My Martelli mat arrived!
04-03-2018, 06:06 AM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Idaho
Posts: 1,276
04-03-2018, 07:00 AM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Desert Hot Springs Ca
Posts: 2,633
Slidelock
I like the purple side, so that is the side I have up. Looks like the yellow side is thicker, though. I haven't cut on the mat yet.
Just for fun, I pulled out my Olfa rotating mat and small Quilter's Select mat to compare the surfaces. Took a starched square of fabric and put my hand on top to see how much it moved on each mat. It barely moved at all on the Olfa mat, but moved quite easily on the QS mat. The Martelli was in-between; a little bit of grab, but not as much as the Olfa. I often have difficulty with either the fabric or the ruler moving on me while cutting, which is why I try to use my Slidelock whenever possible. Seems to me that the QD, being the slipperiest mat, would be the most difficult for me to use for long cuts. It does work great for smaller cuts, though; I have pulled it out for that purpose in the past.
At any rate, I think all three mats are way better than my old mat, which is quite rough in comparison. It was a no-brand name mat that came with my cutting table 20 or so years ago and I'm not sure what it is made of. I think it has made cutting harder on my hand lately, not to mention having to avoid some of the spots with too many cuts in the mat, so I am looking forward to trying out the Martelli for long cuts (once I get further along with my current quilt). I'm hoping I won't have to press as hard.
Just for fun, I pulled out my Olfa rotating mat and small Quilter's Select mat to compare the surfaces. Took a starched square of fabric and put my hand on top to see how much it moved on each mat. It barely moved at all on the Olfa mat, but moved quite easily on the QS mat. The Martelli was in-between; a little bit of grab, but not as much as the Olfa. I often have difficulty with either the fabric or the ruler moving on me while cutting, which is why I try to use my Slidelock whenever possible. Seems to me that the QD, being the slipperiest mat, would be the most difficult for me to use for long cuts. It does work great for smaller cuts, though; I have pulled it out for that purpose in the past.
At any rate, I think all three mats are way better than my old mat, which is quite rough in comparison. It was a no-brand name mat that came with my cutting table 20 or so years ago and I'm not sure what it is made of. I think it has made cutting harder on my hand lately, not to mention having to avoid some of the spots with too many cuts in the mat, so I am looking forward to trying out the Martelli for long cuts (once I get further along with my current quilt). I'm hoping I won't have to press as hard.
04-03-2018, 09:37 AM
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Southern, Utah
Posts: 1,233
It's interesting that there are several posts about Martelli products. I did not see this one when I posted my question. And there is another thread also. All regarding Martelli. I'm considering getting a mat, a ruler, and the main thing I was looking for, a new cutter. My wrist is really letting me know its time to be kinder to it. I do have a Acuquilt cutter and dies but I still do a lot of rotary cutting. Whew, lots to think about! Since I've been retired I've looked at costs more closely. I'm thinking of this as an investment that will last a long time. Hopefully this is the case. We are so fortunate to have the Quilting Board. I do not have another place to go to for answers or to bounce around ideas.
Prisim please let us know how the mat is working out for you. Congratulations on what looks to be a good choice.
Prisim please let us know how the mat is working out for you. Congratulations on what looks to be a good choice.
04-03-2018, 09:50 AM
#14
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
Tiggersmom, you are fine staying with your Olfa mats.
So far, comparing the 3 different mats I have, Olfa is actually my favorite for the cutting surface. I wanted a large mat, and I would have gone with the 3-part Olfa if the Martelli hadn't gone on sale. My reasons for going with Martelli were (1) I would have one continuous mat, (2) there were never any reviews that mentioned an offgassing odor whereas some people complained about that with Olfa, and (3) I was concerned about reviewers mentioning that the newer Olfa mats don't seem to last the way the old ones did.
I had actually purchased the 3-part Olfa mat online when it was on sale at JoAnn's and had brought it home. It sat in its package in the kitchen for several days while I decided to take a chance on the Martelli. After 3 days, there was a slight solvent odor in its area that both my dh and I could detect. However, it wasn't the "skunk" type stink others had complained about and likely would have gone away if I had left it out on the porch for awhile.
Onebyone, thanks for mentioning the QS rulers. I have one here (6.5" square) that I bought along with the small mat to try out. I pulled the QS ruler out to try on the 3 mats. I didn't cut with it, but just put all 5 fingers of one hand on top of the ruler and then tried to wiggle it. It was the most stable on the Olfa mat; required the least pressure to remain stable. It was the least stable on the Martelli mat; no amount of pressure applied by my fingers was sufficient to keep it from moving when I wiggled my hand. It was stable on the QS mat, but only when I increased the pressure -- about double what was needed for the Olfa mat.
I pulled out another 6.5" square (Quilt in a Day) that has grip strips on all 4 edges to try out. This one was the most stable on the QS mat, least stable on the Martelli, with the Olfa in-between. It could be rendered stable on all of them, just like the QS ruler, but with differing levels of pressure.
So far, for me there is no *perfect* cutting mat. I like the Martelli mat, but why on earth did they think it a good idea to run lines at all the 1/2" marks as well as the 1" marks? Both Olfa and QS have lines only at the 1" with marks at the smaller increments which, in my opinion, is much better. The extra lines on the Martelli mat make it more visually confusing for no good reason. I also am not in love with the yellow side of the mat. I'm holding off on a decision about the large squaring-off logo in case I find a use for it in the future.
