Pat,
I found if I put a piece of thin paper over the die before the fabric keeps the strings out of the die when using the rag die. The dies were made for paper so paper will not dull the blades at all. I borrowed the rag die but will probably buy one for myself later on. It sure makes a fast rag quilt! The new dies are Drunkard' Path and Applecore. Here is where I order all my dies now and she has great discounts and is an authorized Accucut dealer. So she can exchange or handle any problem without a hassle.
http://www.quiltingmachineshop.com/Accuquilt_GO_.html