Cutting Mat or Rotary Cutter?
 

A quilting friend and I have been discussing having issues with our rotary cutter/mat. We each have two different brands of cutters and mats. We are having issues when attempting to cut our fabric strips; the rotary cutter seems to skip areas when cutting alongside the ruler. We both have tried new blades including titanium blades and the issues seem to persist.
I have read several times that the issue may not be the rotary cutter but the cutting mat. Since we have used new blades I am beginning to think that perhaps this is correct!! Opinions here??

I know I will most likely get a dozen different answers to this question. LOL so here goes.....

What brand of cutting mat is your favorite to use. Is one mat brand better then another?? Does one brand last longer than another??

As always, thank you for all of your wisdom, quilters!

When my rotary cutter starts missing a few threads I change the blade and the problem goes away. But I do think mats wear out, dry out and get small pieces of fabric threads stuck in them and over time that is bound to cause cutting issues. Have you turned your mat over and used the plain, unlined side? I have 2 green Olfa mats and have had them over 5 years. I can tell some spots in the middle where I cut a lot are starting to wear, but I feel like I have gotten my monies' worth so far!

I love my Olfa mat, but I had a cheapy Dritz mat before that which lasted me until a family member had the "thoughtful" idea to store my mat upright while I was in the hospital. Came home to a wavy, crocked mat. I was able to revitalize the mat for a while by soaking it in the bathtub & giving it a gentle scrub with a sponge and Dawn.

That said, mats do not last forever & if different rotary cutters & new blades don't solve the problem, your issue is almost certainly with the mat.

try soaking your mat in 1/2 cup white vinegar and warm water, soak for an hour then use mushroom brush to get any threads out of cuts on the mat. This will give you an almost new mat!

I should add that I live in a very dry climate. I have soaked my mat but it really didn't seem to help much. I estimate it's at least 12 years old.

Since you have tried a new blade, I would say your issue is with your mat. I do not have a favorite brand of mat.

Replace the mat.
sandy

Another thought - what kind of table do you have your mat on? I have a 6' folding table and found that it "gives" a little in the middle and will skip now and then. I have less problems if I put the mat at the end over the legs.

I have had a few brands of mats, but the Olfa lasts years longer. I love the Olfa ergonomic cutters.

I find my rotary cutters work best on a self-healing mat so when it was time to get a new one that's what I looked for. Found one to fit my talbe....4' x'8' with marking on both sides, one side is black and the other side is green. Haven't had any problems since.

Have you tried the back of the mat? You can flip them over. Having said this, I think that after 12 years you have gotten your money's worth from your current mat. I really like the Altos mats, but the only one I really, really hate are those opaque white ones which are not self healing.

Try cleaning your rotary cutter.And check to see if your ruler has nicks along the edge.

What brands do ladies own?

I have a green Olfa mat and a white Dritz mat. I use the Olfa mat constantly and the Dritz maybe once a month for one cut! The Dritz does exactly what you're describing. It does not cut the entire length when the blade is sharp and it cuts just fine on the Olfa. I own it...I use it...not going to just throw it out. I've also used numerous different mats at other places over the course of my quilting years and find non-Olfa mats do the same thing.

If/When I needed to buy another mat it would definitely be an Olfa.

Can you turn your mats over and try the other side?

Nan

turn your mat over and try cutting on the other side.

Tried all sorts of mats, grey ones, (fiskars) do not last. blue ones (not sure of Make) terrible.... white ones.....awful

green olfa are the best, but do need to be replaced after a few years....I think after 12 years it has done it's work. However, there are probably spots that can be used. Cut it up and make smaller mats either side would work in some places no doubt.

I have had my mat for some time 10-11 years. I get the best cuts when I use my kitchen table for a solid surface. No give. I have the 6' long folding table and use it but if I'm going to do a lot of cutting, I go straight to the kitchen table. It's a bit higher anyway.

I've tried several brands of mats, but now use only the green Olfa mats. I also clean it by putting it in the tub using warm water and a bit of Dawn. Let soak a few minutes, then scrub with a soft bristle brush. Dry flat.
I use the straight handle Olfa cutters as well. I find both these products are better quality, and work best for me. :)

Flip your cutting mat over and see if it is a cutting surface you can use then test the new blade you just put in your cutter. Make sure you didn't put two in by mistake. I did that once.

I use Omnigrid mats which are thicker than the Olfa mats. I buy them only online at JAF when they have 50% and free shipping.

I just purchased a two sided fiskars, I'm thrilled. Easy to see with light or dark fabrics just flip it over. And I have always been told to store flat? This one has a hole at the top to hang it up, why didn't I think of that. It also has squares from 2" to 12" that have been very useful.

I buy another one when the new cutting feel is worn off. I don't have a favorite, my new one is my favorite until I buy another.

I used to prefer Olfa, but can't handle the smell of them! Have had a fiskars for several years now. Yellow and green. Works great unless I decide to be really cheap and not change my blade! Works great again after I change it. I use a Martelli ergonomic cutter. At one place where I have a quilt group, they have a purple mat that we use. My cutter does not like that one! Hope you solve it! Ann

What kind of table are you using under your cutting mat?....when i use one particular folding table, i have this problem, because the table has a slight "dip" in the middle.

