oh Darla! I'm the same way with rotary blades!LOL But then I usually turn around and whack it on something as soon as I put a new one in! Someone here led us to a guy that sells WONDERFUL blades very reasonable, hopefully someone will post his address again, as I need more too!
Yes, the smell will go away...it takes time...but will fade out!
Enjoy that blade, but be extra careful now!
Lisa

How could you be so dense???? MORON!

Ha ha just kidding. That was just a joke. DO NOT get all upset and tell me how mean I am. PLEASE.

Seriously -- it's AMAZING what a joy a new rotary blade is to use. Feels like a hot knife through butter. I too am fighting switching out and I have about 10 spares.

You can find them for $1.90 a blade on Ebay with $1 shipping no matter how many you buy. (Seller kname is JKockles, I think) and for $2.50 each at ThreadArt (link below).

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread Art Rotary Blades

Jnokels on ebay! Awesome blades.

Rebecca

Here is a link that might be useful: ebay blades

I laughed out loud when you reminded me of the stinky new cutting mat. ItÂs bad. For days we thought there MUST be something dead somewhere in my sewing room. I finally made the connection of the new mat and the smell. It will go away soon. IÂm still chuckling at your question.

Nina

I meant to comment on the stinky mat question. When I decided to buy the big olfa mat, I knew about the smelly mats. I went to 3 stores smelling each mat until I found one that didn't smell! I got lots of strange looks, but it was well worth it.

Rebecca

By the way, I also buy rotary blades from JNockles, and they fit perfectly in one of those round Altoids tins.

you can also get inexpensive blades at jhittlesewing.com

Life is too short to put up with nicked and dull blades!

What kind of blades cost $7,,,, i am curious because mine are around 4 ,,,both Fiskars and another brand name I cant think of right now,,,,

Laura, I found it weird that on the Thread Art website you listed, they're $2.50 and on another they're $1.99. Strange!

Darla, now that you know you can get blades so much cheaper, you won't have to keep using and making do with a nicked or worn out blade.

Kay

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread Art Blades for $1.99

Okay, you all have convinced me it is okay to change the blade. I will probably be amazed. Nothing to cut out right now though. Too many WIPs to start anything else!

Liz (another slow learner? or moron? he he)

I have an old cutter that I use for nothing but paper, so when I change my fabric blades, I recycle them to the paper cutter... eventually they get thrown out. But wrap them safely so if you do accidently stick your hand in the trash and cut yourself. hummmmmmmm wonder how I know?????? OUCH!!!!

You might also try spraying some Fabreze in your sewing room to help the Stinky Mat...

Jacke

Laura, I went back to the web page you listed for blades and re-read it. Those blades create a perforated edge. I also noticed at the bottom of the page that they also sell Olfa blades for $5.20 each. I'll stick to the no names as they're just as good if not better.

Kay

Ok, I can just picture you Rebecca, all bent over checking out the smell of the Cutting mats.

Little Kid: "Hey mom, look at that lady, she's sniffing the plastic boards. Why she doing that Mom?"
"Shhh Junior, you mustn't talk about those kind of people that way, she can't help it."....."Oh Securty, there's a strange lady in the fabric department!"

I actually never notice my new mat smelling bad. But then I do live with 'Ole Stinky right under the floor of my sewing space!

doris=^.^=

Just a thought - when you cut with a dull blade, you drive little snaggly microscopic bits of fabric into your cutting mat.

The cutting mat is a heck of a lot more expensive to replace than the blade is!!

Most of you are quilters only, and may not have noticed this effect, but I cut acetate moires, cotton velvets, and numerous upholstery weight fabrics on my mat. And the rotary blade gets dull fairly quickly. I use the back for all of these fabrics, Let me tell you - the mat gets trashed in short order! A dull blade shoves itty-bitties down into the mat. And I do have the mat cleaner, which is basically sandpaper. But all these bits over time will dull a new blade and exacerbate the problem, driving even more bits into the mat.

But, OH, when I turn the mat over to cut quilt bits - it's just so lovely! I always use a fresh blade, and everything just cuts so smoothly.

