I have the Olfa ergonomic cutter and am very happy with it. It rests naturally in my palm plus it retracts the blade when not being pushed. I still have to be careful and not do too much at a time because of tendonitis.

Love my Martelli....have two and used them for years.

Thanks folks. Sounds like I may have just overworked my hand! I am an orderly woman, and I like to get all the cutting done before I start to sew. I want to make sure I bought enough fabric before I get too far into it (I have been know to miscut sometimes <wink>). This particular quilt is a "pixelated" one, and it is all little 2" cut squares though it is basically strip pieced. I know when piecing I do the sew a little/press a little approach.

I do do have friends with the ergonomic Olfa cutter, and I may ask to use it at the next sewing get together.

Kalamaquilts, I will send you a PM!

Thanks folks.

Pam

I have the Martelli ergonomic rotary cutter and love it....so when Martelli had their 1/2 price sale a week or two ago, I ordered two more...arriving today! That's a great time to purchase! I have an Accuquilt Go but never use it, so thinking about selling it. I mostly use my JT Shape Cut Ruler. I'm really interested in the Stripology Ruler, so if anyone can tell me the upside/difference in it and the Shape Cut Ruler, I would appreciate it!

I use the JTShape cut Ruler on all my strip piecing. I cut for a few minutes (10-15) then take a break by going over my pattern instructions. If I get on much of a roll, I definitely will make mistakes.

Remember to vary your activities. It is one thing to want to get something done in a short amount of time, but it is another if you injure your hand to the point of having to rest it for a few day...what have you gained?

A member of my sewing group did a lot of cutting and lost the use of her hand for a month because she inflamed a nerve in her hand and she couldn't grip anything for a long time. She finally got a cortisone shot in her hand and is better, however, she lost an entire month of sewing, had to get an MRI, doctor visits, etc. Her doctor chastised her about doing repetitive motions for a long time and said that she needed to do things in shorter spurts and use heat and ice on her hand while doing these projects.

My first ergonomic rotary cutter was the one from Fiskars. It lasted me twenty seven years, and since that was so cash efficient and easy to use, my new one is a Fiskars too. I bought my first one at Walmart, and the second one too. If it works don't fix it. I have never tried the others, but with arthritis in my hands, this one works for me.

I have a Martelli for my left hand, but the best cutter of all is my AccuQuilt Cutter. I have the 2 1/2" and the 2" dies for it. You can cut up to 6 fabrics at one time.

I like both my Olfas and my Martellis. I am still getting used to the Martellis and the 60mm is a little bit more wobbly than my Olfa 60mm. That said, if you are going to be cutting a lot of strips or shapes, you might consider getting a Go Big or Go Big Electric, if you have the budget.

I personally have a Studio that I use for cutting any large number of items, but use my rotary cutters if I only have a few to do.

I have both Olfa and Gingher ergonomic rotary cutters - try not to do too much cutting at one time. As someone else stated, repetitive movement will hurt and isn't good. I've already had carpal tunnel surgery, have a little arthritis in my hands and get trigger finger on and off. I do believe cutting is the least favorite part of the quilting process for me. I've bought precuts before but also fabric off the bolt.