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-   -   Cutting Mat Favorites - Martelli? Olfa? Beba? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/cutting-mat-favorites-martelli-olfa-beba-t252007.html)

ctrysass2012 08-17-2014 06:44 PM

I'm a Martelli fan also. Go to Martelli catalog.com & sign up for their Redline Direct Sale notice. There's a sale about 4 times a yr with a few different items each time. Had my eye on these for a little while & finally got it this summer at 50% off sale. Also got the cutter on a diff sale & love them both. 2 of 3 quilt shops around me have them for cutting & they both highly recommend them.

Jim's Gem 08-17-2014 09:23 PM

Love my new Martelli Mat. I bought it at Road to California quilt show in January. I do not own any of their rulers. You can use any cutter or ruler with the mat. I do happen to have an use a Martelli cutter.

gale 08-17-2014 10:25 PM


Originally Posted by citruscountyquilter (Post 6848893)
I love my Olfa mats. They are both in the 15- 20 year old range and still going strong. I had a Fiskar mat a few years ago and it warped terribly the first year I had it even though it was not subjected to hot sun and it was laid flat. I would not recommend a Fiskar mat. I can't speak to the other brands as I have no experience with them.

Maybe the quality isn't consistent. I have 5 different fiskars mats with the oldest going on at least 15 yrs with no warping. One of my oldest ones finally cut through in a few places but it was my most-used mat.

Knitette 08-17-2014 10:33 PM


Originally Posted by ManiacQuilter2 (Post 6848717)
I prefer Omnigrid mat over the Olfa. It is much thicker.

Me too - my smaller one is 4 years old and looks like new. I bought a bigger one when I got my cutting table.

The pink Olfa Breast Cancer one I bought for class developed deep scores the second time I used it. Although it is double-sided, one side is metric.

piepatch 08-18-2014 03:58 AM

I have never used any cutting mat but Olfa, so I can't comment on the other ones, but I am very happy with my Olfa, and I have had it for many years.

JENNR8R 08-18-2014 04:25 AM

I love my Martelli mat. The lines are accurate for measuring. You can actually iron on the surface of it without damaging the mat. It won't warp in a hot car. I use all kinds of rulers with it.

It came with the Martelli table that I bought, but I'd buy just the mat if I didn't have the table. Their rotary cutters are my first choice too.

quilttiger 08-18-2014 04:28 AM

My favorite is The Big Mat which comes in several sizes. I found mine at a quilting/sewing expo. It can be purchased through www.sewingemporium.com. One unexpected benefit: rotary cutting blades last longer for me.

cpower 08-18-2014 04:29 AM

I have had all the other mats, but I love my Martelli mat! The markings are true and my blades last a lot longer! I just wipe it down every once in awhile!

Sewnoma 08-18-2014 05:35 AM

I'm another Alvin mat fan. I buy them on Amazon - they ship them flat with is great. I have a bigish one that I replaced with an even bigger one when I got a bigger table, and also a really small translucent one that I use on top of my light box. Very happy with all 3.

dc989 08-18-2014 07:44 AM

I bought a huge Alvin mat on line two years ago. It is about 42x60 and fits on my cutting table perfectly. I think I paid around $175 which seems high, but right in line with other mats. Shipping was free. Yes it was stinky at first and I let it sit out on the picnic table in the sun to air out. That flattened it right back out too. I have been shocked at how fabulous cutting is on it. Never leaves threads uncut etc. Also does not dull my Olfa blades. It was one of my best purchases ever. I learned about it on this list. If you google the name it will show the companies which sell it. I'm thinking it was Ideal or something like that. Can't check right now.


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