Springbok Die (for a 7"x7" Mini-Puzzle)
(* Photo will enlarge when clicked)
Here's a photo of an actual die that was used for cutting Springbok 7"x7" Mini-Puzzles.
The die is made of highly sharpened 15/16" steel rule that is hand bent into the desired shapes. To guarantee rigidity, the die is mounted on a base of ultra high quality plywood. To keep the steel rule firmly in place, and to prevent pieces from sticking when cut, dense black rubber is injected and glued inside the steel rule piece outlines.
A given die could be used to cut 500,000 to 1,000,000 puzzles before being retired. The above die had already been retired when photographed, and is no longer sharp.
The 500 piece dies are made the same way, just on a larger scale.
* Photo courtesy of Anne Williams
* Die information courtesy of John Robrock