I just got a new cutting mat from Vantage - it's a thing of beauty!

It's 36"x24", double sided, all black, with lines every .5", and angles for 45 and 60 degree cuts. The back is solid black, with no lines at all.

The green one is my old standby, that will still sit in front of my iMac while I work.

Geek droooooooooooooooooooooooooool!

That is one huge cutting mat! And in black no less!

Nice purchase.

Arabin

Got it at Blick Art Store in Berkeley (though it is a chain, I'm not sure where else they are).

I got it for $42, which is pretty darn good for the size.

Actually, looking online, they online have green or translucent mats, but they are currently massively discounted. The 36"x 24" like Aleph13's (but green or translucent) are reduced from $55.00 (green) or $73.00 (translucent) to only $26.77 each! I'm tempted to get a replacement matt...

The link:


Arabin

Hey a question - I've never used a cutting mat before - do they help prolong the life of a blade? I've been using an old particle board slab to cut on, and my xacto blades wear out pretty quickly it seems like. If the cutting mats help with that, they are probably worth the investment.

They do help a little. One thing I noticed after using one is they help keep cuts straight. I was using a kitchen cutting board (a hard plastic kind) after awhile there were so many scores that it started making my cuts offset.


I just got my new Vantage mat delivered today. 24" x 36" (and in black) - it dominates my work desk.