I agree that it helps if your ruler brand matches the mat brand. Just found that out when I bought a new mat and it happened to be the same brand as the ruler. (Olfa)

Mine has been airing for a month, plus the vinegar treatment and it still smells. Not as bad, but the odor isn't gone by any means. It was a door prize. The ones I use and love are Fiskars.

I have an olfa and love it. Since it can be washed/soaked in water (Olfa's love water) the self healing mats. I just put mine on the dining room table on top of a towel and used a small amount of dish detergent and water and a soft veggie brush and lightly scrubbed and then clear water after that. Let it dry. Used a cutting mat sander and went over it and it's like new.

I have used several differennt mats, then saw an ad for an
Alvin mat for cutting and drawing.
It is self healing and its the best I have tried I think it comes in clear (mine) and green and different sizes. Just look it up on the net and you will find different sellers.
I got mine at Hancocks on sale and wouldn't trade it for any other type of mat. It is thicker that the Olfa.

I have used several different mats, then saw an ad for an
Alvin mat for cutting and drawing.
It is self healing and its the best I have tried I think it comes in clear (mine) and green and different sizes. Just look it up on the net and you will find different sellers.
I got mine at Hancocks on sale and wouldn't trade it for any other type of mat. It is thicker that the Olfa.

I agree, Olfa is the best!!! :D

I have tried several different brands of mats then saw an ad for an Alvin cutting and drawing mat. It is thicker than the others, self healing and great for cutting. I could not believe the difference in how much better my rotary cutter works. Haven't changed a blade in over 6 months.
Look up Alvin mats on the net. I got mine at Hancocks on sale and would not trade it for all the others. Of course there's different sizes and mine is clear. Check different sites, several I looked at were very expensive but I believe mine was twenty four dollars for a 24" by 36"
Doris1334

Try an Alvin cutting mat for quilt cutting or drawing It is thicker that the other brands I have used and I can't believe the difference in how much better my rotary cutter works. Have not changed the blade in over 6 months with moderate cutting. Just look it up on the net, some places will be more expensive than others but I got a 24X36 for twenty four dollars + shipping at Hancocks. Mine is clear but I believe they come in green also.
Doris1334

I have tried most of them and prefer Olfa. Yes, they will have an odor for a week or so but it will dissipate. :thumbup:

I have a green Alvin. It is what I used to use in college for my art class, but not the one I have right now. My 60mm blade wasn't cutting very well with it, which I thought was strange. So I took it off and revealed my Olfa which I have had for years. Now my blade works great again, but the Olfa smell has returned! It had stopped smelling before, and now it does again. Weird. And stinky! I have the turning Fiskars brand because the were lots cheaper than the olfa and had handier sizes. I like them fine.

my original OLFA lasted 25 years before it no longer "healed" and started cracking real bad. I kept it a while longer for the kids to do craft stuff on before I sadly thew it away.

Ditto on the June Taylor. I found that some of the lines started disappearing in areas I used alot.

I have only used the Friskers and have been happy with it. Lately though I notice some cuts in it. Must be time for a new one.

I've got 2 Olfa mats, love them both. Had one of them over 10 years and it's still going strong.

I agree. The ones that have a built in handle (don't remember the name), they're kind of really stiff, dull your blades faster than the Olfa mats.

I'm planning on going to Joanns to get a new cutting mat too.

I like the one that is green and 'cushy', there are some that seem too hard and I wouldn't think would 'self heal' very well.

Love the Olfa

Just don't buy the purple one at WalMart!

Olfa!!!

I'm with Doris - Alvin...got it here https://www.schooloutfitters.com/catalog/product_family_info/pfam_id/PFAM7546]https://www.schooloutfitters.com/cat...am_id/PFAM7546[/url]

I have both the Olfa and Fiskars. I like the Fiskar because of the color, yellow on one side and light green on the other. My room isn't real bright so I like the light colors, can see better when I'm cutting.

Defifitely Olfa and the bigger the better :)

My OLFA is many years old. The only concern is that I seem to use the same cutting lines over and over and they are starting to fade.

I have only used Olfa, so can't speak for anyother brand. Just had a Omnigrid given to me, but haven't used it yet.

Don't depend on the cutting lines. Use your ruler as it is more accurate than the mat. This way you won't cut on the same line every time this making the mat last longer.

I have one that took months to "de-stink". BUT by all means DO NOT put it outside in the sun as the mat will warp before your eyes and nothing can help it then!

BTW, I too like Olfa mats and the matching rulers will help, tho' my Omnigrid rulers work very well with my Olfa mat.

Good luck.

I just bought a new mat, Fiskars, color yellow/lime green
size 23/17 got it 50 percent off, total 12.50
no bad.

oops, got it at Joanns.

The June Taylor have the built in handle. I prefer either the olfa or fiskers

Ohhhhh.... The OLFA, without a doubt. The green with the yellow markings is sooooooo.... much easier on these tired old eyes than the gray and white one. For the same reason, I stick with their rulers as much as possible, because the yellow markings are just so much easier to see.

DH and I went to Joann's today and got almost everything at 50% off!

Got the FISKERS cutting mat, the big one... Sniffed the Olfa's and boy, did they smell strong. Since I have allergies we knew that wasn't a good thing for me to be in the same room with.. plus it's reversible, which is a good thing, too.. Fred was just wonderful all day! I think this was his first time ever in a fabric store, and he even was encouraging me to buy more than I did! On the way home he asked me how many computer/electronic shows had I gone to with him over the years... so now he thinks he has some catching up to do with me and my interests. Bless his heart!

I have an ALvin too

I have both Olfa and Fiskars. I love the colors and double gridded sides on my Fiskars. My Olfa has seen many projects but I don't like the different thickness of the grid lines - makes cutting more diffacult for me.

I like omnigrid and have had it a long time

olfa all the way! Of course, it is the only thing I've ever used, so can't compare.

I don't have a favorite brand but I like my cutting mat with the measurement numbers the same on the opposite side it makes lining up your ruler much easier if you can see your ruler is on the same number on both sides (hope this makes sense. Sandie

Oh shoot, I should have seen this posting B4 I went to Joanns and got the Olfa, same size but the Alvin is still cheaper even with S&H. Hmmm may order it and take Joanns back. Wish it would have said how thick it is.

I've read many quilt sites and on TV that we shouldn't be using the grid lines on our mats but to use our rulers and squares instead.

I know that when I first started I used the grid lines just cuz they were there. But when the 'right side' of my mat got chewed up over time I flipped it to the back where there were no grid lines and found that I really do like using the rulers best for using to measure.

The new mat I got today has markings on one side only. I might just start out using the side with no markings first. It is what I've become used to over the last several years.

I like Olfa. Just take some Dawn and scrub it down and dry it out before using.

I have several sizes of Olfa and like them. Last year I stepped back and accidentally stepped a little on an old one I had that was put off to the side. It shattered! I could not believe it. It was old and I had not used it much for a while. It just dried out. That was all my fault. I still love them!