What kind of these do you use? I have had an Olfa for years and just ordered a Clover soft handle. I was watching Nancy Zieman and she was using a Clover and made it look so easy. I have always had trouble with the Olfa it skips a lot. I guess the Clover uses just the right amount of blade to cut.

I have used olfa for years and then Joann's had a 40% off sale and I picked up the gingher and Love it. light weight and handle feels great in hand and very sharp.

I haven't had very good results with rotary cutters. I have 2 of them. One is Fiskars and I can't remember what the other is. Mine skip as well. I have to go over it again to get the strands it missed and the ends look horribly choppy. Crazy as this sounds...I get my hisband to make thick plastic template squares at work. Any size I need. I use a pencil and trace what I need then cut it out with my scissors. It's extra work but I'm really anal about that choppy look.

I have an Olfa and just love it. I used to have a Fiskars and I now use that for cutting out paper or template material. If my rotary cutter begins to skip, I replace the blade (or turn it over for extra life) and that takes care of the problem. Could the skipping problem be because the blade is dull in spots?

I have always used my Olfa. They work just great for me.

I just love my Olfa...

i have olfa and i'm happy with it. i have it in all the sizes.

i do go thru blades though - once you see a skip its time to change the blade.

i keep my dull ones to cut paper.

i've been thinking about buying the blade sharpener - does any one have it?

I use the Olfa the you have to squeeze the handle on to get the blade to show and it retracts when you let go....saves on blades.....and only use the Olfa blades seem to be sharper....I oil my blade once in awhile and that seems to make it last longer....maybe I'm crazy but if it works wooo hoooo......:-).......someone suggested running blade threw foil....sharpened the blade.....:-) .....haven't tried that one but will give it a go....:-)

2 Fiskars here and I love them. I do try to keep sharp blades in them. Use a blade sharpener before starting a new project. I cut about 6 layers at a time.

I have the cheapy blade sharpener and it works OK.
At least the cutter dosnt skip after I sharpen so it is worth it.
You do need to twist it back and forth alot of times and use both sides of sharpener.

I have a 45mm Olfa and a smaller one that I never use. My blades get a spin around the sharpener stone from time to time when they start to skip.

I've used them all but the best and the only one I use now is the Gingher Rotary cutter with the Gingher blades.

I still use the Olfa cutter I bought nearly 20 years ago. I have had no reason to replace it - it's not broken. I have a couple identical ones, too, given to me when a friend died.

Because I have taught quiltmaking for so long, I have tried just about every cutter out there, but I still end up with my Olfa. If I ever do need to buy a new one, it will be the Olfa retractable. That is the one I recommend to all my students.

If it is skipping threads or not cutting well, the problem is the blade. They do need to be changed more often than you might think.

I have Olfas big and small, but I use my Martelli all the time now, it is more ergonomic. Alas, it does not close automatically, but I do try to remember to close it. New blades make a world of difference. :lol:

The old blade skipped and so does the new one I bought to replace it. Maybe it is the operator. LOL

I have a Martelli that I use all the time. I used to cut sitting down all the time and it was great for that too! I also have Fiskers and Olfa. Have been tempted to try the Gingher but since I like the Martelli so much, I figure, Why Bother?

kluedesigns-I've got one, don't like it. They don't stay sharp long. I get my blades at House of Hanson-pack of 10 Olfa blades, $32.00, no shipping and handling, excellent service.

I wonder if the blade has been tightened correctly? I have an Olfa cutter and love it, but I do sometimes have difficulty figuring out how tight I need to make the nut that holds the blade in place. If the blade is so loose it wobbles a little, that can cause skipping and poor cutting. On the other hand, if it's too tight the blade doesn't turn well. Try experimenting with that aspect of the cutter, especially if you have some scrap fabric you could cut up.

The blades nick very easily, and the nicks are not always easy to see. A nicked blade will cut cleanly but skip threads periodically. A dull blade, on the other hand, is more likely to not cut cleanly through for the whole length of the cut.

I buy 10 or more blades at a time on eBay. Occasionally there might be a nicked blade right out of the package; I wonder if you got one of those. However, I think it's more likely that the blade is either too tight or too loose in the cutter. Yet another possibility is that your cutter is warped a little. Is your cutting mat in good condition? The brand of cutting mat can make a difference too. I think it's June Tailor that some people complain about. Most people like the Olfa mat.

That's good to know about needing to be tight so it won't skip! Mine frequently skip and it's just 1 darn thread! I was beginning to wonder if it was maybe even the cutting mat.

I think I have Olfa...it's yellow and you squeeze the handle to open it. You can lock it open, but I rarely do that.

I have three Olfas and use them all the time but I tried a Martelli at the Sewing Expo in Worchester MA this weekend and REALLY liked it. It was easy to use and less stressful on your hand (your hand "rests" on the top as you push forward rather than gripping the handle). Also the folks doing the demo claimed that the blades lasted longer (??? - or so they claimed).

I may have to add this to my ever growing Wish list. :roll:

Ya remember the ads for shavers that they lined up 100 guys or something to use the same blade (yuk)? Don't believe it.

Same thing with rotaries... use the blades, get rid of them when they stop cutting perfectly. Use EBay to get blades (genuine OLAF) cheap. I have dozens of them in a box waiting to be used.

tim in san jose

This thread is just in time for me. My rotary cutter BROKE yesterday while I was cutting! Actually the thingy that retracts the blade broke off. It's plastic and no way to fix it. I'm using it till I can get out to pick up another one, but it's kinda scary knowing I can't retract the blade. I'm definitely going to check out what's new on the market.

This may seem like a silly question but is your cutting mat all cut up from use or is it fairly new? I know if you get a cut in your rotary mat (my sister chewed mine all up when she used it) it will tend to skip when you are cutting over that area. Just a thought.

No I have two mats and I have been using the new one exclusively.

I use Fiskars. LOVE the grip. It seems more ergonomic.

Changing the blades is easy, too. A LOT of my cutting tools are Fiskars.

I use Fiskars. LOVE the grip. It seems more ergonomic.

Changing the blades is easy, too. A LOT of my cutting tools are Fiskars.