quiltedsunshine

A crazy thing we noticed when talking to customers about blades at the store. If you have a granite counter top under your mat, the blades dull very quickly. It doesn't make any sense, but many employees and customers report the same thing.

SusieQOH

I bought the titanium blades that Onebyone told us about and I love them. I think I got them on Amazon. All the blades I've bought over the years have been from Amazon, much cheaper and work great.
Linda, be sure you don't have 2 blades in by mistake. That has happened to me on more than one occasion.

cashs_mom

That's interest, Annette. I cut on an old banquet type table or a wood table and rotate mats. I really don't think my blades dull that often.

Onebyone

My sew group met once a week to sew at a local church. We had a wood table that no matter what mat we used the cutter would not cut worth a darn. Moved the mat to another table and it cut fine. The surface does make a difference We never figured out why that one wood table wouldn't let us cut. It was a all wood large table and too big to move out of the room.

Stitchnripper

Also think the table contributes. Some of those white folding ones "bow" in the middle when pressure is put on them. I had similar issue and for me where there is an IKEA nearby found a remnant piece of cabinet and put that on top of my table and now the blades just west out normally.

petthefabric

This is a side note, not about your technique. A newbie rather than cutting along the template, actually cut into the template. Every cutting session required new blade. Took a lot of retraining. $7-8/blade is ridiculous. Want to support LQS, but won’t spend my $ this way. Manufacturers should be ashamed of themselves.

petthefabric

And…. Mats need to be watered occasionally. Mine get a bath.

Onebyone

If someone is cutting the wrong way or cutting into the rulers then a blade will not last at all. Why would it be expected to? I'm not the person who would buy a $7 or more blade. Too many daily deals, flash sales, and online clearance sales not to buy and stock up on good blades.

jcrilley

I have been doing this also - huge difference in using blades when they aren't so pricey. I find the quality just as good or better than brand name.

ljptexas

I buy blades at Harbour Freight.... Need to buy another painter's cloth (I make wall hangings & garden flags (hold up so well in weather)..;