A little history first...
While there are many different manual die cutting machines
out there, the one that started home die cutting is Sizzix made by
Ellison. And, they must be doing
something right since they are still going strong and getting stronger with
their die collections. They have some
pretty awesome designers; from Tim Holtz and Karen Burneston to Stephanie
Barnard and many, many others. Their
selection of dies is unparalleled; and with the addition of texture/embossing
folders, it is my opinion, that no other company can touch them.
When the Sizzix die cutting machine first came out many
decades ago they had the red levered machine with red, yellow or green steel
ruled dies. Steel ruled alphabets were
blue. Then they brought out the Sizzlits,
wafer thins dies. Most of the Sizzlits
were alphabets and their fonts available were, and still are, fantastic! They became collectors’ items and many people
just collected their fonts.
I still have many fonts that I collected during that time as
well as my original levered machine, which now is a source of inspiration in my
studio. It seems that I also collected a
lot of red tag dies. Until I got them
all together, I didn’t realize that I had so many different tag dies. The funny thing is all these dies still work
perfectly after all these years; and believe me when I say they’ve gotten quite
a work out over the years.
When the Big Kick came out, I had to buy one right
away. At that time you couldn’t use a
40% coupon on anything Sizzix, so I had to pay full price for the machine; but,
since I have had no reason to replace this machine to date. I feel that the investment was certainly well
worth it. The Big Kick and Big Shot is
the same machine. You can use any steel
ruled dies, which the exception of the Sizzix Pro size dies; Sizzlits, wafer
thin dies, and embossing folders. You
can use other company’s dies and embossing folders in the Big Kick/Big
Shot. The only other exception is the
Spellbinders extra large nesting dies; the largest sizes are a bit too wide for
the Big Kick/Big Shot.
AccuCut was getting into the home die cutting arena as well
several decades ago. They, as well as
Ellison, had been in the educational field for some time with large machines as
well as very large dies. At the time
most local scrapbook stores (LSS) had one of the large machines and a selection
of dies in their store. When you
purchased cardstock from the store you could use the die cut machine for free
or join a die cut club to use the machine.
Cuttlebug by Provo Craft, Quik-Kuts and the Wizard by
Spellbinders were next on the scene.
Cuttlebug first had wafer thin dies and then brought embossing folders
into the forefront with nice designs. We
started liking to add texture to our cards and scrapbook layouts and Cuttlebug
responded with more designs. Most big
box stores only carry Cuttlebug embossing folders now. It seems that their wafer dies have been
discontinued. If I am mistaken in this
regard, please let me know.
The Wizard by Spellbinders was at first a purple
hand-ratcheting machine with thin dies as well.
Their designs were innovative and intricate. Spellbinders has since evolved into the
nesting dies, with very intricate, gorgeous designs. They have many talented designers as
well. Their nesting dies have a tendency
to replace most punches too due to their ease of use and storage. Spellbinders came out with the Grand Caliber
die cutting machine. This machine has a
wider platform than the others for their extra large Nestabilities. However, it cannot accommodate any steel
ruled dies.
Quik-Kuts handheld scissor-like machine had some simple
designs. While they were very popular
for their smaller size, in my opinion, their designs just didn’t do it for me.
At this point in time, the major players are Sizzix, of
course, Cuttlebug and Spellbinders. The
machine I recommend time and time again is the Sizzix whether it’s the Big Kick
or the Big Shot doesn’t matter since it’s the same machine. The only difference is their coloring. In the Sizzix machines, like I said earlier,
you can cut the steel ruled dies, wafer thin dies, Sizzlits and embossing
folders. Sizzix does make a Pro machine
that has a larger platform with larger dies.
These Pro dies do not fit in the regular sized machines. The only other drawback with the Sizzix is
the Spellbinders extra large nesting dies.
The larger dies in those packs are too wide to fit. However, you can cut dies and use embossing
folders in the Sizzix from any of the other companies including Cuttlebug,
Spellbinders, Cheery Lynn Designs, Die-namics, My Favorite Things, Darice and
the many, many other companies that make wafer thin dies and embossing
folders.
The Cuttlebug is a nice machine taking up little space since
it folds up when not in use. It’s great
for traveling to crops due to its compactness.
It does produce a nice result embossing or cutting wafer thin dies.
The Grand Caliber from Spellbinders is a little larger but,
in my opinion, is awkward to use as it moves around on the table even though
the suction is supposed to be engaged and no matter which way I turn the
machine seems backward to me. It does
produce a nice result with the nesting dies and embossing folders.
In my ever so humble opinion, Sizzix Big Kick or Big Shot is
the way to go. The ease of use,
durability of the machine and variety of dies and embossing folders available
to use in this machine are practically endless.
If you can only afford, or only want, one manual die cutting machine in
your studio, get a Sizzix!
