ALVIN Self-Healing Cutting Mat 12x18 in, Sewing, Quilting & Crafts, GBM1218

I run a vinyl decal business out of my home and have been working on creating a better work space for completing orders. I was previously cutting vinyl on a table made from scrap wood (no cutting mat or protective surface) because it was all I had at the time. I purchased this mat to rest on top of the table so that I would stop getting splinters, dust and dog hairs in my finished decals. I must first say that I have never owned a cutting mat. My mother has been sewing for most of her life and I can't remember her ever having one, either. So, I didn't really know what to shop for, only that I needed one to cover most of the surface of my work table. I purchased the Alvin Cutting Mat first for the size to price ratio (it was significantly cheaper than other brands of the same size), second for the self-healing capabilities, and third for the stellar reviews it had received. After using it for two weeks, I am happy to report that it is everything others have claimed and I am extremely pleased with it. I was initially intrigued by the two-sided feature. As far as I can tell, there is no difference in the sides other than color, so I use the green for vinyl and the black for fabric. I have cut on the mat with various blades and each time the cut disappears in seconds. It looks good as new every time I use it. I'm not sure how long this will last, as I tend to cut vinyl very often, but I am pleased thus far with the results. As for cleaning, I have used a damp cloth to wipe it down once, but for the most part it stays pretty clean with the type of work that I do on it. I am not concerned about the mat keeping its shape (mine is left flat on the table 24/7), but if I do put it away at some point, I'll be storing it flat as well; the mat isn't flimsy but seems like it could possibly warp if not hung up or stored flat. Overall, I believe this has been my best recent Amazon purchase. The mat was delivered in a large flat box to prevent bending and the packaging was sufficient. I plan to use this mat for a long time.

Love this on my craft table. This one is small. Which is great but I will be getting the bigger one as well. I can get good use out of both.

I am pleased with the size and quality. Great product.

Another update, August 25, 2012: I still have nothing but great things to say about this mat...I did notice the price has gone up on it, but I would expect that as nothing stays the same price year to year...I have had no problems butting the 2 mats together to make for one large cutting surface. I did put some of the rubberized shelf lining one can purchase from the dollar store under them as an added "help" in making sure they don't slide around while I am cutting...the 1st board I bought is almost 2 years old, and I must say the surface of it is still in great shape! I would consider myself pretty heavy duty into quilting...I use the mat probably every couple of days, and when I use it, I use it...So, summing up, I still highly recommend this mat. I also say even with the price increase, it is a bargain if you compare the cost of an Olfa mat to it... Update: June 14, 2011- I just ordered a 2nd mat, not because the 1st one is worn out, but because the price is too good to pass up, and I can put them together to have a really big cutting area. The 1st mat I ordered does have some areas where it is obvious that I cut at that measurement often, but it has had no impact on how the mat works. I also compared this mat with Fiskars and Olfa brand mats, and this mat is much thicker, more pliable, and has not remotely warped on me. I use this mat a lot with my quilting, it is a great size, and so far has held up wonderfully! The price is much better than other brands, same size mat surface. Having the black side as well as the green also comes in handy. I just received my 2nd mat, and it is just as good as the 1st one, and most importantly has no chemical odor! Highly recommend this mat!

I underestimated the size but it's perfect. And huge. Love the black, looks sexy on my black desk. Nice work surface all around. Was a little concerned about the carcinogen warning; is the hand washing thing just a CYA (cover your a--) instruction? Should I also be careful to rinse things I've made on it, especially if I intend to wear them? These warnings sometimes seem more harmful than helpful...I'd like to know if something actually has a higher than .01% chance of causing cancer with regular use, but too many warnings just makes the significant warnings less noticeable. Even Starbucks has carcinogen warnings in CA. Hard to know what's a real concern unless you look into the actual literature. Update: This may be of some use. Just straight-up vinyl is on the Prop 65 list. http://www.dow.com/productsafety/finder/vinyl.htm http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/vinylchl.html http://oehha.ca.gov/air/toxic_contaminants/pdf_zip/VC-final%20doc.pdf (airborne) -"As with all chemical substances, the health effects associated with exposure to VAM depend on the exposure level and duration. VAM is not considered to be highly toxic." -"VAM can penetrate the skin, but does not do so readily. Prolonged skin contact may cause sensitization and an allergic skin reaction in a small proportion of individuals." -"However, the tumors that were observed in laboratory animals at very high exposure concentrations for their lifetimes are not considered to be of relevance to humans exposed to low concentrations under typical use conditions." -"Several epidemiological studies have reported an association between vinyl chloride exposure in pregnant women and an increased incidence of birth defects, while other studies have not reported similar findings." I expect an adult will be fine even if they eat off of it occasionally, though no point in tempting fate. Personally I'll probably just use it with slightly more care than normal. Various sources suggest that it is mainly a risk for babies or when inhaled at high lifetime levels. I'm more concerned about all the chemicals my neighbors use on their lawns that run into the water, quite frankly.

Extremely nice very good quality!!!!

It works! 💪

It had my name on it so it eliminated the need to label it. LOL. That said it's done everything it's said it does. I mentioned in other reviews I was into a few hobbies. Electronics and soldering, vaping, and it's most useful application in custom plastic model kits. I bought it long before I got into Gunpla and I got the most use out of the mat in that application for allowing me to set masking tape and cutting it to shapes I need to cover from spray painting. The grid and angle lines are great for measuring and marking plastic plates as well. It acquired damage from my soldering (I absent-mindedly just set the iron on the mat and got irreparable burn holes) but that isn't gonna deduct points from the score. There were other places on the mat I can use the grid lines. If one side gets too damaged, I'll just flip it over. It does self heal from the hundred of cuts I've made into it. The one gripe about it is that it slides if you're slicing harder materials (like plastic plates), but that's to be expected if a mat has two sides. If your name is Alvin, buy it. If it's not, buy it anyway. It's a great mat.

This is a great cutting mat. It may be worth noting that the product picture is inaccurate and the mat itself is very small, without any diagonal lines on it. The mat is solid and well-made, with one side a black colour and the other green. This mat looks great and works great. The most impressive thing about it is the 'self-healing' abilities, which are rather impressive. I have made hundreds of scratches of varying depths to see how it would hold out. The mat doesn't completely heal from most scratches, regardless of how deep they are. However, when I have made really deep scores into the mat, they have dramatically faded to be more like normal scratches, in a matter of just a few hours. The only problem is that the lines fade off when scratched, but it takes quite a lot of scratching to affect the functionality of the mat. This is a great product that should last a while due to its self-healing properties.

Absolutely fantastic cutting mat. I use this regularly in my mobile phone repair business. It withstands all manner of cutting, scraping and glue residues. Highly recommend.

Great little cutting mat, just a bit larger than a standard sheet of paper, so it works well on my cluttered desk!

Fantastic self-healing mat. Highly recommended.

I do a lot of packing and and shipping and have always used double layered corrugated cardboard as a cutting mat. The table I cut on is 36"x 84", so the size of the mat is perfect for my setup. From cutting cardboard, foam board, sandwiches, this thing has been amazing. If you are thinking about getting a large cutting mat, this is the one. Price and quality cannot be beaten here. These mats save your blades from dulling at the tip and allow for more accurate cuts. I use this almost every day and will follow up this review in a few months to review its durability. Thumbs up so far!