Originally Posted by
Onebyone
The only die that has any thread build up for me is the rag die.. I don't pick it out, I let it pile up and it comes out easy on it's own. Doesn't hurt the cutting at all. I don't know who started the have to pick the threads out of the die. It's not necessary as far as I can tell.
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If you look closely there are places where 2 ends of the steel blades butt up against each other. If you don't maintain these areas by removing threads, the build up can eventually push the blades apart. I have purchased some used dies on eBay that have been damaged by this. I have 500+ dies, and have had my Studio cutter for about 17 years for my paper business and have always maintained my dies by removing threads & paper crumbs. As far as dies getting dull, some papers contain clay or other minerals which are harder on the blades, but I have used some dies thousands of times, and they still don't need sharpening.