I don't mean to hijack this thread, but patski, does an occasional bath really work? I've seen that "tip" on pinterest, but never really knew if it was legit or not.....

Fiskars is made of a cheaper substance that will quickly dull your blades and soon need replacing.....a lot sooner than Olfa, for sure! I am NOT familiar with the Martinelli/Marteli mats. But, remember Olfa was the first cutting mat, designed for the engineering industry and picked up by quilters.....who knew a great thing when they saw it!....many, many years ago. It was designed for use with exacto-type blades, so you know it works well with our rotary cutters.

This is one of the tools that is truly "you get what you pay for".

Jan in VA

I have had my Olfa 12 x 18 mat from the beginning--probably 25 years. Then I ironed some quilting project and warped the board. Put it away under some fabric and bought a new one. The fabric made the mat flat, so now I have two. lol
Sue

Olfa here... I also own a smaller Fiskars but still like the feel of cutting on the Olfa better. (maybe it's all in my head) Have had my Olfa mat for more than 4 years and it doesn't show much wear.

I had a Fiskars and it warped within the first year even though I took proper care of it. I've had an Olfa mat for over 20 years that I use all the time and it is still going strong. Personally, I would never buy another Fiskars mat given the experience I had.

I have two Alvin mats and love them. Black on one side and green on the other, both with markings. I don't find they dull the blades at all, and I do a lot of cutting on the larger mat.

Has anyone used the Ansio cutting mats? Are they any good? A lot cheaper than Olfa, but 5 layers..?

I just went to Amazon and searched for a "rotary cutting mat" and found a great one marketed to architects, for a very small investment, and ordered a 36" x 24". It is pink on one side, and blue on the other. (They also offer a green/black one) Both sides are gridded, and my cutting is so much more accurate than when I was using a June Taylor hard mat.

I have an Olfa 24"X36" and a Martinelli 36"X72" mat. I use the Martelli more often since it is larger. I like that I have space for two separate projects on it. I am usually working on both a charity quilt and a personal quilt at the same time so it is easier for me to stay organized. Plus, since it is 6' long, it is so much easier to cut the quilt down before binding since you don't often have to move the quilt, just your ruler. I waited for the 50% off sale. I give my mats a vinegar bath 2-3X a year. I don't know if it helps, but I figure it can't hurt since I don't wipe down on the in between.

Martelli. I love mine.