It's not the blade as I've trained myself to change at first skip. I think it's the mat but it went in the center and I primarily use it to trim 4.5 to 8.5 blocks. how are the sides good and the center is gone? It's a rotating mat and it's one that rotates easily. A bit of sleuthing on the internet this brand is known for this. More sleuthing and I have decided to buy a big .double-sided mat and cut it into small sections. The really annoying part is it is the same brand as the one big one i have had for six years and have not even turned over. Go Figure. I am going to contact company but I want this spinner - it works. Thanks for all the suggestions I'm going to adopt turn the mat frequently as it is square.