I have three different brands of cutters, and I use Olfa blades on them all. They all cut great, and the blades last through at least 2 quilts, sometimes more. I had a friend who bought a cutter that we could not get to cut for anything. She took it back to the store, and when they checked it, they said it was defective and gave her a new one. Not all cutters are 100% perfect. If you can't get it to work, take it to the store and ask for help.