Dave King Freelance Associates

It takes just a few quick steps to get neat, consistent results when prepping your game counters.

Stack up to 10 counters and snug them into position.

Push the blade straight down. 

Using blade, turn the stack to the next corner.

If desired, use the included block for tighter alignment. 

You'll need a good hobby knife. Shown here is the X-acto heady duty handle with the no. 18 chisel-tip blade, which lets you push straight down on the stack--takes very little pressure. Caution: Hobby blades are razor sharp and you should be experienced in their use before usng the C4 Corner Cutter.

Click Here to print out the instruction sheet to see how easy it is to use the C4 Corner Cutter. 

Check these sites for more information, in-use photos, and to learn about the evolution of counter clipping: 

 triplepbf.blogspot.com/search/label/C4  [Triple Point Blank Fire; excellent photos]

 social.consimworld.com/profiles/blogs/c4-cutter  [User blog]

 www.homefrontcenter.de/English/better_solution.html  [A German hobby site with article about the evolution of counter clipping] 

Why Clip Counters?

Wargames don't come ready-to-play. So, consider the analogy of a plastic model: You remove the parts from the sprue (punch counters from the frame) and then trim any flashing off the parts (clip the ragged corners off the counters) before you begin assembly (setting up the game). To which somebody once said that wargames aren't models. Of course they are; they model historical situations. So, who would be crazy enough to build a model without trimming the flashing?

Command magazine games always included the following instruction somewhere near the front of the rules: "Carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the 'dog ears' off the corners with a fingernail clipper will greatly facilitate their handling and stacking during play (and also enhances their appearance)." Sometimes they worded it a little different, but trimming was always part of game prep. And now the C4 Corner Cutter makes it a lot easier and faster.