When in doubt, change the blade. If you don't, your mat will pay the price.

Mary

'Tis better to hit your ruler with the blade than your thumb...

I'm curious about why the blades are so much cheaper from some retailers/venders than others. Are they the exact same blades? Same brand, but "irregulars"?

How often should we change the blade? Is there a rule of thumb... X hours of cutting, or when the blade seems to not cut as well?

I ended up getting my Dritz blade for $3.77 with the 40% sale & 10% coupon. It was the ONLY 45mm blade left that day because of the PrezDay sale. I still think I got jipped looking at the prices on the Threadart website. It's almost cheaper to buy a new cutter! I think I'll be ordering them on the web from now on. I might even have a connection at the quilting group at my church for wholesale blades. (I just went for the 1st time tonight) I'll have to check on that.

I have definitely noticed the fabric fibers getting stuck in my old mat. Probably because I was pressing so hard to get it to cut & making multiple passes.

Has anyone invested in the rotary blade sharpener that sells for about $13? Just curious if it works or not & if it's worth it.

Darla, I buy me blades from the guy on ebay. They are very inexpensive and cost only a dollar for shipping. I also bought a sharpener. I too can't afford to spend seven dollars per blade. Colleen

Wow. Smelly mats. I've never had that problem. I bought two myself, and was given one by a friend. But when one wears out and I need a new one, I hope I remember to take the "sniff" test before I throw it into the cart!

Oh, and I have the rotary blade sharpener. There are also refills, for just the sandpaper disk part. I should use that sharpener more often. I don't pull it out until the blade is already quite dull, then I have to grind the blade for a long time. So it's a good task for in front of the TV. With kitchen knives, it pays to sharpen the blade just a little before each use. I think I'll get the rotary blade sharpener out of its storage box and keep it on my cutting table from now on.

I have noticed that rotary blades have different shaped holes in the center. Are they universal, or do you have to pay attention to which blades are for which handles? Anyone know about this?

Thanks Mary. I didn't realize that dull blades actually drive lint into the cutting mat. And like you said, it's cheaper to replace the blade. This has been a great thread for me. I have learned so much! Thanks for the recommendation on reasonably priced blades.

On other tools the center hole has to fit the arbor (a spindle or axle of a wheel). I would imagine the same holds true with any tool. So now the question is do the makers of rotary cutters have different sized arbors. I don't have the answer.

Jenn, the generic blades are not irregulars or refurbished but brand new sharp blades. I buy mine from both Jon Nockels and Thread Art and they both sell excellent generic blades. Just to let you know how good they are, not too long ago I found an old unused Ofla in my sewing drawer and used it. It didn't last even half as long as my generics.

Maryliz, I have a Kai rotary cutter and the generics fit mine just fine but I'm going to guess the rotary blades will fit any cutter unless they specify they'll only fit a certain cutter, I would assume any will work.

Mary brings up a great point about damaging your cutting mat. Also, when you're having to press so hard because of a dull or nicked blade, you're also permanently gouging your cutting mat. After time these gouges get so deep that you will instantly ruin a new blade even when you think you've cleaned up your mat from the bits of fabric that get stuck in them.

After wearing out so many mats over the years, I finally broke down and bought an Alto mat. It's absolutely the very best mat I've ever had. I use it practically every day and I've had it for almost 3 years now and there is no wear and tear whatsoever on it. I'll never buy any other. They are more expensive than the Olfa's and such but I feel I've already saved money on not having to replace.

Kay

Kay,

I was wondering about the price because the REASON I looked on ThreadArt was I remembered you saying they were $1.99 there -- mystery solved.

Mary C said:
"Just a thought - when you cut with a dull blade, you drive little snaggly microscopic bits of fabric into your cutting mat."

Laura says:
"Oh. Ooooops. Is that what caused that? Silly me..."

I let one rotary blade go so long that when I went to trim the edges of the Heart block I made Bon it looked like a moth chewed it. That embarrassed me into swapping and then it FEELS SO NICE you wonder why you waited. OK, I'm cheap, I guess it's really not a mystery -- we all KNOW why I waited...

