Originally Posted by
susie337
Wow, this is the reason this board is so amazing! I've always blamed the blade for going dull so quickly. I need to check my cutting mat now!
I have a 30-some year old Olfa mat and a 1 year old Fiskars mat. Both would have 'skippy spots'. I'd been blaming my cutter. But when I read what Jan in VA said, and went to the website that Dogwood Quilter posted, I took it to heart. Yesterday I did a lot of cutting on my Fiskars mat and I started out with a blade that skipped every once in a while. When the skipping got to be too irritating, I ran my hand over the cutting mat and I could feel little areas that felt almost like sand grains. This is not possible as I never use my mats for anything but sewing. I didn't want to use a damp cloth because I was still cutting, so I grabbed a clean paper towel and wiped it down good, almost like scrubbing. When I ran my hand over it again, those bumps were gone and my blade cut perfectly for a long time. I've 'dry-scrubbed my mat several times both yesterday and today and have had no problems cutting. I think my blades are going to last a lot longer now! It's a science experiment of one, but I'm a happy camper and you ladies did it!