Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat, Full 24x36, Best for Quilting Sewing | Warp-Proof & Odorless (Not From China)

Since large cutting mats are such an investment for most of us I thought I’d share my thoughts & knowledge on the subject in case it helps someone else who's been a Fisk*** or Olf* Loyalist....HOW SELF HEALING MATS WORK-->The mat has polymer molecules within each top layer (on a microscopic layer they look similar to small pill capsules). When your rotary blade cuts them open a substance similar to glue is released, flooding the cut & "healing" the surface. This can only happen once, hence why cutting in the same area again leads to steadily deeper cuts that don't heal up.*So, the larger the surface area, the greater the ability to prevent repeat cuts in the same area for as long as possible!MY USE-->I use mats for hemming drapes & cutting home decor fabric so I need the 24x36 to be able to fold it in half and cut the full width at once. My old cutting mat had reached the end of its life. The self healing ability was mostly gone, it had become badly warped from storage in the closet & sitting next to my steam iron, and generally was unreliable. I decided to looked on amazon before heading to the craft store with my coupon & and was impressed with the reviews of this mat so I gave it a shot. I’m very impressed & highly recommend it!WHAT I LOOK FOR-->-True 24x36 numbered cutting area to prevent having to fold the drapes that lack a straight edge after laundering.-Double Sided; allowing me to expend the life of the mat by flipping it over throughout use.-Adequate self-healing capabilities.THIS MAT-->~Pros~:1) The mat is numbered from 0-24 and 0-36” with a slight lip extending beyond.*After spending time reading through hundreds of reviews it seems that a lot of the other mats on Amazon (costing the same price or more) actually advertise the mat size & NOT the cutting field (some are up to 3" short) which is infuriating! This mat is the exact same size as my Fisk***- the cutting field is the size your buying!2) It's shipped wrapped in protective plastic, laying flat in the bottom of a large box. My mailman stood the box up against our fence so the mat had a slight warping due to being in the cold morning air but it quickly laid flat again once acclimated inside.3) The numbering includes a 0 on the end! I hadn't experienced this before with my brand name mats that start at 1"...it makes it a lot easier to glance down and find the starting point for making long cuts. It may be a personal preference but I find it saves time which is always important when sewing!4) The 30/45/60 degree angle guides are placed on the 36” side instead of the 24”. This is great for larger pieces of fabric and cutting on the bias for piping. *There IS an additional 45 degree line crossing through the others from 20” to 20” Although I’m not sure what this is used for?5) Quilters will appreciate the 20”x20” gridded square in the center, located at the 10-30 markings on the 36” side & 0-20 On the 24” side on BOTH SIDES.6) Someone else already posted about the exact measured thickness of this mat compared to regular name brands but I will add my thought by saying that its AMAZING how the additional thickness helps it feel substantial, keep itself flat after storage, and avoid sliding around when cutting on the floor or slick surface!7) The “no skunk smell” claim is true! When I first removed the plastic it had a small amount of that 'factory new-plastic smell' but that went away the same day and I don't think it would bother even the most sensitive person.8) Another reviewer mentioned the #'s only on Left/Bottom sides- They have FIXED this, mine has #'s on all 4 sides.~~CONS~~1) The Centimeter side isn't useful and it takes me a minute to figure out which side I'm on after laying it down, I wish they were both Inches or at least different colors.2) The 1/2” lines no guide lines for 1/4 and 3/4” markings. My mats in the past have used dot lines in between solid inch lines. This makes it extremely easy to line fabric up at the inch without having to double check markings.-This mat has thicker lines every 5” so if you only need to line up for cutting these will be the easiest to use.-If you need to line up on the 1/4” or 3/4” it would be impossible for fabric bigger than the quilters 20x20” grid area in the center (this is the only area has lines for the 1/4 & 3/4”).4) The Numbers only read in one direction so if the mat is placed with the Mat symbol upside down the numbers will be upside down on both ends. I would have liked to see the numbers read in the direction of the edge so it can be used on all 4 sides without being upside down.Most of you know that the best way to get a cheap quality mat is to wait for a sale at our local Craft store & stack a coupon bringing the discount to anything from 50-70% off retail. So, this mat may cost more but I HIGHLY recommend getting it anyways! Despite the few small things I’d change this is my favorite cutting mat purchase to date and I’ll definitely be back again in the future!

Really like this mat. I do a lot of rotary cutting for quilting, and so far no problems.

I have a GO and should have bought another one but decided to go with this one. There is nothing wrong with the product. It is good, sturdy, high quality cutting mat. I just like the way the measurement on the Go mat better than this one. It's a matter of preference.

I sew every day for my business so I have gone through many of these cutting mats. This one is very different from others I have purchased. The layer on this board is thick and substantial. There is a nice padded feel to it but at the same time it is just the right firmness. It is made in Taiwan and I am very pleased with the quality. I highly recommend purchasing this item over others.

I have used another brand of self healing cutting mat and needed a different size. During my search on Amazon, I came across the mats by Calibre Art. I actually ordered 2; the mat advertised as 12x18 and the one advertised as 24x36. They both were shipped individually, in a large zip top bag, rolled, and taped. They both arrived in excellent condition. Each mat has a slight odor compared to other new cutting mats, and after being out of the plastic bag for a hour or so, the odor dissipates. Both mats lie flat on my cutting table after just a few hours out of their packages, without being weighted down. I have cut out several pattern pieces using the larger mat and am pleased with the self healing feature as well as the cm and inch markings. These mats are heavier and thicker that other mats I've seen and used.What you need to know: the mat advertised as 12x18 only has grid markings for 10.5x16.5 inches. This correlates to 27x42 cm on the reverse side. The mat advertised as being 24x36 only has grid markings for 22x34 inches; 56x86cm on the reverse side. There is a small border on all 4 sides on each mat, but it does not add up to the number of inches to equal the size that is advertised.You also need to know: I was creating my own pattern and used a very small piece of wrapping paper tape to hold my pattern paper down while I was measuring and drawing lines. When I lifted the tape, some of the cm markings lifted off the mat.In spite of the two issues I've had as related above, I still give this product 5 stars. These mats seem very well made, are thicker than others, self heal quickly, and have minimal odor that dissipated quickly. I will avoid using tape on any part of these mats in the future.Hopefully this review is helpful as these mats are relatively new to the USA market.

This will continue to self-heal, unlike all the other claim-to-be self-healing mats that are advertised. It came when expected and delivered flat in heavy cardboard without any bends. The price was reasonable. VERY satisfied.

This mat is not as self healing as I would have expected for the price. My rotary cutter leaves significant groves that are definitely not healing. The larger size allows for efficient cutting of larger pieces of fabric. Lies flat and has little or no odor. The surface of this mat has not stood up well even after only a few months of intermitant use. I would not buy this mat again.