I bought the electric TrueSharp Power Rotary Blade Sharpener (Amazon now has a good deal on it with free shipping) and it works. Guess what, though, I have not had to use it a lot because I got this rotary cutting matt at a quilt show as a show special. The Big Mat by Sewingemporium.com has a 5 year warranty and the surface is very smooth. There is actually less wear and tear on the blades. A rough cutting mat such as the one sold by Joann Fabrics (it is white and the surface is not smooth at all) can make rotary blades very dull in no time at all. I learned this the hard way.