugated cardboard—especially curves—is genuinely hard for kids with scissors, tiring, crushes the material, and can be unsafe when they use excessive force.
• Suggestions to try it on leather; others note metal nibblers or electric shears already exist for similar use.
• Some see it mainly as a way to demystify power tools for young kids who are too small or uncoordinated for “real” tools.

Practicalities, experience & waste

• Reports from owners: kids find it very fun and intuitive; one unit arrived dead and needed replacement; noise level is high enough that ear protection is recommended.
• “Nibblings” go into a bin; several note that such tiny cardboard crumbs typically aren’t accepted in municipal recycling—better treated as compost or creative “fur” for art.

Parenting, creativity & clutter

• Multiple comments focus on cardboard-building culture (often with other kid systems): huge creative upside, but leads to houses full of cherished cardboard creations and emotional battles over throwing them out.
• Debate over whether secretly discarding kids’ projects teaches unhealthy hoarding vs. whether guiding them through a full lifecycle (create–enjoy–retire) is essential.
• Broader theme: balancing real risk, meaningful hands-on making, and children’s growing independence.

Market & access

• Some see the product as an over-engineered, hyperspecific American gadget where scissors would “do,” others defend specialization as what makes it engaging and educational.
• One early backer from Mexico describes being refunded when the company pulled back from Mexican sales, expressing frustration that small US companies often ignore the Mexican market despite trade agreements.