Anyone used the clicker dies on AliExpress?

[BigChad]

Have been messing with leather for a few years. Mostly knife sheaths, muzzleloader bags / accessories, phone cases, & wallets. Lately I have had a lot of requests from friends for wallets. The time involved cutting them by hand is kind of taking the fun out of things. It's very tedious to say the least. Just wondering if anyone out there has tried any of the cheap dies and what their experience was? I understand that you get what you pay for. I'm not running a business, just looking for a low cost option to save some time. Thanks in advance, this is my first post on the forum. I have tried searching here and on other sites.

 

[Matt S]

The wooden-back ones? Yeah I've used a few of the smaller ones. The price is far better than having a "real" one made in the UK, though the delay can be a factor. I find them okay for low-volume stuff.

Some of the listings let you choose between Chinese and Japanese steel. No idea if there's actually a longevity increase or if it's just a way to increase the price a little.

Not being able to see through the die, and the problems of stripping the piece out of the die make them a little awkward to use. Sure beats hand-cutting repetative, intricate parts though.

[BigChad]

Thanks for taking the time to respond Matt. The wooden backed dies are the ones I was talking about. I'm going to go ahead and order a set soon. Looks like I can get a simple wallet for around $30. I will post some pics and report back here with my results.

I will be opting for the Chinese steel. Would be very surprised if there is anything different but the price. Lol.