****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I had been looking into a large cutting mat for a few months. I sew a lot and I have a Truecut crafting and cutting table that has a 48 x 36" surface. The Alvin translucent mat fits perfectly on top of my table. It also saves me a lot of time as I don't need to move my small mat around when cutting large patterns. The clear color makes it less noticeable which is a plus since it is located in our family room. The other mats are usually green or blue, which does not really complement any home decor! Plus it is easy on the eye whatever fabric color I am working with.I have had this mat for over 2 months now and it is still as great as when I received it.Also, shipping was quick and it arrived rolled in a large and solid box. It was in perfect condition, and it recovered its flat shape within a day. I simply placed heavy books all over after laying it flat on my cutting table.Overall, I am extremely happy with this purchase!I bought one of these Alvin "self-healing" cutting mats a few years ago, and I liked it so much that I keep replacing it with the same type, about every 3 years. I lay the new one on top of the previous mat. I do quite a bit of paper cutting, and I find that this larger size (24" x 36") creates a roomy, stable cutting area. The color of this one — bluish milky white imprinted with a blue grid — is more neutral (less distracting) than the green or black alternatives, at least for me. For this product, the "translucent" specification means you can see see your hand through it, barely. The mat is a bit expensive, but worth the cost. The mat was shipped flat in a large box, which I appreciated.I was surprised and very pleased that this was shipped flat and not rolled or folded as I had seen other reviewers comment. It lays nice and flat and is the perfect size for my quilting room cutting table. Very good quality and should last for many years. Love it!UPDATE 12/3/17I love everything about this mat except that it dulls my rotary cutter blades quicker than any other cutting mat I have used. It is a very hard surface, unlike many of the other self-healing cutting mats. I am now back to searching for a new mat that won't dull my blades.Happy the mat was shipped flat. Nice touch. Mine has a ridge in it though from shipping and I'm still trying to tame it down.Would have rated this item higher but the smell is incredibly intense. (Much more than other brands that I have owned.) I've had it a few months and the odor is just now starting to wear off. Had to put it in my garage for over a month because I couldn't take it. The mat seems to work as expected, but I would not order this again. If you're super-sensitive to smell like me, keep looking. If you're used to strong odors and don't mind it, it's a good buy.This is my second Alvin cutting mat. I'm a quilter and am constantly cutting layers of fabric. This mat is the best I've had (and I've used many). I prefer the light grey color as it is much easier for me to work with at night. It's also easy to turn it over to extend the use. I would recommend this mat for all quilters; it is well worth the price.Large , Tough,and fits the top of my art table.Size is good (I got 30x42). Shipped in large box so it was bent but not folded enough to damage it.Markings are pretty cheesy compared to olfa and another brand I had several years ago from an art store.My main complaint is that there were two color options, I selected black but they sent me clear.This is a quality cutting matt, that is "truly" self healing. The cutting mat I use as work is an Xacto brand, that is supposed to be self healing, but you can feel the cuts across it. The Alvin cutting mat, yes it shows the marks, but it does not affect what your cutting by causing ridges from previous blade marks. It is the same cutting matt used at college for Graphic Design and I couldn't believe the price for it. I'd definitely purchase another anytime.
