My Martelli mat arrived!
04-02-2018, 03:35 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
My Martelli mat arrived!
I like the purple side, so that is the side I have up. Looks like the yellow side is thicker, though. I haven't cut on the mat yet.
Just for fun, I pulled out my Olfa rotating mat and small Quilter's Select mat to compare the surfaces. Took a starched square of fabric and put my hand on top to see how much it moved on each mat. It barely moved at all on the Olfa mat, but moved quite easily on the QS mat. The Martelli was in-between; a little bit of grab, but not as much as the Olfa. I often have difficulty with either the fabric or the ruler moving on me while cutting, which is why I try to use my Slidelock whenever possible. Seems to me that the QD, being the slipperiest mat, would be the most difficult for me to use for long cuts. It does work great for smaller cuts, though; I have pulled it out for that purpose in the past.
At any rate, I think all three mats are way better than my old mat, which is quite rough in comparison. It was a no-brand name mat that came with my cutting table 20 or so years ago and I'm not sure what it is made of. I think it has made cutting harder on my hand lately, not to mention having to avoid some of the spots with too many cuts in the mat, so I am looking forward to trying out the Martelli for long cuts (once I get further along with my current quilt). I'm hoping I won't have to press as hard.
Just for fun, I pulled out my Olfa rotating mat and small Quilter's Select mat to compare the surfaces. Took a starched square of fabric and put my hand on top to see how much it moved on each mat. It barely moved at all on the Olfa mat, but moved quite easily on the QS mat. The Martelli was in-between; a little bit of grab, but not as much as the Olfa. I often have difficulty with either the fabric or the ruler moving on me while cutting, which is why I try to use my Slidelock whenever possible. Seems to me that the QD, being the slipperiest mat, would be the most difficult for me to use for long cuts. It does work great for smaller cuts, though; I have pulled it out for that purpose in the past.
At any rate, I think all three mats are way better than my old mat, which is quite rough in comparison. It was a no-brand name mat that came with my cutting table 20 or so years ago and I'm not sure what it is made of. I think it has made cutting harder on my hand lately, not to mention having to avoid some of the spots with too many cuts in the mat, so I am looking forward to trying out the Martelli for long cuts (once I get further along with my current quilt). I'm hoping I won't have to press as hard.
Last edited by Prism99; 04-02-2018 at 03:37 PM.
04-02-2018, 04:48 PM
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Arizona
Posts: 2,356
Please post your results! I have 4 Olfa mats and couldn't justify buying the Martelli even when they were 50% off. 
I Love their cutters and have several.
I Love their cutters and have several.
Last edited by QuiltnNan; 04-03-2018 at 02:25 AM. Reason: remove shouting/all caps
04-03-2018, 04:33 AM
#7
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Spencer, OH
Posts: 271
Lindaschipper - did your rotating mat get all scratched up? I've had mine for maybe a couple years and the top got so scratched from cutting on it. Martelli does a one time replacement for $20 which I've ordered. Just wondering if mine is the only one that did that.
04-03-2018, 05:03 AM
#10
Power Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 15,915
Try the Quilter's Select rulers. They will not slip. They hold the best on the QS mat but works on all mats. I use the glove with the QS rulers and the Slidelock with all the other brand rulers. I have the Martelli mat on my rotating board and on my Alto Quilt Cut. It's fine.
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