Cutting mats--Which 1 do you's have
 

I have a ??, for all quilters. I will tell you's I have a Olfa cutting mat. But I'm beginning to dislike that mat. It seems after useing it and cutting material over and over. And flipping it over and over. I'm beginning to see the cut marks from my rotary cutter. I do change my blade also. Is there any ideal's, any of yous can give me. My mat is still useable. Is there a better quality mat, I can check into. I do soak it over night, also. Take a scratch(wirey) pad after soaking. To try and get some of the cutting mark's out of the pad. Thank's for any help, everyone. Don-isewman

Olfa mats should last years and years. I can't think why you are having trouble. are you sure you have only one blade and that's it's in good condition? I don't know what to tell you.

I bought a new Olfa mat at JAF and it too is showing wear quickly. I would have bought a Omnigrid but they didn't have any during that nice Thanksgiving day sale last year. I don't drive so it is difficult for me to get to the sale when they have a great coupon burning a hole in my pocket. 60% off coupon from JAF does get me excited !!

I have a Fiskars rotary cutter and large mat. Not reversible and in good shape. I left my hot iron sitting on it and got a warped spot. I cut that out and now have two smaller mats. I bought another like it with green/1/s and yellow/o/s.

well I've had mine for years. I have two large ones actually. both still great. I've never soaked mine but did once wipe it with a wet cloth. Perhaps they aren't made as good these days..... not sure. Complain to the company!!

I have had Olfa mats over the years... and I am with you on thinking they just don't last as long as they used to. I change my blade frequently .. and keep it clean.... I guess my expectations have been reduced. ( yes I tried soaking them..not much improvement).
I still can find one that last like my early Olfa mat. .. and the new ones will smell if you don't give them time to air out.

Some self healing mats are stored in a warehouse for a long time and they are dried out by the time you buy them. Soak the mat in room temp water over night and wipe dry. That may help but not much if it is really dry. If you get a new one be sure and soak it at least once a year.

I have an Alvin mat - have had it less than a year, but so far so good. And, they are not expensive - 24x36 about $25 on Amazon.

Are you cutting over and over in the same place on your mat? I try not to do that. I have an Olfa also, before I bought a new one I noticed that cutting lines were showing on my old one, where I tended to cut all the time. I try not to do that on this one and so far so good. I have had this one over 2 years, and I am in my sewing room everyday.

I just wipe mine with a micro-fiber cloth and sometimes one of those micro-fiber erasers. I have no problem with it. I don't set anything other than the smaller 12" rotary mat I have on it and maybe scraps of material. I do rotate my mat, if that makes any difference.

I have a large blue Dritz Dura Heal mat that I've had for years with NO complaints. Also several smaller Olfa mats, including a rotating one, that have been very durable. I get them when Joann's have 50% or 60% off coupons. Maybe it's just time to treat yourself to a new one. :o)

I tried a "Big Mat" didn't like it, and got a Martelli. It's thicker than usual, so it feels different. Haven't had it long enough to make a judgment on how it will last.

On the Olfas - It just might depend on when the mat was made, and how long it was stored. I've got a couple of 12x18 that have been hanging around forever. One was kept at work since I preferred an Exacto knife for certain jobs rather than the paper cutter. Using it to cut paper for crafting this week, again using an Exacto, and it feels and behaves just fine.

I bought a rotating 12x12 mat about 3 or 4 years ago, it hasn't been used that much, yet it's dry and cracked. It could have been a bad batch, or else a change of materials in making the mats.

I am waiting to replace my very old martelli mat. It has lasted the longest and I have worked with it with the best results. My rotary blades seem to last longer also. Am waiting to our big quilt festival to get one from the dealer there.

I have Olfa mats and one rotating Fiskar mat. I like to rotating feature, but not the hardness of the Fiskar mat. My birthday present (and Christmas, too) was a Martelli mat. Since I just got it, I have no idea how long it will last, but several people on here raved about the Martelli mat, so I figured it would be worth a try. If it lasts as long as some of the folks say, then I figure the price will be comparable to buying several of the others.

I would soak the mat in lukewarm water with a 1/2 cup of white vinegar, let it sit for at least an hour and then let it dry flat. Fons & Porter say it makes the mat like new

Humm, I have noticed wear on mine also and it really is not that old.

I allso have been in the mood to buy a new mat and have been checking out Olfa's mats what I have noticed is some of the Olfa mats are thinner then others. The same as a Frisker mat thinness, where some are thicker. On the thicker ones it says self healing but I couldn't find that being said on the thinner ones. So I have to wonder if there are two different mats made by Olfa now.

I have had my June tailor for quite a while

I have had the "Big Mat" almost two years now and I notice I have had not to replace the rotary cutting blades as often as I did in the past. I got mine at one of the quilting/sewing expos as a show special. Love it.

