Wowie sometimes a saying can be so true! A while back I found what I thought was an amazing deal on rotary cutter blades at a fabric store. They had Singer blades on sale for $0.99 each! Yey, I thought, I'd better stock up! Up here in Canada blades are around $8.00 each so I thought I was getting a real deal. How bad can they be I wondered? Singer is a good name isn't it? Well, was I ever wrong! The blades burred so fast! They got nicks in them and just never cut well. The metal must be very soft in these blades. But, hey, I bought about 30 of them so I wanted to use them up!! I've been putting up with these blades on projects for a while so I stopped noticing how horid they are to work with!
This weekend, while I was demoing, I caught the corner of my ruler with my rotary cutter and really nicked the blade. I couldn't cut with it anymore so I ran over to the notions wall and grabbed a new blade (don't worry I paid for it latter LOL). I quickly switched blades and started cutting with a new Olfa blade instead of the Singer blade. Wowie-zowie what a difference! It was night and day a better blade. The cutting was perfect and the rotary cutter rolled wonderfully! I had forgotten how much I had to work to cut with those Singer blades, how much pressure I had to put on the cutter and the re-cuts I had to do!
You can pick the saying that applies here:
- penny wise pound foolish
- you get what you pay for
- if it seems to good to be true it probably is
- etc
I don't want to go back to using those cheap blades now. I have about 9 of those blades left and I want to throw them out!
What would you guys do? Would you throw the blades away or save them for an easy to cut out, accuracy not so important project?
14 comments:
Oh what a pain that they didn't work out!!
I'd save them and use them to cut paper (like wrapping paper or somesuch).
Like Felicity, I'd use them for paper or something that you wouldn't want to use a good blade on...
I agree! Use them to cut paper! I save all my old blades so I can use them this way.
I agree! I use an old rotary cutter to cut paper and cardboard with...just mark your ghetto singer blades with a sharpie. ;)
Angel
www.etownhooks.blogspot.com
Maybe donate them to a school? I bet as stinky as they are, they would be appreciated by someone that doesn't know the difference..
And that reminds me to go buy a new good blade ;o)
I'd throw them out and I'd e-mail Singer and let them know exactly what they are like. I only use Olfa blades and won't even try anything else.
Yard sale? =) That sounds good. I guess that since you've already used so many, you should not feel guilty not using the rest. =)
I would email the company and attach your blog. Singer is a business that would like to protect their name. I think they would repay your investment and maybe even send you a thank you gift for letting them know. I am lucky to live so close to the border and so I shop at JoAnn's when they have a sale or when I get a coupon. Fabricland here also carries them now and they have sales. Every time I put a new blade in I wonder why I waited so long.
Sorry you had bad luck with these, but I do appreciate you sharing your insights. I definitely respect your opinion and will not buy these.
I do use Olfa blades and have heard good things about the titanium blades, but haven't yet given them a try. Sounds that they last forever.
SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing your learning curve I appreciate too well the importance of a good blade!! Bargains are tempting though.
I too would save them for cutting paper. I also appreciate you sharing.
I'd remember that other saying.. Waste not want not.. and save them for emergency cutting.. paper cutting.. or cutting something other than fabric..something YUCKY that you wouldn't want your nice blade to touch.. but don't just throw them out.. cuz you did spend money on them.. and who knows.. maybe handy at some point.
Well... never throw things away that can be used. Post it on your city's FreeCycle. Someone will take it.
~Monika
You may have to purchase the singer rotary cutter to have them work properly?
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