That looks like a pretty neat sharpener, BellaBoo. I will have to put that on my wish list!

If you are cutting strips, check Nancy's Notions for the Fiskar ruler with built in cutting blade. It's called a rotary ruler. How unique.

http://www.nancysnotions.com/product...rrivals&page=1

I love mine (I know its pricey but have had it for years and use it for a lot more than fabric, I just use different blades). I didn't buy it here actually. I purchased at Walmart when it still had a fabric department. You might see it somewhere else. It might pay for itself in fabric in the long run. Mine sure has.

I use a Martelli rotary cutter also..and I always have a nice clean cut. My blades last forever also. According to the young man that sells the rotary cutter... that correct cutting is affected by the way you hold the cutter. Check out their website. You can use any brand of blades for this rotary cutter.

I also have this ruler/cutter and got mine at WM too. Blade dulled quickly on it too, but I haven't changed it yet. I'm still using the same Olfa 45mm rotary cutter I bought 15 years ago!

Thanks, I'll check their website. I'd hate to think I've been rotary cutting wrong all these years :roll: :roll:

You will get your blades to last longer if you flip them around when you think they are getting dull. Every cutter, I don't care who makes them, has a slight percent of angle to the blade. By turning the blade around you are getting a new edge (I've worked with a lot of different equipment over the years. There is always deviation.)

I also use an old rotory cutter. I explain to people all the time not all tools fit the job or the person using it That is why there are so many with the same purpose and different designs. It isn't all marketing (lots of money goes into development and design too).

I just know that if I am cutting long strips, I want a cutter that will stay with the same orientation every time. I don't want to worry that I might have tilted the cutter off angle or something.

Thanks Lab fairy, I'll try reversing my blades. I read somewhere about rolling it over aluminum foil, that will help sharpen the blades, but I haven't tried it yet.

I saw that online, was wondering just what that edge was made of

That's an interesting question. The honing blades for our knife sharpeners (a Lansky, not that nasty round kitchen thing that came with our knives) has some stones that appear to be like marble. A couple of the stones look rougher and grittier. We pick the stone to match the dullness (coarsest first, smoothest last). Something else for me to research. I wonder if there is a spec sheet for it somewhere.

take the blade off (be careful) as lint collects on them and someone said to turn the blade around