Cutting Boards?
 

Which do you folks prefer when buying a new cutting board, the regular or self healing?

Thanks for your input.
Susan/JuneBillie

If you're talking mats, I prefer self-healing.

Yes I am talking cutting mats. I have lupus etc. so sometimes I don't get out the right words. lol..

I've had my self healing Olfa for at least 10 years and still liking it.

Self healing for me.

I have the "hard" blue one with white lines. Like the firmness. I've been using it for about eight to ten years.

I like the Olfa mats...they last many years!

Self healing Olfa

Self healing Ofla for me too!

I have both but like the self healing one best.

I bought a gingher a year a go on Amazon at Christmas, markings on both sides and is thicker. Wish I had bought 2. Friskars bought them out and theirs is thinner.

I have had both and I like the self-healing olfa mat the best. Just be sure you don't allow the sun to reach it. I ruined one like that. A very costly mistake!

i have 3 sizes of the olfa self-healing... wouldn't have any other

Thanks everyone. Right now I have a self healing, and then one that was my mothers that is not, but wanted more input so when I get another one. I never find a good way to clean my self healing, otherwise I like it.

I prefer self-healing also. FYI... I clean mine with a couple drops of dish soap and a finger nail brush. Then Rinse it in the shower with the hand hold spray thing. Then I let it dry on the kitchen counter with a towel under it. I do not scrub hard. Just work up a little foam with a little water in a spray bottle or dip the brush in a bowl of water from time to time. Baby Shampoo works great too.

I prefer the Omnigrid mats. They are a little thicker than others, they are self healing mats and you can also use the back when the front is worn. They last me a long time. I wait until JAF has them on sale at 50% off online.

I prefer self-healing mats; mine is an Alvin brand mat I bought from Amazon and I LOVE it. It's a large mat so it's too big for me to soak it in a sink to rehydrate it, so periodically I mist it thoroughly with water and gently scrub at any lines with a green scrub pad and let it sit there damp for awhile. I cut batting on it and that tends to leave little tufts of batting in the cuts that prevents it from healing; this "spa" treatment removes those little tufts and helps keep it all nice and healed up.

I don't use the lines on the mat to cut with most of the time, so I try to make sure I'm moving my cut lines around on the mat and not always using the same spot. I think that helps them "live" longer too.

Had the regular cutting mat for years and by this time it had quite a few cuts into it from using the same area all the time. Used my revolving cutting mat when squaring up blocks and realized it was a self-healing mat and I really liked it. Seemed I could trim better with it too. So I went searching for a self-healing mat in a larger size to fit my table. Couldn't find one to fit so made a new table to fit the mat.........4' x 8'. Wanted the mat to completely cover the table. Its also reversible so if I do ever damage this side I can always turn it over. One side is the green and the other side is black. Both have the markings on them. Its an Alvin (I think that's the brand name). Smelled terribly when I first got it but now no smell. It also cleaned up easily too as I use Elmer's Glue at times and get a bit messy.

I have used these forever as well

Self healing Olfa. I've had good luck with them. I had a Fiskar self healing mat and it warped even though I kept it out of the sun and kept it flat so I wouldn't buy another of that brand. My Olfa ones are both 10-12 years old and still going strong.

Oh I love my self healing mats I own a small one and a larger one I love them both you sure can tell my smaller is used a lot.

Self-healing
-VC

Me too!!!!!!!!

I prefer self healing - they seem to last longer to me.

So glad you asked this Susan .
I,m new to quilting and got a greening cutting board 3 quilts ago .
It,s called a Hobby cutting board.And now I,m thinking its the board and not me as I have really bad cut marks on the board and was thinking it was me doing it .
Nice to see every one saying there,s last a long time . I guess i,ll go out and get a name brand self heeling cutting board this time . Not some thing from Taiwan .
That will teach me you get what you pay for.
Have a good day everyone
Tom

I have used several kinds but my by far favorite is Martelli. It is heavy duty, heat nor cold does not bother it (you can even press on it, which I don't do), it is both sided (purple on one side and yellow on the other), marked well, self healing, etc., etc. They are a little pricey but well worth it. Also love their rotary cutters. You can check the out on line at Martelli.com , they are out of Florida.

I use only the self healing.

I just replaced my hard blue type with a self-healing mat. The difference was unbelievable! I have always had a hard blue one and never knew how much easier it is to be accurate, when the mat has no slippage. I will never buy another hard blue one.

Self healing for me........Had OLFA for 5 years........ Large Size...........Will replace with same kind and size when I need another mat.

Self Healing Olfa mats for me! I have 3 of them, one of them is about 20 years old, is a little marked up but still works great, the other 2 are 8 or 9 yrs old and in almost like-new condition. Keep them clean, store them flat and they will last a long long time. Helpful hint for all self healing mats: I use a gum eraser to get any little threads out of the cuts between the times that I wash them.

I like the self healing mats better. I do have a couple cutting boards that aren't self healing but I hardly ever use them

I'm going to have to check out the self healing cutting mats. speaking of which, anyone else not getting joann coupons like they used to? yes, i know, you have to use them or lose them. i just think joann is passing out fewer 50% off coupons.

Olfa self-healing

I have both kinds. I have an old, non-self-healing mat that I've have for at least 30 years that has seen everything. At one time, it was even the kids messy mat. Now I use it to square up quilts because it's so big. I also have 2 self-healing mats: an Olfa rotating cutting mat and a large, Omnigrid mat. I use both of them regularly. The Olfa's surface does not heal as nicely as the Omnigrid, but I love that it rotates. I wish I could repair it some way.

~ Cindy

I have a self healing one that is white with blue lines. Can't remember its mfg, but got it at a quilt store. The ones at Joann's, or any of the blue, green, pink ones give off an odor that gives me headaches.

My regualr sized 16 year old Fiskars needs to be replaced. I've used it for quilting scrapbooking, anything...

I have an oversized Olfa that I really like for large jobs/trimming the wole quilt so I'll get a smaller one like it...

Self healing for me too.

2 hours ago I ordered a self healing from Joanns, going from a blue with white lines to a self healer. I was SO happy to read this!

I've bought several, my favorite 2 I have are these:
http://www.amazon.com/Alvin-Professi...ry+cutting+mat

I've only used 1 of them, as it's really stood up for the last 5+ years, and it's still going. So I put the other one underneath it for future use.
I use the green side, honestly haven't tried the black side. It's self healing, though I'm not sure it says that in the description. It's a thick sturdy mat, that is similar to the Olfa mats.

Regards,
Kif

I like the self healing mats the best.