If you are using any kind of mat besides the green Olaf Mats that may be causing your problem Olaf mats last forever and I have never expirenced dulled blades

Hi Karla...nice to see you.
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My mat is old and that is the issue for me...I have a large mat that covers the top of my cutting table...pricey to replace, so I turned it around. Now cutting in a bit different place so problem is solved, for now.

I thought rotary cutters required their brand of blade only because of the notches. I love my Olfa ergonomic cutter so I would hate to change. Does Martelli fit other brands?
I have one of those large folding cutting stations from Joanns and have noticed that the mat on it seems to dull my blades more quickly. What I hate us to get a little nick that leaves a thread or two uncut on each turn. Cutting is not my favorite activity so it takes so much longer to have to go back and nip threads. Donna

I was thinking about this last night... do you cut batting with your rotary cutter? If so if the batting has poly in it .. it will dull the blades very quickly. I stopped using my cutter on battings with any poly, and have a "batting" pair of sissors that I use.

A bit of dirt on the handle or blade will make the blade seem dull. Clean, carefully!

I have one mat that is self healing and one not. It seems that the not self healing one dulls blades faster.

Since I've started using my Olfa mat, which I've had for years, my rotary cuts like it's going through melted butter. Doesn't matter which type rotary I use. Now I want a 36 x 60 Olfa mat.

Some ask about the Martelli blades. I don't think they fit other rotarys. Martelli is my fav. Would love to have one of their mats. But that's way more than I can afford. Besides they don't make them the size I want. At least the last time I checked they didn't

Martelli blades
 

There is a 50% off sale at Martelli for a very short time on July 12.
See if you can get through.

Martelli Sewing Quilting & Embroidery <[email protected]>

My first mat didn't look that bad either or I thought it didn't. Changed mat, problem solved.

I use an Altoquiltcut2 and Harbor Freight blades, so far so good.