If you wield a pastry blender like a potato masher, this is not the blender for you. You have to choose the tool that will compliment your technique.You need to use a scooping, mixing motion to cut cold butter. I place my hand at the rear of the handle & tilt the mixing bowl so I'm using the rear wire radius on the side of the bowl just above the angle where the bottom of the bowl meets the side wall.Using a circular, lifting, mixing motion, almost like whisking, cuts cold butter quickly without stressing the wires out of shape. Think of using this blender as you would a sharp boning knife to slice, rather than a meat cleaver to chop.The advantage for me is the shorter radius of the blender fits easier in the smaller bowls I tend to use. The wire cutters are smooth and are easily cleaned with fingers, where the bladed cutters tend to have sharp burrs that could slice your fingers open & necessitate using a spoon or butter knife to clean the blades.True, I could easily take an ignition file to debur the cutters, but why should I? Another case of the bean counters trying to save 2 pennies per 1000 units to increase their bottom line & scrimping on fit and finish.Lastly, being frugal, this was heavily discounted at $7.00!! What's not to like?There is one downside to this blender...the wooden handle that so many praise. It is too small of calibre, and the varnished finish is too slick. I wish the handle was more substantial, with an oil finish, rectangular cross-sectioned with rounded corners and finger grooved with a stippled finish. Of course, this would increase the price substantially. Or perhaps fit an Oxo-like easy grip handle! Perhaps a future DIY project for me, if I can find the time.Again, this blender is not for everyone or every situation. I've never tried cutting frozen butter, mashing green fruits, nuts, & other firmer/tougher products. I mainly use this blender for making biscuits & pie crust for my wife and myself. For my situation, this light duty blender works just fine.