Oregon Lamination 2mm Radius Deluxe Corner Punch Cutter Rounder

I collect and play many different board games but mostly wargames. The playing pieces that come in these games are usually printed on cardboard sheets and then die cut to facilitate removing the pieces from the sheet. However, these sheets are usually not fully die cut all around the playing pieces so that they'll hold together for collating, shipping, etc., so it's up to the game buyer to punch out these counters before the game can be played. Unfortunately, this punching process creates little nibs on the corners of the pieces that are unsightly and they can also interfere with the handling of the playing pieces by snagging adjacent playing pieces or making the pieces difficult to stack.While many boardgamers aren't bothered by such things, there are some of us who will take the time to trim off the nibs to enhance the playing piece's look and improve the way it handles. (This is no small task; some games can have hundreds of playing pieces!) Over the years, I've tried many different methods for trimming using various knives and nail clippers, etc. After doing some research, I came across this set of clippers by Oregon Lamination and I thought I'd give it a try. Granted, these clippers are not inexpensive and I did have some second thoughts about splashing out that kind of money for something that may not be any better than a cheap set of nail clippers. Well, long story short, I needn't have worried because this tool was worth every penny.In the few short weeks I've had it, I've already trimmed well over 2,000 counters and they all look great. The corners of the counters are nicely rounded and very uniform with a clean perpendicular cut. When I first started using the cutter it felt somewhat stiff so I lubricated the guide posts and this seemed to help. By the time I had cut my first 1,000 counters or so, it seemed like the cutter had become more limber so perhaps the spring needed some time to soften a bit and become easier to compress. (It's entirely possible that the muscles in my right hand and arm became stronger, too!)For me, the 2mm radius of the cutter is ideal as it removes the least amount of cardboard so I don't have to worry about trimming off some printed information on the playing piece.I should mention that this is not a light piece of equipment. You'll definitely want to rest it against some surface while using it during an extended trimming session. It took me a little while, but I finally worked out a comfortable method using an old beverage serving tray that I can rest in my lap and then rest the cutter on the tray. I can have a pile of untrimmed pieces right there on the tray that I can grab and trim fairly quickly and all the little trimmed off bits stay on the tray. (The last time I timed myself, I was doing about 5 or 6 counters a minute and that was without really hurrying.) It's the kind of (almost) mindless task you can do while watching something or listening to music, etc. In a short while you can have a big pile of beautifully trimmed pieces and there's a certain satisfaction in that.So, to sum it all up, the cutter is a great piece of kit that seems well-built and works just the way I want it to. I recommend it to all the other crazy counter clippers out there.

This thing is pretty expensive for what it does and I've seen a lot of complaints on durability. But I'm also OCD with my wargames, so I took a chance on this. I've had it about 2 weeks and have clipped about 6 or 7 games so far and it seems to be going strong. I can tell the cutter is getting a slightly dull, but it still cuts good corners.

I've had this for 3 years and counting. I use this tool as part of my fabrication pipeline. With occasional simple cleaning and proper maintenance, it continues to work like new. Given the price, I hope to never need to buy another. In any case, it has paid for itself in the time it saves me from cutting perfect 2mm corners on double-sided laminated vinyl sticker paper.

Product is easy to use and gives a consistent cut. I have heard that they break after a large number of uses but only time will tell. It would be nice if they made one with variable cut sizes but I'm sure that would require a lot more engineering and possibly a large price hike. I plan on ordering another one with a larger cut size for my 5/8 counters.

I have had a 2.5mm rounder of the non-deluxe type for years, and it works beautifully. As I have gotten into bigger wargames, I thought the deluxe would work better for clipping large numbers of counters.So it does, but after only 1,000 or so counters, the darned thing broke. As with everyone else, I got the break on the plastic lever. It's hard to believe that such an expensive, weighty tool would place the main operating stress on a piece of brittle plastic, but .... that's exactly how they designed it.I had read lots of advice on how to avoid this break. Everyone said that it was operator error caused be over squeezing the grip. Well, that's just not so. I was supremely careful not to squeeze any harder than necessary, and mine still broke. I will try to fix it, but I imagine I will be going back to my trusty non-deluxe 2.5mm rounder. It, at least, has all metal working parts.

This is a heavy, well-made, but very specialized tool. Do you really want to spend over 40 bucks for a tool made just to clip the fuzzy cardboard trimmings off your wargame counters? Well, if you are a serious wargamer, sure you do! And this puncher does a very nice job. Your counters will look smooth and professional and be a pleasure to move around the map - no more little "tufts" at the corners making them drag other counters around. Your stacks will be perfect and even.Be warned, however, that even with a tool this heavy, it takes a while to clip counters. Four punches per counter (or eight, if you are really thorough and flip them over to make sure everything is even on both sides), figure about 8-10 seconds per counter (you can do it faster, but probably not for hundreds of counters unless you want to give yourself carpal tunnel syndrome), so do the math... maybe 6-8 counters per minute, which means a big game could take you an hour or two, working nonstop. But kind of fun to do if you have something to listen to. Your hand will definitely get tired, though!In short, this is a very nice "luxury" tool for a serious wargamer who likes his games to look pretty and doesn't mind putting in a lot of time and wrist action to make them so.