Without knowing the size of the original blades it's hard for anyone else to recommend a replacement. I found one link that said the steel in the original blades does not hold an edge well. I don't see any replacement blades for sale by Mantis - they don't even list this machine, which confirms the post I referred to above, from 2009, which says the same thing. http://www.fixya.com/support/t1841168-changing_cutting_blades_mantis_chip_mate If you don't hear back from the OP here, if you can remove and measure your blades (LxWxthickness) we may be able to recommend something such as a standard jointer blade from a woodworking supply house. If you have a good sharpening shop for woodworking shop tools (not just a scissors and knife sharpening place, but a real full service sharpener), they can find something, or make it. I know of an industrial sharpening place in KC that can produce any size blade a person might need. Actually they do mail order so that's a possibility.

Could it be part of a plant stuck on it? If not, it looks like a growth of some sort…….strange! debra

Might be a European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) or Chinese Mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis), both can be quite variable in color. The Chinese mantis was introduced as a bio control and can be found almost everywhere (quite common here in MI) the bio control kind of backfired as it eats just about anything and everything it can get hold of.

I'm thinking I should dispose of it and try to find the eggs? I just looked and he is still on the same shrub he was on yesterday. Later....well, design fan, I couldn't tolerate a bug that kills bees and butterflies and hunts hummingbirds. I was really lucky - I went back and there was the same PM I saw yesterday in the very same location only deeper into the evergreen it was on, under a branch. We got him out of there only to see a 2nd one! I think they were actually mating and right there was what looked like eggs. So no search required. The two of them and what I hope are all the eggs, are out of the garden.