I have 3 Olfa mats in various sizes and have not had any problems with any of them. They all get used and the rotary cutter hasn't left any marks on them. I do keep them clean and pretty lint free. Wiping them down with a damp cloth at the end o the day seems to do the trick for me.

I have an Olfa...but it is a mess. I cut a lot of fleece on it, and think I need to wash and scrub it! My sister also left an iron shinny spot on it...not the mats fault. I use the back side for all the fleece!

Martelli mats and rotary cutters are by far the best thing out there. One quilter/sewer's opinion. Have used both for years and want buy anything else.

I HEARD olfa HAS A LIFETIME WARRANTY, SO GIVE THEM A CALL, THEY WILL SEND YOU A NEW ONE, THEY WILL WANT A PICTURE OF YOUR MAT.

I bought the big mat (I think 30x60 or maybe bigger?) from Martelli when they had it for 1/2 price. It is the type that repairs itself. I really like it. I also have a 36x50 (I think) mat that is out of that really hard plastic or whatever it is called that evidently came from a quilting store. I really like that one too. If you sign up to receive Martelli newsletters, they will let you know when they have their 50% off sales.

I have a Martelli mat and one thing I have found is don't cut batting on it. My mat is now fuzzy. So I too need to find a way to clean it up.

I have a June Taylor that I use a lot. No problems. Also have an olfa but not used as much. Both of these mats are old. Maybe they changed the way they are made now.

I learn so much from this board.....I had no idea cutting boards need to be soaked. I have olfa in 6 different sizes, including the large rotating one. The first two I purchased in 2008, I have never had any problems with them. Should I soak them?

Olfa can be soaked, not sure of the others. always check first.

I have only one large one for 12 years and use it all time! I think a lot of things are not as good as they used to be!

My first cutting mat was a June Taylor that I only replaced it when it was snapped in half during shipping when I moved back to Oregon from Texas. I bought the current one (24"x24") in 2006 and it is still in very good condition. I use a big pink eraser to get the fibers off of it, and wash it regularly with water and a little dish soap. I have decided that when finances allow, I want a smaller one to use for cutting smaller pieces, and to be able to turn it for easier cutting.

I have four different ones, Olfa large one and a rotary one, Martelli, Horn, and Fons and Porter - I use them all for various cutting.

My Olfa mat has lasted for years. I have never soaked it. You said you scrub it with a wirey scrubber That sounds sort of harsh. Maybe that is part of the problem. I now have a 4x4 cutting table. I had a white mat that was really big from JoAnns. I was not very happy with it. It didn't last very long so I don't recommend that brand. I just bought a new mat from cutting-mats.net. I wanted a big one. Mine is 3x4. So far it is working well. But I have only had it for 6 months.

I have several Olfa mats in varying sizes and have had really good luck with them. Two of the larger ones are over 10 years old and used a lot. I do try to move around where I cut on them so as to not be cutting over and over again in the same spot. I bought a Fiskar brand one that was part of a set of ruler, cutter and mat. I kept it stored in the cardboard package it came in and it warped the first summer I had it. Yes I know it gets hot in Florida but not that hot! It wasn't in the sun at all, stored flat and I didn't treat it any differently than my Olfa mats and never had a problem with them.

I have 3 Olfa cutting mats, in various sizes, small portable to very large, that are still good after several years of use. I did purchase a mat scrubber several years ago, sorry I don't know from what source, and that seems to do a good job of smoothing out the cuts from the rotary blade, especially after some long hours of cutting fabric.

I'm on my 2nd Olfa 24X36 cutting matt. The other one just got worn out after many years. Bought a Fiskars to try. It was horrible. Everywhere I cut, it cut through a thin layer of the cutting matt. Once there were more than a few chunks missing, it starting to affect my cutting of fabric by skipping, etc. After a week I took it back to JAF and applied the cost of that one to a brand new Olfa.

Love my Alvin mat that I bought to replace a June Tailor mat. I do not personally recommend the JT mat but others like them. I love my Alvin mat - best thing I have bought myself in a while minus the vintage sewing machines. :D

Cutting mats
 

I have Fiskers reversable and they are just wonderful. I use them often. I work with a charity organization and it is WELL used. I have had mine for about three years and they do not have noticeable marks. And I know I am very heavy with my cuts. Heavy handed. Anyhow, It was the best thing besides the rotary cutter I have bought. They were suggested to me while shopping for the day after thanksgiving sale at Joann's while waiting for my number to be called.

Sounds like you may be using a dull blade in your Olfa cutter and bearing down too hard. I have those mats and have had them for years and they are still not cut up. If yours is cut up too much, I would just go out and purchase a new one.

Must be the quality of the newer ones. I have one I have used for nearly 15 years, and it is still going strong. I did get a new one recently, but only because I wanted a larger cutting area on my table