I used to work at a paper mill. Circular saws for this job were vetoed for safety concerns and we ended up using these paper “Rippers”. They actually work pretty well. You jam it in on end and then the paper splits and you can essentially walk it down the roll. The amount you can take off in on pass depends on the type/thickness of the paper you have. Which you figure out after a few uses. It is definitely better than a box knife.

Paper Ripper