So, are you in the tailoring field where you regularly require cutting fabrics into different shapes and sizes? Or are you an art and craft hobbyist who requires cutting paper into different shapes to recreate something great? Well, if the answer is yes, then a surface that is flat and smooth enough must be a challenge to find. Even if you manage to find it, the odds that they might end up getting rendered useless after a few scratches of your art and craft knife are very high. In this article, we will focus on the Best Cutting Mats.
Not only that, the rough surface might even damage the blade as well. Stuff like this needs a surface that is rugged enough to absorb many scratches and soft enough to avoid damaging the knife blades. However, finding such a material is a tough nut to crack. After all, it sounds like something magical. Nevertheless, no matter how magical and miraculous it may sound, these materials do exist. And they are known as cutting mats.
What Is A Cutting Mat?
This magical stuff serves the purpose of a flat surface required in cutting work. If you want to create an art and craft project worthy of drawing attention, it all starts with the proper cutting of different shapes. Don’t worry, the cutting mat has got your back.
They have a soft surface so as not to damage the blades used in cutting. Even more impressive is the fact that they are rugged enough to withstand numerous cuts and lacerations by the knife. If you think that this simple thing can’t get any better, then lo and behold, because you are about to enter the world of self-healing cutting mats.
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What Makes A Self-Healing Cutting Mat Better Than Its Predecessor?
A cutting mat is specially made to serve the purpose mentioned above. Despite this fact, the cumulative effect of the scratches made by the blades during cutting exhibits its effect on it. You can better understand it this way. A cutting mat is made to take all the cuts and but can’t heal itself.
Its wounds never heal- the scars never leave their surface. Repeated cuts and wounds shorten its life. So, the question that arises now is- how to prolong its life? The answer is simple, yet a bit tricky to implement- give it a boon to be able to heal its wounds. This blessing helps these mats to be able to heal. Naturally, when it becomes able to heal itself, its life is prolonged.
How is A Self-Healing Cutting Mat Manufactured?
As tricky as it might sound, but this is no rocket science. It is just common sense mixed with a new idea that gave birth to this concept. Unlike a conventional cutting mat, where the whole mat is in a single piece, its self-healing counterparts are the assembly of a large number of tiny pieces of the material of the mat. They are integrated to give rise to a normal-looking mat.
However, when a blade cuts through such a mat, instead of cutting the surface, it temporarily separates its pieces. In such a way, a cutting mat is not getting cut. Rather, its pieces are getting separated. Since no real damage was done, no shortage of life either.
Best Self-Healing Mats to Use
Due to their prolonged life and great performance, these mats are naturally found in places like a craft room, kitchen, or a tailor shop. Though there are a lot of variants in the market coming in different sizes and unique properties of their own, there are several classes of these mats that are mostly recommended:
WorkLion
It is 3mm thick. Such a large thickness prolongs its life to a great extent. It is generally desired for its excellent self-healing properties. However, it doesn’t do a particularly good job in being sustainable and, on top of that, is expensive.
La Canilla
Just like WorkLion, it is also 3mm thick. Apart from that, it has its own set of unique features. Some of them include large size (A2) and marking of gridlines in both centimetres and inches.
Fiskar
The Fiskar self-healing mat is half as thick as the above two but more expensive.
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Tips to Use A Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Even though these mats are well-equipped with self-healing capabilities, certain tips are needed to be followed to ensure they live a long life. Avoid using only one portion of the cutting mat for cutting purposes. Also, never apply too much pressure while cutting. Too much force on the surface can create permanent gaps between the tiny pieces.
Since this class of cutting mats is manufactured by sticking a large number of tiny pieces together, they might come off the mat after an extended period of use. This generally happens when cutting is done improperly. Improper techniques include using the knife (or blade) at an angle while cutting something. Avoid doing this and make sure to always use the knife perpendicular to the surface of the cutting mat.
Everything needs proper maintenance and so does your mat. Make sure to clean it regularly and properly. It might sound a bit strange, but the sharper your knife, the better it will be for the mat. This is because blunt knives tend to create a lot of gaps between the tiny pieces of the self-healing mats. Over the due course of time, this would damage it. So, always use a sharp knife for cutting.
Don’t fold it! It’s a big no-no. One of the biggest advantages of any cutting mat is its flatness. Since, they are very flat, cutting on them becomes very easy and comfortable. However, folding it will take away that upper hand it has over other surfaces. Not only that, but the gap between the tiny materials might also increase due to folding rendering it unable to heal by itself. Keep it away from heat sources. These mats are not heat resistant. They are made to withstand cuts not heat.
What If The Mat Loses Its Self-Healing Capability?
This generally happens when the mat gets dry and consequently, becomes brittle. Under this circumstance, a cut usually creates a permanent gap in it. The root cause of this problem is dryness. The solution is simple. Soak it in cool water for about 30 minutes. This will hydrate the mat. However, make sure to keep the mat straight and flat and not fold or warp it. If the mat is warped, warming it up and then flattening it might be the solution. First, soak it in warm soapy water to warm it up. Then, flatten it by putting heavy things on it.
Summing Up
That’s pretty much it about these simple yet so useful things. If your work requires cutting regularly, then I suggest you make your one-time investment in it. It is rugged and has a longer life. With a little bit of proper maintenance, this is capable of functioning effectively for a long period. Since cutting work requires precision, this self-healing cutting mat can very well provide a proper surface to carry out the same and heal up from the cuts as well.
