ProvoCraft Zision Tool Kit

Provocraft have under the Zision range, released a toolkit aimed at scrapbookers. Packaged in a similar manner as the Silent Setter, the Toolkit comes in a black zippered pouch. Each item in the kit fits into a space carved into firm, lime green foam.

The tool kit contains:

• 8 punches (1/16", 1/8", 1/4", square, rectangle, star, flower, heart) and handle
  
• tweezers
  
• hammer
• two needles
• piecer/awl
• scorer
• wire cutters
• scissors
• 3.5" x 3.5" self-healing mat
  

The inter-changable hole-punch heads screw into the handle. This forms a quite sturdy bond. The punch heads are held firmly in place in the kit by matching holes in the foam on the other side of the case. These punches are used in conjunction with a small 3.5" x 3.5" self-healing mat which fits into the case. This small mat is especially useful, and could be used with other tools, such as exo-knives and the awl. The hammer, while small easily gives enough force to use with the hole punches.

The tweezers are also handy for working with both fibres and the various hole punches in the kits (great for cleaning out blocked punches or working with the very small punches produced).

The scissors come with a plastic guard to protect the blades as well as the other items in the kit. The wire cutters easily cut the wire used by most scrapbookers, although I wouldn't use it on anything too heavy gauge. The needles are quite large, making use fairly simple. They have two different sized eyes to ensure you can use both thin threads, such as embroidery floss and thicker fibres such as wools and fancy yarns as well. The awl is sharp and would be useful when working with thicker materials such as chipboard and leather. Very useful for making holes to thread fibres through.

Pros: Very easy to use and contains all the standard must have tools that scrapbookers are always reaching for. While it doesn't have the amount of tools other toolkits aimed at scrapbooker have, this means it doesn't clutter the kit with things most people won't use or will only use infrequently.

Cons: To be honest, I can't really think of anything against this kit. It is modest in it's purpose and fulfills it well. Anyone disagree?

Quick Review (Out of 5 Stars)

Cost/Value for Money: 4
Usefulness: 5
Ease of Use: 5

Basic Grey Notch & Die Tool

Paper and embellishment company Basic Grey has begun to diversify into the tool market. Their first offering is the Notch & Die Cutting Tool. This tool consists of a handle and a set of three interchangeable heads. These heads are held in place by both a male/female slot and a magnet. This double locking system is necessary as the heads each contain razor sharp blades. The blades are half circle, v-wedge and straight blades. The straight blade is 12mm/1 inch long.

The tool is relatively easy to use, although it does require a strong arm and wrist. The instructions on the tool say to use a rubber mallet if extra strength is required. The blades give a clean cut when used. In the image below, a medium weight cardstock was used. I was also able to cut through thin chipboard without much extra effort. Basic Grey claim the tool can also be used on fabric, leather and thin plastic. I was able to cut all these materials with the tool. As stated early, the blades are very sharp.

In the back of the packaging is a chart which demonstrates some of the potential uses for the tool. For scrapbookers, it would be useful as a tool for mounting both photos and journalling blocks, especially when using materials such as vellum which can often be difficult to mount due to their see through nature. The tools also allow the production of closures for small booklets, which could be used for hidden journalling or mini-books.

On the whole, I found that the tool was able to fulfill all it's claims when it came to cutting various materials. However, while a novel idea, I think it would be a useful though limited tool for scrapbookers. I can see it being quite useful to anyone who is into cardmaking. Basic Grey have stated that they will be bringing out further heads, in different shapes in the future. This might make the tool more versitle.

The packaging of the tool is typical of Basic Grey. It comes in a nice brushed metal tin, with thick foam inside. This is indented to allow the secure storage of the handle and blades, thus minimizing damage of the blades in transit.

Pros: Fairly simple to use and designed so that additional blades can be used as they become available.

Cons: My one suggestion for improvement of the product would be the inclusion of a small self-healing cutting mat. While most scrapbookers and card makers will have one on hand, when the product costs $55AU/$29US, including a mat would be good customer service. Especially for those who want to be mobile with the product.

Quick Review (Out of 5 Stars)

Cost/Value for Money: 3
Usefulness: 3
Ease of Use: 4

DISCLAIMER: The Basic Grey Notch & Die Cutting Tool used in this review was supplied by AussieScrapSource - http://www.aussiescrapsource.com/

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Update: Next Review and Request for Next Item

OK, I've got my hands on the BG Notch Tool. I will be putting a review up in the next couple of days. So, what would people like to see reviewed next?

Requesting Donations

I've had several requests from people to review the new Basic Grey Notch Tool. I've tried to get a review copy from Basic Grey, but I'm waiting for a response from the local distributor who they refered me to.

In the mean time, if anyone wants to donate, please feel free to use the buttons on the side. All donations will go to purchasing the tool and doing a review of it. Any money over the cost of the tool (BG Tool is $57.00AU) will be held and used to help purchase the next review item nominated by the readers. If there are donations made, I will keep a running total on the page, so that people know how much more is required.

What Items Would You Liked Reviewed?

One problem with running a review website is knowing what sort of things readers would like to know about. So far I have basically been reviewing items I've bought recently, so this had led to alot of Making Memories and Sizzix stuff getting reviewed. So what about I put the ball in your park?

So, what would you like reviewed? Please leave some ideas in the comments section of this post. After about a week, I will collate the results and hold a poll. Top vote winner of the poll will be the next item I will review (if I can get hold of it!). So nows your chance. If I already have the item, I will definately do a review.

Update: Making Memories Modular System

As reported in the review of the Making Memories Modular Storage System, I had problems with two of the accessories. After hearing about a form on the Making Memories website, I went to investigate. I found the Request a Product Replacement form and filled it in. Within a couple of days I had someone from Making Memories contact me about my problem. Normally, they request that defective items be returned, but since I am located in Australia, they just sent me the replacements. These arrived in about 10 days, which is pretty good time from the USA. So, while it was a bit of a pain that the original product had problems, I have to say I am most impressed by the great customer service from Making Memories. Many manufacturers would take the head in the sand approach and pretend there are never problems. It's nice to see a business recognize that problems can occur and have a quick and fairly painless process already in place to deal with the problems when they occur.