SB: Has anyone tried a glass mat?

[DVCajun]

That's my next purchase and I'm wondering if any of you have a comment or experience with them.

Just when I think I have "everything I need" for scrapbooking (yeah, right!) I find something else I just *must* have!

 

[Spinning]

Not sure what you are exactly talking about.
I cut stencils and use a piece of glass to cut on all the time. I love it but never thought to use it with scrap booking.
I bought my glass at a glass store had them sand the edges. It is a thicker glass. It works great with an exacto blade. Makes cutting very easy
What will you be using it for?

 

[bunnyfoo]

Are the glass mats better than the rubber/plastic ones? I've never tried the glass ones ... I was kind of worried that they might make a screechy sound when you ran your knife across...

 

[pas2]

A glass mat is a MUST for good clean cuts with a blade runner, circle cutter or xacto knife. I used to use a plastic one but switched and what a difference. I use mine all the time. I have the smaller size since I usually work in 8 1/2 x 11 paper but I see they have made it in 12 x 12. I am thinking of switching to the larger size and giving my small one to my cousin. Definitely one of the best purchases I made.

 

[DVCajun]

You'd use it for scrapbooking just like you would a plastic one-- for cutting out template shapes or letters, etc. The plastic mats get grooves in them, even though they are "self-healing," that can cause your knife to get stuck or run into an existing groove and mess up your project. Obviously, that won't happen with a glass mat!

My LSS has the 12x12 for $30 I thought that was rather high. Has anyone found them elsewhere cheaper? I know Wally World has the 9x12 one for $13, but I really want the bigger one. I'm also wondering if I should just get a piece of glass cut like Spinning did and lay that over my regular plastic mat (I'll get a 12x12 mat). That would definitely be cheaper.

 

[Spinning]

OK! Yes the glass I use for my stencils is the same but GO TO A GLASS STORE !!!!!! Not to yell or anything! But I have a piece of glass, tempered about 5 cm thick, edges are ground down by them not sharp edges. corners are blended in.
I have my piece for many years now! it is an 8x10 size and I think I paid a few dollars.
Looks like I may start bringing it out to use with my scrap booking! Never would have thought of it! But makes sense! I find the plastic matt pulls!

 

[DVCajun]

5 cm thick? Isn't that pretty thick? Maybe you meant 5 mm?

 

[Spinning]

OOPS yes....but it works great and I haven't broken yetr! I have ahd it for at least 8 years!

 

[Keli]

I like my glass mat but I have found one problem that made me go out and buy a self healing plastic mat too. I have found that the blades for my fiskar shap cutter dulls VERY quickly with a glass mat. So much so that I can only cut maybe 10-12 shapes before I have problems with the edges of the shapes being fuzzy and stuff from a dull blade. I never have this problem with my exacto knife so I don't know why it happens with the shape cutter but it does. I have found that using a self healing mat does greatly extend the life of that blade.

 

[DVCajun]

I can see how that would be the case. A rule in cooking is that glass cutting boards are a "no-no" to use with good knives for that very reason.