Gosh, Maybe I just need to buy a new rotary cutter. I bought some of the cheaper carpet cutter blades and mine are just awful. I bought 3- 2packs from Harbor Freight and they skip and won't cut. Do you all really think they are good. Like I said, my cutter is old. :thumbdown:

I like them. Granted every once in a great while I will get a blade that has a little nick in it and I just put duct tape around it and put it in my sharps disposable container. I figure for a buck or less, I am not losing any money. Don't give up on them just yet. You could have just gotten a bad package which I don't think happens too often.

Can't imagine the cutter itself is bad, it is the blade that cuts-could it be your board? I find that if I have even a little grit or anything on my board, it skips even with a new blade. I have an older (about 8 years) board and even though I clean it carefully, if I hit certain spots, my cutter skips. Sometimes, though, you can get a bad blade, I guess. I doubt they are manufactured to the highest standards that Olfa, Dritz, etc are.

I also found my problem was my board. Changed the board and the blades cut well.

I have found that sometimes it's not the blade but the cutting mat....mostly if I'm using the same area of the mat for most of my cuts. I either get a new mat, turn it over and use the back side or move to another area of the mat. Sometimes I also don't give it quite enough pressure. I have gotten brand name bad blades too, That really hurts at $5 a blade:) Besure you are cutting on a firm surface. One quilter I know was cutting using her mat on the carpet...Not firm enough for good cuts. Hope you find what works for you:)

You will find other threads on here about Harbor Freight cutting blades. There are different opinions. I bought 12 blades and not one would cut fabric. I have been using one to cut paper. Other people say they are the best thing going. I tried all of the tricks they suggested, cutting on a hard surface, new mat, cleaning off the oil, etc etc. If you do a search under Harbor Freight you will find every opinion/solution possible. Happy reading.

I have had great luck with mine :D:D:D

I love them. For sometimes less than a dollar just toss it, pop a new one in. My board is old too. I will rethink the blade I tossed. thanks

Mine seem to work fine so far.

I like them, sometimes they get dull a little quicker, but for that price, it's still a good deal!

I just got a cpl from my board sista and they work just fine! Sorry your r giving u trouble!!

No problem with mine. I just finished cutting out and trimming my Log Cabin blocks for my watermelon quilt and no problems. Sometimes I cut out 6 layers of fabric that were 2" x WOF then cut down to sizes needed.
I have used the 10" mark on my mat alot to cut on and I had to change cutting spots as no blade will cut well in the groove on the 10" mark. Other than that, no problem.

Another "yes!" vote! So nice to be able to change a blade more often without worrying about the cost!

Yup, been using them for a year and they work for me. :-D

I ruined my cutting board by not holding my cutter straight up & down. Holding it just a little slant can cut into the board. Don`t know if this has anything to do with how long the blades last.

Thanks all for responding. It very well could be my board. It is a June Tailor and pretty rough in spots. Will try the other side or get a new board. Thanks again.

I just took the plunge and bought some Harbor Freight blades. I can't wait to try them!

I've been lucky and had good results with the HF blades. At the suggestion of someone on the Board I also tried HF earplugs before investing in the real Pinmoors. So far so good there too.

I have had good luck with them too. They are so much cheaper.

You know, it could be your board. I found that my Fiskars cutting mat dulled my omni blades really, really quickly. You can imagine why I got excited about that. But, with my omni board the HF blades have really worked well. I have 3 different size omni boards and cut on all of them. I plan to use my Fiskars board for other crafts. :-D

Never had a problem with my HF blades.....check your cutting mat.

I've had really good luck with the ones I've bought.

Me too. Mine should arrive shortly.

Thanks everyone for the tips on the cutting mat. I have to admit I've made mistakes and have damaged one mat already.

By the way what is the preferred mat brand?

I had the same problem, purchased 10 packs of 2 cutters and am now taking them back! They were horrible, and greasy when I open the package!

I have been a member since 11/10.
What did I miss about carpet cutters?
LC

I had trouble with the skipping and then I found out I had tightened the screw on my cutter too tight and the blade wouldn't turn. when I corrected that it worked great. Hope this works for you.

I bought a double pack at craft store and they skip too. :evil:

My blades from Harbor Freight were awful too....threw all of them away! My older blade that I had taken out of the cutter cut better than the new Harbor Freight blades!

If your mat is really badly worn it also affects cutting, It shouldn't matter how old your cutter is. I've had mine forever and it still cuts nice

I have had the same luck. I have been able to use only 1 for every 8 I buy. Joanns is having a sale right now and I loaded up on replacement blades.

I use them and do not know the difference between the harbor freight and the ones made for quilting.

I love them, have gotten maybe 2 bad ones, but for the price I'll keep buying them....

I use one of those rolling stone sharpeners for knives to sharpen my blades. My cutting board is shot and need to replace it soon when I have the money.

Do you have more than one blade on your cutter?? :-)

Just a thought, I watched a quilt show some years back and the quilt teacher mentioned that if the rotary cutter isn't cutting just right, maybe you need to take it off and reverse it and see if that helps.

Wonder if HF uses more than one supplier? Maybe different results in different areas of the country? Mine have all been good---------so far.

All this http://www.quiltingboard.com/search....+blades&u=&s=0

:-D :-D :-D

How do you clean your boards? I just wipe mine dow with a piece of scrap fabric. Is there more to it? I really want to keep my board going as long as possible. They are a little expensive.

It might be you cutter tool... learned this from a friend who owns a shop here... try the blades in a different cutter and see if it does make a difference.....

I bought 4 packs of those cheap carpet cutters. It cut terrible and those blades will be discarded!

I had a new blade made especially for the rotary cutter so I put that one on and it cut through my fabric like butter. It's not my mat because it was brand new.