Thursday, December 9, 2010

Product Review

Where does the time go? How do the minutes, no the hours slip by so quickly. Doesn't it seem like we should have MORE hours in the day to work our craft??

One thing I did recently was try out my new ruler The Cutting Edge. This ruler sharpens my rotary blade as it cuts my fabric.

I could actually tell the difference after the very first cut. I was able to cut four layers of fabric with ease and no tags.

I found there were some good points and some not so good. First, like I mentioned, the rotary seemed to cut with new life. Like it was a fresh blade. Which is a wonderful thing, as the blades can be quite costly.

The ruler is well marked, however, I had a little bit of difficulty with the frosted background. Cutting into the light fabric was not a problem.

I could see lines and numbers clearly.

But when I needed to cut into darker fabric, I found the frosting on the plexi to be difficult to see the squaring up lines.

Is it a good ruler? Yes. Could the manufacturer make any improvement? I think yes. If there is some way to make the plexi clear I think it would be a much better tool. Would I buy it again? YES! I love the idea of sharpening my rotary blade as I cut my fabric.

Have you tried these rulers? I bought a 6 1/2 x 18 1/2 as this was a size I did not already own. Most of my rulers are only 5 or 6", so the new one gives me a little more width to work with. And I like the 18 1/2", as it is not too long, and not too short. A good all round size for many different projects.

Let me know if you have tried these rulers, and tell me what you think about them.

And in the meantime........ Happy Quilting.

23 comments:

Jenn said...

I totally appreciate the review! This is very helpful for when I see this product and wonder if I should get it or not....we quilters ought to do this more often about quilting items and such! THANK YOU! >:)

Joan J said...

Tried them? I have not even heard of them! But I think one needs to go on my Christmas Wish List pronto. Replacement blades are sooo expensive. I'd love to hear a second review after you've used the ruler on the same blade several times. Will it warp or thin the blade? Does the edge of the ruler wear down? (After all, the blade must be rubbing against the ruler to cause the sharpening... something has to give.) Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.

quiltingnana said...

very interesting...will have to check it out

Linda said...

Thanks so much for the review! I have been so curious! I really like the idea of sharpening the blade. I seem to throw away so many dull blades.

Anonymous said...

I've never ever seen this ruler....interesting! I'll watch your post comments to hear just what others have to say about it too. Great review

Pat said...

I purchased the 'EDGE' ruler when it first came out. I too, had a problem with the frosted side. I've since gotten used to it. The thing I didn't like about it was that it sharpened with every cut. I thought that dulled the blade quicker. What I ended up doing was mark one end with opposite numbering so that I can use the sharpening edge now and then and the other edge for most of my cuts. I like that better. I too, have the 6 1/2 x 18 1/2. It's now the only ruler I use. Very versatile.

Carrie P. said...

thanks for your review. I see what you mean about the lines on certain fabrics.
One blogger said she will probably just use her ruler as she needs to sharpen the blade so as to save the edge of the ruler. Just an idea.
thanks for stopping by my blog.
Merry Christmas to you too.

Darlene said...

Wonderful review - thank you!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

You can get rotary blades from Harbor Freight (if you don't have them locally, order online) They are 2/1.99 - they are called rug cutter blades but are exactly the same as the rotary blades for fabric. My friends and I buy them all the time - and they seem a bit sharper than the ones from the fabric store.

Heather said...

I hadn't even heard of this ruler. Probably won't go out of my way to purchase one, but I will check it out in the store when I see one. Thanks.

Gill said...

I've never seen this ruler in the UK but it sounds a great idea
Gill

AllieKatMom said...

Wow, thats awesome! And looks like it would be a good investment just to help the life of your blades....where did you get it?

Sandie @ crazy'boutquilts said...

I haven't tried them, but was intrigued by them. Love your review! Thanks!

Loris said...

Thanks for the review. I saw these when Pat Sloan was having a giveaway of them awhile back. The frosted part would be a problem for me as well.

Dena said...

I wasn't familiar with this ruler but will need to see if my LQS has one. It's always a little scary purchasing new products because you never know if they 'come as advertised.' Thanks for your review Jocelyn.

imquilternity said...

I haven't tried them but am glad to hear your experience and comments.

Allie said...

Thanks for the review, Jocelyn - I think if they make it in clear, I'll have to get one for sure. But I don't see as well as I used to, so the frosted would mean trouble for me! I love the idea of it sharpening my blade. I bought my last batch of blades on ebay, but will be trying Harbor Freight next time!

QuiltSue said...

Thanks so much, that was a really useful review as I have seen them advertised but rather felt they sounded almost too good to be true. Now I just have to be patient and wait for them to arrive in the UK.

Crispy said...

Thanks for the review Jocelyn. It's interesting how it will sharpen your blade while cutting.

Crispy

SewCalGal said...

Jocelyn,

I totally respect your opinion and appreciate you sharing your insights on this new ruler, very much. I'll definitely pick one up. Thanks!

SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

IHaveANotion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

I have two of them and I like mine.

Smiles,
Kelly

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Thanks for the great review, I recently heard about these and they are on my gotta have list.

Dawn said...

I have several of these and love them so much I bought them for my store. I like the frosted finish, and the red lines on the square rulers are great for squaring blocks up :)