Cutting Surface

[muttley]

What is the best type of surface to cut leather on without dulling your knife. I am looking at getting a new knife and want to keep it working the best I can.

[lazyd]

I use the stuff the butcher shop uses. I think it is Poly...??? They usually have scraps of smaller pieces left over when they replace their cutting tops. Or their old cutting tops are good too. They have to replace them ever so often to pass inspection.------------Bill

[Trox]

I use the stuff the butcher shop uses. I think it is Poly...??? They usually have scraps of smaller pieces left over when they replace their cutting tops. Or their old cutting tops are good too. They have to replace them ever so often to pass inspection.------------Bill

High density polyethylene makes a good cutting surface. I was about to post a related question when I saw this. However, my question was about a cutting surface for a clicker machine.

I have tried several types of cutting surface for my round knifes. I think it must be as hard as possible without dulling the knife. If the tip of the round knife sinks to deep in it can break of when you turn a corner. I find many of the normal white cutting boards to soft, I have a green cutting surface that is much better. The name on of it is "CKS cutting mat", it has printed squares on it and look like something you would have on a office desk. I only wish it was a bit bigger, the big ones are quite expensive. They sell them in leather tools and hobby stores. I also covered my big working/ cutting table with some nylon bathroom floor coverings. However, its too soft for the round knife, but works fine with a roller knife.

Tor

[muttley]

Thank you for all your advice, that helps---Dean

[St8LineGunsmith]

the absolute best cutting mat you can get IMHO is a hobbico cutting mat

I have the 24"X36" on my work bench.

goes really easy on knife blades, unlike poly boards they are more forgiving on knife edges

you can purchase from tower hobbies for cheaphttp://www3.towerhob...0001p?&I=LXL451

if you are punching holes use a piece of heavy veg tan leather scrap so you don't punch holes in your cutting mat

Edited May 30, 2013 by St8LineGunsmith

[Chef niloc]

As a Chef, a Artist, and a craftsmen I think I have cut on just about every thing ou there there is? While not cheap I find that richlite cutting boards work the best for leather craft. With other cutting surfaces I find that the tips of knives (round, head, clicker) are more prone to breaking off because they can (and do) get stuck in the board material. richlite is also very resistant to most solvents, strong bases (straight Ammonia or lye) l will discolor them but I haven't found anything that eats threw them.

[oltoot]

There aren't many advantages to being old but one is that years ago while there were still loggers in the Rocky Mountains cutting and sawing big aspen trees for truck/trailer beds, I got some boards cut 4 x 16, stickered them, air dried them for a year, planed them to a full 3 x 12 and made what I hope will be a lifetime supply of 3' x 8' cutting boards. I use a side, rotate it 360 use it, then turn it over and repeat. When all used up, I sand out the cuts, use it again etc til its about 1 1/2, then get another one. I'm 70 and still have 1" on one and another clean one. Maybe we'll wear out together. Aspen is soft but, being a monocot, chips don't come out like they would from a tree with growth rings.

[Murf]

Ive always been in the understanding that poly cutting boards are horrible for your blades, a few examples: We used poly boards one summer we were knocking the heck out of catfish and wondering why we were sharpening and honing fillet knives everyday, it was because of the board. The other example: i work in a factory and we can our product and use a ton of poly to protect the cans from the rails, well when we cut the poly we have to find the oldest band saw blades to cut it because it'll clear the teeth right off of them. This is my experience with poly boards, i personally use an old bamboo kitchen cutting board and it does not break my thin blades nor dull my head knives rapidly.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Murf