I am so glad I found this forum - All the comments here have helped me so much. Hadn't thought about the wear and tear on the mat from a dull blade. Must look for a sharpener and check out the good buy on blades.

Thanks one and all.

Liz

Without reading through all the posts, I would like to suggest you take a look at this site. http://www.houseofhanson.com/lpsharp.html

I sent 10 old blades and got 10 new Olfa blades (in sealed packages) for a total of $27.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.houseofhanson.com/lpsharp.html

I think when you're cutting with a dull blade you're more likely to cut yourself because you're forcefully cutting.
An accident waitig to happen.

I just took a look at the rotary cutter blade sharpeners at Thread Art. Do you just hold the blade in one hand and grind it with the sharpener held in the other? Is there something to hold the blade, and is one in danger of getting cut? Are all rotary blade sharpeners like the ones on Thread Art, or are there some that work differently or come in a different form?
I would appreciate any recommendations people care to give.

The blade nests inside the sharpener which you hold with your hands. You are not touching the blade while honing it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sharpner

My hubby got me a blade sharpener from ConnectingThreads a couple years ago for Christmas. I have not bought a new blade since - although I must confess that I have always had a fear of being cut, so when I need it sharpened, he sharpens it for me, but the results have been great. It is good to hear about the Alto cutting mat. What was the name of the rotary cutters that automatically withdraw when you are not holding them? My hubby also got me a cutting ruler with a blade already mounted on it which I was not sure I would like when I first got it, but after using it for a couple years, I have found a love it for cutting those initial strips across a whole width of fabric.

Just a thought...
Has anyone gone to a craft store such as Michael's or AC Moore as well as Joanne Fabric... they have 40% off coupons and sell replacement blades for name brand cutters...I always have buy several packages just to stock up, especially when they have a 50% off coupon.
BARBARA

MamaBear4,

Thanks for posting that link to the House of Hanson website. I've been saving up my blades to do a "trade in" to House of Hanson when I get 10 old ones.

The discussion on that web page about the difference between Olfa blades and generic blades is informative. I've read it before and decided that, for me, using generic blades that I replace more often is acceptable. I'm not convinced that there's a difference in cost between one expensive blade that lasts a bit longer than one generic compared to two generic blades. It's probably a matter of personal preference.

Either way, there's nothing quite like a brand new very sharp blade, in your rotary cutter, is there?

CMC

Thanks, Glass!

CMC, after reading your post I was curious about what House of Hanson had to say about Olfa blades vs generic. Not to get into any heated debate, but everybody that knows me here knows how much a die-hard I am for the generic blades from Jon Nockels and Thread Art too. I couldn't disagree more with the person that wrote that info on that website. Maybe I'll send him one of my generics to try. :-)

Kay

Kay,

Actually, I suspect the House of Hanson web page writer would agree with you. From what I read there, it doesn't sound to me like there is a huge difference between Olfa (or other name-brand blades) and generic blades. That may not have been the case a few years ago, but the manufacturers of generic blades have improved their processes (according to the web site).

And even if there is a difference between the two, is there enough of a difference to be worth the extra cost? Doesn't sound like it to me.

Even the most wonderful and expensive blade will eventually become dull and need to be replaced. Even if I put a new edge on the blade with the sharpening tool, it won't last forever.

When I nick a blade, that's pretty much the end of it. I did that recently -- with a brand new blade, too. I think I did 2 or 3 cuts, then nicked it on the ruler. Dang.

CMC
Uses generic blades.

So much good stuff here. Hate to see it fall off the end. Keep it going.

Where can you find the Alto mat? And when do you know you need a new mat? I, too, just recently put a new blade in and said to myself, "Self, you really ought to do this more often--it makes cutting so much easier, faster and safer."

I have an Olfa mat I have used since I began a few years back but I have no idea what I need to look for in deciding if my mat is too ratty. I have seen some really sorry mats at LQS cutting tables that I could tell were waaaay past their useful life but I don't know about my own.