Alvin GBM1824 GBM Series 18 inches x 24 inches Green/Black Professional Self-Healing Cutting Mat

If you do any kind of cutting of thing material with a blade you need one of these cutting mats, they come in many sizes to fit your needs. Arts and Crafts are the usual uses. I use mine for cutting veneer. A quality cutting mat like this is essential if you do this kind of work, or any kind of cutting, having a firm surface that you can slice into slightly makes cutting a pleasure, as the mat is self healing you can use it for years before it gets too beat up and both sides are useable. Get one, I have several of various sizes, when something larger comes along I just get the size mat for the job and if something larger comes along I have no hesitation in just ordering the size I need, these are worth every penny.

Bought this 18 x 24 mat to go with a mat-cutting kit in order to protect table surfaces from damage when cutting a mat for a picture frame. This works perfectly, and there is little to no damage when I'm done as the surface is truly "self-healing." I do know from my days as a drafter that after many hundred of cuts these pads will eventually need to be replaced, but it takes a while to get there. They also make nice desk "blotters" for writing on.One side is green and the other is black (other color combos and clear are available as well as smaller and larger sizes). Both sides have the same markings. The grid lines are 1/2 inch apart, and the longer lines are angled for 45 and 60 degrees. Good for use with any craft activity where you need to cut and measure stuff, even in the shop.

First, understand that I bought this for my workbench. I spend a fair amount of time cutting and soldering wires and other electronic components as a hobby. So I am not using this for sewing or quilting. It is so nice to have the measuring grid right there on my work surface, but be careful as it is not exact as a caliper or measuring stick. But it works perfect for me where I need "about 6 inches of wire." When I am done working I just pick up the entire pad, fold it in half and dump all the little left over bits and pieces right into the garbage. Dropped solder on it one time, and it wiped right off. I strongly recommend adding one to your workspace, it has held up well and makes for a great work surface.

It's exactly what I wanted and needed as well as the fact that it counts towards the Amazon Student account so it came in 2-day shipping with my textbooks. I've had these mats in smaller sizes and wanted one large enough to permanently protect my desk. It works perfectly, just like my other mats, and I've never cut through one (even when I'm using my box cutter).The only 2 cons for this are:1. When I received this, it was a bit warped in the box, I had to use a heat gun and some weights to get it back to being flat.2. It slides around a bit on the desk since its reversible, I recommend the 3M Command Mounting Strips (double-sided adhesive strips used for the wall hooks that can be removed by pulling; they're made to not pull paint off the walls which is nice if you have a wooden desk, it won't mess up the finish)

Alvin Professional Cutting Mats have been covering my desks for years. As a professional product designer the things that I have to do at my desk very greatly from day to day. One day I will be inspecting parts for a quality control next I will be cutting signs for an event so I need a mat that will protect my desk from cuts, glue, solvents, drops, and general destruction that would quickly ruin any desk. Pro tip: when wiping down your cutting mat use a damp cloth every few months to keep the vinyl composite from drying out and cracking. These mats also work really well as mouse pads for your everyday computing needs. If you haven't already guessed it, I highly recommend the Alvin Professional Cutting Mat to anyone who is worried about abusing their desk surface and wants to protect it from damage.

I was gratified to see that this item came shipped in a nice big flat box. After reading the reviews and seeing that rolling it up may cause problems I was concerned to say the least. It arrived in fine shape and had only a slight bump on the corner that was easily fixed by setting a weight on it over night. All is good. It really is made of high quality material and well suited for the serious hobbyist. After a couple weeks of use I can say that it suits my needs to a tee.

I was very leery to buy this at first. I read a lot of reviews of this any other similar products before finally deciding to buy it. Now that I have it, I have no regrets. Mine did not have any kind of chemical smell when it arrived (oddly the ones I looked at in the stores did have the chemical smell many people mentioned. I'm not sure what the difference is, but mine had no odor at all). Amazon shipped it in a big box, so it arrived flat. I have bent it a bit here and there, leaving it propped up against a wall overnight (oops) and it did go back to being flat, not immediately, but after probably 30 min it was fine again. I have used this one a lot since I got it and I am honestly surprised that I can't see any marks on it at all after using a rotary cutter. I was skeptical about the self healing mats, I expected there to be marks left on it, but this one seems to actually work and "heal" itself really well. I am happier than I expected with this mat. Mine came in a green and black combo, and the colors look really nice too. I have no complaints about it. It's a great one and I am so happy I went with the Alvin mat instead of one of the others. I recommend it.

I gave this 5 stars because I think it is better than the more expensive ones I have had in the past. I like that the lines go all the way from top to bottom (some mats that I have had in the past the lines were not continuous). Also the spacing matches up with my rulers perfectly. The only change I would like to see is that the numbers be made bigger (hard to see) and maybe a contrasting color. Other than that I love it. I liked it so much I bought one is a large size also. Also the price is great.

I go 2 for the office for our soldering table, looks great and having the measurements on it is great. Love the ability to flip it over to use the green side. Use a 3rd one as a oversize mouse pad, works great as well

Have ordered these in the past and they hold up well.

It's pretty big and the material is good

says self healing, but I can still see and feel the cuts. still a good product!

Great cutting matt, also use it for soldering.