Have a look at the pictures below. What is wrong?
Well, I hope that you noticed that part of the edge is worn right down. So far down, that the blade is almost exposed. Too close for my comfort. I don’t anyone to get hurt, so this cutter made the swan dive into the garbage bin.
This kind of cutter only exposes the blade when pressure is made on the sheath (the plastic that surrounds the blade). You cannot unsheath the blade and then begin the cut. Therefore the sheath gets worn down as you can see. And actually, this cutter was not popular with the staff, so was used infrequently at the store at the cutting tables. For a long time, it was used only for paper. So this wear on the sheath was really surprising.
The brands we sell at the store, Olfa and Clover, must be unsheathed before beginning the cut. Each are slightly different in how they do this, and that is a subject for another post. But what we like is the fact that when we start the cut, the only thing touching the fabric is the blade, as the sheath has been pulled back. When you use a cutter like the one above, the sheath can nudge the fabric slightly before the blade comes into contact with the fabric. The movement of the fabric from the sheath can affect the cut, and as you know, precision piecing starts with precision cutting.
If you would like to see a few examples of various cutters and their features, please drop by and ask us about them. We’d be happy to show and talk to you about the pluses and minuses of the different ones available. Click here to see on our webstore what we usually stock.
Linda Goh
Along Came Quilting
6432 – 1A Street SW
Calgary, AB T2H 0G6
www.alongcamequilting.com
403-253-4419
1-877-745-6445
Original Publication August 17, 2015 on https://alongcamequilting.wordpress.com/