A new blade will cut like a hot knife through butter so worth it!!!!!

You get what you pay for. Too many people have complained about the cheap blades. They aren't worth the frustration, and think of the EXTRA time you will spend changing blades oftener.

I have my old 1970's style cutter with an old, old blade on it marked "for paper". One day I was ready to cut something and couldn't see my good cutter in plain sight, so I grabbed the paper cutter and it worked just fine. That blade is years old and has gone through a lot of paper and cardboard.

A hard surface mat is best for the blades. The blade rolls on top of it instead of cutting into the mat. That's why soft mats are called self healing, the blade cuts them. The more pressure the deeper the cut into the mat.

Guilty here too!

When you "ride" the blade until your shoulder hurts, it's time to change the blade!

I USED TO do this, but no more.......quilting cotton is just too expensive to ruin over a much cheaper rotary cutter blade......Martelli, on their REDLINE DIRECT sales have their blades @ 50% off retail every couple of months, and I stock up then......Their blades last so much longer than any other brand I have used, and I am hard on blades.....

I'm just as guilty as you in changing blades. And yes, I have lots of new blades as I just ordered them along with a blade sharpner. I pondered on whether it would be worth it as I've heard so many pros and cons on certain brands but finally decided to try it. I've sharpened some of my blades and it seems to have worked okay. I keep on rotary cutter just for cutting paper items and the other for fabrics only. I have the bad happen of just grabbing a cutter no matter what I'm cutting at the time. Bad, bad, bad of me. Now I have them marked so I won't make that mistake.

I also found out my blades last a shorter time due to my overly gouged cutting mat. The same blade cuts so much better on a self-healing mat so when I can save up for it, I'm getting a new 6' x 8' self-healing mat. Found a company that will cut to size and send you the leftovers too as they cut from a certain size. Expensive but I think so worth it if it will save on my blades as we have found are getting more expensive every day.

i havent bought blades for years. i sharpen mine by running the rotory though aluiminmun foil.

I have the same problem. The last time I changed my blade it was harder to cut than it was before! And it wasn't really cutting the fabric as much as it was fraying and shredding it. It was getting little scrolls of lint everywhere. It was horrible. I decided it must have been the blade and I went to change it and it was the weirdest thing. I had accidentally put in two new blades instead of one. The oil on them made them stick together. Lesson learn. I am now CAREFUL when I replace my blades. It's just as important to me to only put one blade in as it is to not cut myself in the process of switching them out. :)

We all do that, even with the Harbor Freight blades, I find myself going as long as I can. Just habit I suppose.