I tried my Slidelock on all 3 mats, and it works well on all the mats. Again, it does seem slightly better on the Olfa surface; about the same on the other two.
So far, comparing the 3 different mats I have, Olfa is actually my favorite for the cutting surface. I wanted a large mat, and I would have gone with the 3-part Olfa if the Martelli hadn't gone on sale. My reasons for going with Martelli were (1) I would have one continuous mat, (2) there were never any reviews that mentioned an offgassing odor whereas some people complained about that with Olfa, and (3) I was concerned about reviewers mentioning that the newer Olfa mats don't seem to last the way the old ones did.
I had actually purchased the 3-part Olfa mat online when it was on sale at JoAnn's and had brought it home. It sat in its package in the kitchen for several days while I decided to take a chance on the Martelli. After 3 days, there was a slight solvent odor in its area that both my dh and I could detect. However, it wasn't the "skunk" type stink others had complained about and likely would have gone away if I had left it out on the porch for awhile.
Onebyone, thanks for mentioning the QS rulers. I have one here (6.5" square) that I bought along with the small mat to try out. I pulled the QS ruler out to try on the 3 mats. I didn't cut with it, but just put all 5 fingers of one hand on top of the ruler and then tried to wiggle it. It was the most stable on the Olfa mat; required the least pressure to remain stable. It was the least stable on the Martelli mat; no amount of pressure applied by my fingers was sufficient to keep it from moving when I wiggled my hand. It was stable on the QS mat, but only when I increased the pressure -- about double what was needed for the Olfa mat.
I pulled out another 6.5" square (Quilt in a Day) that has grip strips on all 4 edges to try out. This one was the most stable on the QS mat, least stable on the Martelli, with the Olfa in-between. It could be rendered stable on all of them, just like the QS ruler, but with differing levels of pressure.
So far, for me there is no *perfect* cutting mat. I like the Martelli mat, but why on earth did they think it a good idea to run lines at all the 1/2" marks as well as the 1" marks? Both Olfa and QS have lines only at the 1" with marks at the smaller increments which, in my opinion, is much better. The extra lines on the Martelli mat make it more visually confusing for no good reason. I also am not in love with the yellow side of the mat. I'm holding off on a decision about the large squaring-off logo in case I find a use for it in the future.
I tried my Slidelock on all 3 mats, and it works well on all the mats. Again, it does seem slightly better on the Olfa surface; about the same on the other two.
Last edited by Prism99; 04-03-2018 at 10:10 AM.
04-04-2018, 02:19 AM
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Boothbay Maine
Posts: 9,518
Good idea...I soak my mats twice a year (January 1st and July-ish). I have two Quilters Select rulers and would like to get a couple more when they go on sale.
04-04-2018, 06:22 AM
#18
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: In the desert,US
Posts: 123
Hmmm... my Martelli mat just arrived. I’m concerned about the slipping issues mentioned here. I have already sliced my ruler holding fingers cross ways with a slippery mat. I have the cutter, and the round mat. Here are some of my experiences with Martelli products as mentioned in this feed-
* Yes, my round mat does scratch with cutting.
* the cutter really is easier on the wrist for me, but it collects lint in the blade casing, and I can not figure out how to completely clean it out, therefore I find the blade starts sticking rather quickly. When replacing the blade, I’ve needed help sliding the blade into the casing. (I’m Actually very good at mechanics)
* Yes, my round mat does scratch with cutting.
* the cutter really is easier on the wrist for me, but it collects lint in the blade casing, and I can not figure out how to completely clean it out, therefore I find the blade starts sticking rather quickly. When replacing the blade, I’ve needed help sliding the blade into the casing. (I’m Actually very good at mechanics)
04-04-2018, 10:21 AM
#19
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
Chris, this video is kind of long, but she shows how to clean the rotary cutters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ACuhS53ko&t=3s
Regarding slippage, have you tried the Slidelock rulers? I absolutely *love* them, and use them both by themselves and on top of other rulers. They stop the slipping and keep my hand high and away from the cutter. One of the best quilting investments I ever made:
https://www.quiltersslidelock.com/slidelock-models/
I got a set of the 2 sizes of slidelock, and I use both sizes a lot. I got the yellow ones, which theoretically make it a little easier to see the edge of the ruler compared to the clear ones. I don't use the ruler that came with the set at all. It has so many lines it is visually confusing for me, and I prefer to use other rulers for measuring purposes. Their other products are newer; I was surprised to see them when I looked up the website to post it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ACuhS53ko&t=3s
Regarding slippage, have you tried the Slidelock rulers? I absolutely *love* them, and use them both by themselves and on top of other rulers. They stop the slipping and keep my hand high and away from the cutter. One of the best quilting investments I ever made:
https://www.quiltersslidelock.com/slidelock-models/
I got a set of the 2 sizes of slidelock, and I use both sizes a lot. I got the yellow ones, which theoretically make it a little easier to see the edge of the ruler compared to the clear ones. I don't use the ruler that came with the set at all. It has so many lines it is visually confusing for me, and I prefer to use other rulers for measuring purposes. Their other products are newer; I was surprised to see them when I looked up the website to post it here.
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