Knock-out Punch

...not the one that Manny Pacquiao delivers but the punches that scrappers like me would love to have.

Yesterday, I had the great opportunity to try out 2 very hot punches that came out fairly recently in the local market: Fiskar's Threading Water Border Punch & Paper Studio's Elegant Multi-Punch. Oooh!! was I excited to try out these babies.

Please let me say beforehand that my review of these 2 punches is based solely on my initial trial. Others who own these babies may have different ideas or experiences. Just let me share with you what I discovered.

To level the playing field, I decided to use the same paper for both punches:
a. red bazzill cardstock (heavy)
b. fancy pants patterned paper (medium)
c. autumn leaves/daisy ds patterned paper (light)

Findings:
a. Punching Effort: Effortless punching for both the medium & lightweight papers. For the Bazzill cs though, I had a hard time with the Fiskars punch but it was a breeze with the PS Multi-Punch. Oh, and by the way, I had to stand up to get it going.

b. Design Detail: Excellent for both, although I'm very much impressed with the more intricate details on the Multi-Punch. However, I do adore the scalloped effect on paper so I guess tha makes it even.

c. Learning Curve:

Fiskars - Trying to make a continuous border was tricky for me at first. Being a newbie, I over-estimated the guide dots (there are 3) which resulted in a gap between the scallops (a below). When I tried to punch again, I failed to shoot it exactly and ended up with uneven scallops and holes (b below). arrgghh... eventually, I got the hang of it. I'll share the tip on how I did it at the end of this post. So please read on.

Paper Studio Multi-Punch - The multi-colored "bead designs" on its body initially caught my eye. Little did I know that these are guides which you should follow to make a successful punch. A must is to read the lengthy instructions at the back of the packaging. I had to go over it several times before I finally got it. Btw, the upper portion of the punch is just held on to the lower part by a very, very strong magnet. This reduces mistakes because you get to see where the next punch is going... you see the whole thing!

d. Versatility: Fiskars can only punch out a straight line while the Multi-punch can do borders, 4" & 6" circles, squares, ovals and corners!!! Wow, talk about multi-tasking.

Tip:

Fiskars - At any one time, 5 scallops are made with a single punch. To ensure a continuous border, all you have to do is count! Punch, pull out the paper, then using the 3 dot guide, make sure that the last 2 dots slide back inside the covered area. 3 dots forward, 2 dots back. (hmmm, something like Paula Abdul's song??? lol!!!) Try it and let me know it it works for you.

Paper Studio Multi-punch - Two features ensure that you punch a perfect design all the time: the "bead" guides and the strong, removable magnet. I have to admit though that I got frustrated at not getting an impression at all at my first try. If you're having this problem, here's one sure tip: Make sure you hold down the heel of the punch (the one which has a center marker) and punch away.

Which is the better punch? I leave it up to you to decide. Boy, would I love to have both these babies!!!! And I would appreciate tips and ideas from you too! Cheers!