What a difference this made🥰
 

I put a post it note on my new rotary blade case with the date that I put in the new blade.
I went from 7-18-21 to 2-13-22 with the same blade. I am not a prolific quilter as I work full time.
I change to a new blade at the first sign of areas of uncut fabric. Now back to my cutting with my pristine new blade.
Oh one more thing... what do you do with your Old rotary blades? Thank you

I put my old blades in the plastic container the new ones came in - but I have " used" written on the top and bottom of the container.

I have a tall pill bottle from the pharmacy where I put old rotary blades and bent pins. I cut a small hole in the lid so I can drop pins in easily, but remove the lid for blades. It's transparent so I can see when it's full and it's safe to handle.

This is a great idea!

I also keep my old blades in one of the cases the new ones come in. I also write "used" on the case as well as the blade (it's generally pretty obvious, but I sometimes need help seeing the obvious. :-))

''Totally agree .... dates really tell us nothing, as to when we need to change a blade. Old worn cutting mats can impede the "cut like butter" ability. Just got a new cutting mat and oh what a difference it makes to the ease of cutting and how long my blades will now last!

Like Tartan, I keep a rotary cutter with an old blade and marked as such. Works great for paper and such.

Used blades, pins, needles all go into a piggy bank that just happened to have the right slot size for the blades to go through. It'll be a long time before it will need emptying. Only wish I had put a date on as to when I started it, just for curiosity's sake! :)

If you chain piecing...there's a gadget for cutting thread and it's called Blade Saver.
You can use it with your old blades. Comes in 2 sizes for 45mm and 60mm blades.

I put them in an altoid tin.

I sharpen them. When they can no longer be sharpened, they get put in an old parmesan cheese container- I've yet to fill it.

Rob

I saved some small Pringle chip cans and put my old ones into one labeled used and new in one labeled New. most are in those little yellow covers the sets come in too. time before last i evidently changed my blade and put in two at that time. Later on i couldn't think why it was cutting so badly. .... well two were thoroughly stuck together. I put both blades into the Used can!! Now the one single blade cuts like it should!

So when your can or jar is full of used blades, how do your discard them?

I put my used (ruined) pins, needles and cutters in a small, cheap plastic container with a lid. When it's full, I cap it off and put it in the garbage and start a new one. Or, you can take them out and wrap them in many layers of paper towels, put in a clear freezer bag and discard in the garbage.

You would need to find out what is allowable in your municipality re disposal.

For now, I think my piggy bank is large enough that I doubt I will ever have to worry about disposal!

I have a good sized jar candle. I often light it while I am sewing. I drop bent needles, pins and used blades into it. The wax melts and the sharps sink into it. When I blow out the flame the wax hardens over them. When the candles gets full and too low, I toss it in the garbage safely!

Like others here, I put used discarded blades back into a "used" container and put pins and needles into a small pill bottle. I take the containers with me when I have my yearly physical and empty them into the used needle container on the wall in the exam room, and they are processed safely. Many public restrooms also have these containers on the wall.

This is what I do as well. Makes for easy and easily identifiable storage.

I use an empty peanut butter jr for bad pins , needles, and blades. When full it can be disposed of safely. I am on my 2nd jare.

I use a Ball canning jar and have a hole for pins and needles.

When I change my blades, I put them into another case just like they came in and have a note on the front saying "To be sharpened". Once sharpened I'll use it till it dull again and put it into another case that says "Sharpen for paper". I then use it for cutting anything but fabric until it's not longer decent for paper items. then I put it into another case that says "Dispose" so when it's full it gets tossed safely. I do this for all size blades I use. This way I get as much use out of them as possible. I add a mark on the blade once it's been sharpened once, another mark when it's been sharpened again so I know how many times it's been sharpened. Magic markers work great for this.

I change my blade at first skip. I don't save old blades. I toss in trash bin after sandwiching the blade in wide masking tape .I don't see the sense of storing old blades waiting to throw away.

One of my worst habits is not changing blades often enough. When I do I just shake my head at my stupidity. A new blade is so nice!
I put old ones in the containers they come in and write used or else I'd get mixed up, or I wrap them up in tape and toss.

I too put them in a case that new blades came in once I have an empty case until that time I have put them in a sharps container for my injectable meds. Nothing has been said about this as they certainly are sharp.

I'm with you, a sharp blade always feels so luxurious it makes me wonder why I didn't change it sooner.

I store old blades and pins in an empty tea tin. When it's full I take it to the drug store for the sharps container, although the pharmacist wouldn't handle my last batch so I just might find a container in a public bathroom and use it.

I put masking tape on the blades front and back for and throw them in the trash. They are never handled by people again.

I put my old used blades back in container they come in and mark OLD. I use them to trim quilts after quilting and before putting binding on. I was amazed at how long the were sharp. I have a large pill bottle. When too dull to use for anything I throw them in trash

Old machine needles and bent straight pins go into a smaller pill bottle and tossed in the trash.

Our trash hauler doesn't care.

What do you sharpen them with? I’ve sharpened knives with a whetstone and I have a device for scissors, but not rotary blades. Does it work well?

Sally, that is what i do also!!!

use of used blades.
 

I use my old blades for outside projects. They are perfect for cutting plastics, landscrape fabric and fiberglass window screening. Tinker

I also put my old blades in an old pill bottle just for safety. I sharpen my blades with a rotary blade sharpener from Tri-sharp, with limited success. I hear from other quilters that have the electric sharpener that it's not much better. Easypeasy I drilled hole in scrap block of wood to fit my seam ripper in and cut my chained-pieced blocks apart that way, it works really fast and it's cheap.

I change blades so often it's not even funny, or so it seems. My old blades and dull needles are dropped into an old empty Kraft Parmesan cheese container and stored on my cutting table until it's full. I get a new container and start all over again.

I also use a small jar. Takes a long time for it to get full.

I change blades at the first skip.. I use to save them and never once used an old blade for anything. Now the used blade goes in the trash. I put it between a strip of clear packing tape.

How will you get them out of the piggy bank? Or, are you going to throw it out?

I feel this way about a new toothbrush, new washcloths, new bras, new kitchen sponges and white flour sack towels, and new windshield wipers. I put the new whatever on and think "Ahhhh this is SO much better, why did I wait so long??" 😆

I do the same thing. We can take household sharps to the environmental center in our county to dispose of them.

Leslie

I love this idea and plan to use it today. I have an old rotary cutter and some old blades that I didn't know what to do with. Thank you!