MyBinding Knowledge Base
Comparing the Three Dahle Craft Trimmers
If you are in need of a new rotary trimmer for personal use, you might want to take a look at Dahle craft trimmers. These trimmers are high-quality products that are great for all kinds of personal use, especially craft projects such as greeting cards, scrapbooks, and so on. Dahle manufactures three different craft trimming products: the Card Maker, the Trim Ruler, and the Personal Trimmer Kit. This article will compare and contrast these trimmers so you can decide which one would be right for you.
The Card Maker and Trim Ruler are two very similar gadgets that can help make crafting more enjoyable. Both of these rotary trimmers can trim items that are up to 13 inches long and they’re lightweight which makes transporting them easy. Both of these cutters have a self-healing cutting mat and they can trim up to three sheets of paper at a time. So while they’re not good for heavy-duty cutting, they are perfect for crafts. Each trimmer comes with three blades: one is straight and the other two are decorative. The Card Maker has deckle and scoring blades, whereas the Trim Ruler has a wavy blade, plus another blade that can perforate your paper. The blades are interchangeable and changing them is safe because they’re in a plastic case. Also, you can use Card Maker blades with a Trim Ruler and vice versa. This is great because it gives you a lot of cutting options so you can easily pick the right blade for your project. It’s easy to measure your item, too, because the mat has a measurement grid on it. These trimmers are available for $29.95 each, so they’re affordable even in this rough economic climate.
If you’re a hardcore crafter and need a little bit more in a rotary trimmer, the Dahle Personal Trimmer Kit could be what you’re looking for. This really is a kit in the true sense of the word, because it contains the Dahle Personal Rolling Trimmer 507, as well as several different blades. The 507 is one of Dahle’s premier products and it can cut items that are up to 12.5 inches long. It is lightweight and portable, and it has a self-healing cutting mat and a paper clamp that ensures an accurate cut. The blade is enclosed so you can’t hurt yourself, plus it’s self-sharpening and it can cut in any direction. The 507 can cut up to 7 sheets of paper at a time and you can trim lots of different types of paper with it, including bond paper and card stock. (You can also trim photos.) The mat has a sizing guide so you can determine where to cut your document. This trimmer is definitely made for people who need a high-quality personal rotary trimmer and it comes with four different blades: straight, wavy, deckle, and perforated, so it offers more cutting options than a single Card Maker or Trim Ruler unit. Naturally, the Personal Trimmer Kit is more expensive that the Card Maker or Trim Ruler, and it retails for $109.95. Yes, that’s a big difference, but consider the fact that you have more cutting options, plus the blades are self-sharpening, which can save you both time and money.
Overall, the product you choose should be the one that best fits your needs. The Card Maker and Trim Ruler are both affordable, great products, but they aren’t quite as durable as the trimmer in the Personal Trimmer Kit, nor do they offer as many blade options. Therefore, the Personal Trimmer Kit may be the better investment. But no matter which product you choose, since it’s made by Dahle, you can be confident you’re getting a great product. Good luck and happy crafting!
< Over the years, a number of customers have asked me whether they can use twin loop wire with their plastic comb binding machine. These customers often don’t want to have to buy a brand new machine but like the look and feel of twin loop wire binding. However, the answer to their question isn’t as simple as it seems. You see, they actually do make twin loop wire that is designed to work with the plastic comb binding hole pattern. With that said, if you want to use these wires you are going to need a way to close the wires. What is Spiral-O Wire? Let me explain a little bit more…There is a product that we carry called Spiral-O Wire. This wire has 19 loops and is designed to work with the hole pattern from a plastic comb binding machine. Spiral-O Wire is sometimes called Wire Combs or Ibico Wire and was originally designed for use with some of the older Ibico binding machines. A number of the older Ibico plastic comb binding machines also included a twin loop wire closer on the front of them to allow users to use both plastic combs and wire. This 19 loop wire was designed for this purpose. What Equipment is Needed? As the Ibico brand has been phased out by GBC and all of the older Ibico plastic binding machines have been replaced with new models, they no longer have the twin loop wire closer on the front of them. This presents a problem in trying to use these spiral-o wires since you can’t use the wires without a way to close them. One of the only options left is to purchase a Twin Loop wire closer. However, since twin loop wire closers are not incredibly cheap this option usually only appeals to users who have larger electric plastic comb binding machines. Otherwise, it is often advisable to simply buy a low end 3:1 pitch twin loop wire binding machine (the supplies are cheaper). This being said, if you have one of the older Ibico binding machines that has a wire closer included you are in luck. The Spiral-O binding supplies that we carry will work perfectly with your machine and you will be able to use both plastic combs and wire depending on your needs. These Spiral-O binding supplies are available in Black, Silver, White, Blue and Red and in sizes up to 1″ in diameter. If you aren’t sure what type of wire binding supplies that you need to work with your machine simply give us a call. Our trained sales representatives will be glad to help you find the correct supplies for use with your machine.(Read More)
