Originally Posted by Darlene
The old blade skipped and so does the new one I bought to replace it. Maybe it is the operator. LOL
I wonder if the blade has been tightened correctly? I have an Olfa cutter and love it, but I do sometimes have difficulty figuring out how tight I need to make the nut that holds the blade in place. If the blade is so loose it wobbles a little, that can cause skipping and poor cutting. On the other hand, if it's too tight the blade doesn't turn well. Try experimenting with that aspect of the cutter, especially if you have some scrap fabric you could cut up.
The blades nick very easily, and the nicks are not always easy to see. A nicked blade will cut cleanly but skip threads periodically. A dull blade, on the other hand, is more likely to not cut cleanly through for the whole length of the cut.
I buy 10 or more blades at a time on eBay. Occasionally there might be a nicked blade right out of the package; I wonder if you got one of those. However, I think it's more likely that the blade is either too tight or too loose in the cutter. Yet another possibility is that your cutter is warped a little. Is your cutting mat in good condition? The brand of cutting mat can make a difference too. I think it's June Tailor that some people complain about. Most people like the Olfa mat.