quiltedsunshine

We have discovered that if you have a granite or marble counter top under your rotary mat, that your blades dull very quickly. Don't know why -- it doesn't make sense. But several ladies have come to the same conclusion. Don't know what you've got under your mat, but you may want to try cutting on a different surface.

Also, if you're not using the same brand of blade, as your cutter, the center hole is different, and causes the blade to jerk.

I hope you find a solution.

leamelon

U can get a. Rotary blade sharper at Hancock s or Joanne s

purplefiend

I flip the blade over and can get a bit more use from it.

Sewnoma

I think heavy pressure dulls the blades faster too. I tend to be a "clencher" - I tend grip my pens and things with a death grip and use heavy pressure to write, and have had to consciously teach myself to hold things with a more delicate grip. I was doing the same with my rotary cutters, death grip and heavy pressure. Now I hold it with a softer grip and use less pressure and I swear my blades are lasting a LOT longer. My mat doesn't show the wear now either, instead of deep slices I make only very small slits in the mat and it heals up much better. My rule now is that if the blade doesn't cut well with light to medium pressure, I replace it. Even with that self-imposed rule (which means I'm always cutting with a delightfully sharp blade) I'm pretty sure I'm going through blades slower than I did in the death-grip days. And my wrists feel better too.

A tip that helped me remember to lighten up - I think it came from this board. Someone said you push FORWARD on the rotary cutter to cut, not DOWN. Obviously you still need *some* downward pressure, but that little saying helped me adjust my habits.

Hopefully some of that ramble helps.

Marianchen

I keep my med. size rotary cutter in an old eyeglass case between uses. Keeps it safer in the drawer. Year ago, my father wuold cut out the shapes that my mother need from aluminum, so ahe could trace around the shape with a pencil, then cut out with scissors. Things are a lot easier these days.

coopah

I find the titanium blades last longer than the regular blades, too. Joann's has them, too.

madamekelly

Sometimes the "skip" is there because of the older cuts on your mat do not allow the fabric to be cleanly cut over them, so I just replaced my cheaper June Taylor "cutting mat" with a little more expensive "self healing" mat from an art supply store, in the hope that the cutter will work longer, and more efficiently. The "cutting mat" was a hard plastic, made more for protecting the table that protecting the blades, like a "self healing mat". As usual, I live and learn.

jmoore

I, too, have granite counters where I do my cutting so that would explain a lot of things... especially on the rare occasion that I roll off the mat.

lcluley

"I still prefer scissors, but the arthritis in my thumb joint doesn't appreciate it."

Annie68

I don't use scissors any more, but sure do remember the days of tracing around cardboard or plastic templates, and cutting individually. Tedious work for sure. I can't remember how I did my borders, I think I tore the fabric.