We love all our Martelli products, including the mat.

My cutting table is solid as a rock! SO I don't think that part is the issue. 😊. I will try turning over my mat and doing some cuts on that see how it works. But ultimately from what I'm reading here I really do think maybe a new cutting mat is in order! I'll wait for a great Joann fabrics coupons and purchase a new one. Thank you so much everyone for your Wisdom!! 😊

I have had brand new Olfa blades have one spot on them that won' t cut. Aggravating.

Be sure to check that your blade is not screwed in so tight that it won't roll. That's happened to me before. Thought my blade wasn't cutting. It wasn't rolling to cut!

12 years is a good, long life. It's time to send that mat off to quilt heaven & invest in a new one.

You can't go wrong with a Martelli cutting mat and their ergonomic cutters are the best. The martelli mat is much thicker than Fiskars or Olfa. A little pricey but last a good long time. I've had mine for at least 12 years and it's still going strong.

The hints in the previous posts are all good. I try not to cut in the same spot on my mat. That helps make the mat last longer. I don't use the lines on the mat to measure so it is easy to move around. The mat I have now is really old so I just turned it over to extend its life. Works just fine. Try cutting in a different area of the mat and see if you have the same problem.
I like Olfa mats as they have lasted the longest for me and have not warped like the Fiskar mat I tried.

I haven't seen anybody mention Alvin mats yet. They are less expensive than Olfa and as far as I can tell are just as good quality and come in nice large sizes for reasonable prices. I have a very large one that covers most of my cutting table and I LOVE IT! I bought it on Amazon. I own mats made by Alvin, Olfa, Fiskars & Dritz - Alvin is my favorite.

Hydrating your self-healing mat periodically is important, regardless of brand!! If yours is small enough, take it into the shower with you every now and then, and lay it somewhere flat to slowly dry (don't put it in the sun unless you're trying to fix a warp). If your mat is too large for that (like mine), what I do is every now and then I give it a good scrubbing (I just use water & a brush - this is just to remove lint and any caught fibers) and then I lay warm wet towels over it for a few hours.

If you don't do this every now and then, your mat becomes brittle and won't "heal" anymore. My oldest mat (Olfa) got so brittle that the corner of it shattered when I tried to pick it up awkwardly. Now I know better!

This reminds me, I need to soak my travel mat...

I really like the Martelli cutting mat. I bought it probably 10 years ago at the Dallas Quilt show and have had no problems whatsoever. You're absolutely right in what you said about getting dozens of answers - LOL, but I do like the suggestions about soaking your mat and getting the old threads out. To date I have not found any threads embedded in my cutting board.

Susan in (you guessed it) Texas

Kinda weird, but make sure your blade is in correctly. Go to the website of the brand you use. Just in case - mats are expensive!

I have an Alvin that I like very much too. I need a second mat, so just ordered a Sullivan, wanted to try something completely different as I've had all the name brand mats over 30 years. Waiting for it to arrive now.

I'm with the princess on this one.

I'm with you, katier825, about the Olfa mats and ergonomic cutters. I use a dining room table on risers for a cutting table, but have a large mat I bought from JoAnns (32 x 60) and it was rolled up when I bought it. I noticed that dipping problem with this mat (definitely seems to be the mat, not the table), even if I place a smaller Olfa mat (18 x 24) on top and use my Slide-lock, so I get missed spots and have to go over spots at times.

My cutting mat DID break along the edge when I picked it up!! That certainly says brittle to me!! I will try however once more to rehydrate it.

Included photos of my cutting table....ironing surface and storage area... this puppy is SOLID as a ROCK! It's on heavy duty wheels and will move but it is mega heavy!

Cutting mat that is 12 years old - time to replace.

As for the cutting problem being the cutting mat or the cutter. It could be both!

Sometimes my blade skips threads when cutting. Usually I need to change blades. But sometimes the screw that holds the blade in place is loose. That also causes wavy cuts.

Mat - I notice that I tend to cut in the same place on the mat all the time. Move your fabric to the center of the cutting mat and then cut. You might see a big difference.

I use an olfa mat and cutter. Have tried others and will always stay with Olfa.

One crazy thing we have noticed, is that blades dull very quickly when there's a granite counter top under the mat. Doesn't make sense, but we've seen it over and over at the store.

Has anyone used one of the mat renewal tools that look like a scrubber/sander? I have a large Fiskars and have used both sides, but still have some cutting "skip" issues that are really aggravating! I've scrubbed with a Mr. Clean sponge and that helps, but still seems grooved--I will try the warm wet towels on it after I clean cause it's too big for tub.

Olfa....both. The blue mat I got caused a lot of "skipping". :) Wetting the mat with warm water and scrubbing might help, too.

I had a friend that was using a mat that was so worn from use - I have no idea how she could cut anything decently with a rotary cutter on it. The top layer was missing in places - looked like a potholed road!

If a mat is used a lot - especially if the cuts are usually in the same spots - it will wear out. Age and amount of use do not always go together. It can be six months old and hacked up if used a lot.