You gave me such a laugh. Can only picture you slicing and dicing on the wooden crate and your interpretation of the great one is spot on. If great one were to ever use a rotary cutter, do you suppose he'd slice through the favorite long red tie? No matter what mat you decide on, keeping a fresh blade in the cutter is what gives the mats decent longevity. I have a tendency to bear down much harder on the cutter than necessary which does help.