Originally Posted by
quilttiger
I bought the electric TrueSharp from Amazon a few months ago. I found it is best to use the coarse stone first a couple times before using the fine stone. It does a nice job but it takes time....what I do is sharpen a few at a time, asembly line fashon. I discovered the cutting mat makes a BIG difference. Those white mats that are sold by Joann Fabrics are way too rough on the blades and actually dull them faster. Olfa and Fiskar mats are better, but I found this Big Mat at a sew expo (also available at
www.seweasyproducts.com) It has an extra smooth surface with a 5-yr. warranty. The mats come in several sizes, too. My blades actually stay sharp a lot longer. Hope this helps.
I wondered if anyone else had noticed how much difference the mat makes...I am not sure what brand of white mat I got the second time, but it was just as rough on my blades as the old white mat. I bought it a few years ago at the Indiana Heritage quilt show...was a complete waste. I started using it and my blade just gave out after very little time. I do not know what made me think to change mats...I could not believe the difference. I can cut and cut and cut as long as I use the fiskar/olfa type of mat.