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Mathias Smart Blades, any issues?
Hey All,
I’ve put this here for a reason – last time I questioned something regarding SMart knives or Ed Mathias, I spent an hour on the phone with Harry, got charged about £40 for ‘advice’ and a fair bit of money for some parts akin to £3 hoover drive belts!Ok, I’ve used these blades for about 5-6 years I reckon, I seem to be going through these blades faster than ever yet I don’t think I’m cutting much more than before – a lot of my business is now made of print so a lot less cutting thatn before. I keep dedicated blades for cutting reflective and tough materials so I can’t claim it to be that.
I was getting over 3months from a blade, no idea on volume but at east three months, 5 blades I owned would last me over a year (2 or 3 on reflective and 2 on regular films). less than a year ago I was given an old graphtec plotter which I sold with it’s original blades, it had 5 new smart blades which I exchanged with Ed Mathias for summa blades. with ten blades and 7 of them new, I wasn’t expecting to be replacing them any time soon but, replace them I do, too regularly in my opinion. I now have only two new blades left and I’m wondering if I really want to replace them again or, go back to using original blades – my first blade was on the machine for more than a year and cut everything!
Issues I’ve noticed…
1) different depths of blade and inconsistent sharpeness. usually a new blade cuts at around 80g on 551 oracle film, sometimes I have to start at 90g, yesterday I put one in, test cut at 75 – seemed ok, but when I cut a load of small text it tore it all out and through the paper, eventually down to 50g.Harry pointed out to me last time.. "why are you complainging at using less force?" when really my point is one of consistency.
2) cuts not completing, especially on small stuff, despite the overcut and settings being as per Smart Knives specifics. makes no odds if fonts are converted to curves etc. nothing I can see wrong with the fonts or outlines.
3), small text cutting all over the place, I have tried all of Harry’s suggestions, replaced all the drive belts etc. cutting strip has been replaced too. there is no movement in the head or the up/down movement of the solenoid. I’ve applied a blacking film to garment films and backing papers where I know it’s happened before – with no change.
4) a few blades have worn quickly, making reflective a pig to weed after the first few metres have been cut on a new blade – we’re talking oracal 5400/5600/%r etc. no heavy roadside / chap8 films!
Does anyone else have their doublt on these blades? I am certain I have got some lateral movement of the blade in the blade holder itself, this would make for screwed up lettering (mis-shapen, incoplete cuts and so on).
I would phone Mathias but honestly, I don’t have all day, and have no wish to hear – again, that "no-one on here knows what they’re talking about" and "you need a new cutter of a major service".
All I seem to do is complain lately, I don’t know if it’s me just getting old and fed up or if there’s genuinely a downturn in quality of goods & service across the board.
thanks.
Hugh -
6 Replies
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Hi Hugh
This isn’t going to help much sorry but just thought I would mention that I have a Summa and it was the first machine I bought in December 2006, I’ve changed that blade once, yes once. I also have another Summa I bought in about 2010 and these 2 still run every day side by side, no reflective etc just normal vinyl but the only blades I’ve ever used are the blades that came with the original machine.
If or should I say when I need to buy more I think I will buy original Summa blades and hope the quality is still the same.
Hope the shop is doing well.
Cheers
Warren
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Don’t do a lot of cutting these days
However over the months I do my fair share of it
For me its seems ages and ages since I changed the blade
Smartknives was definitely a smart move for me -
thanks guys,
In the past I’ve had Harry on the phone, telling me that it’s not the blades, it’s not the strips, it must be the belts (nope – changed them now), it must be the head carriage etc etc, nowhere can I see any movement except what looks like a lateral movement in the blade,thinking about it, long thin cuts have been ‘off’ for ages, it’s just something I’ve got used to but, with the relative light use this cutter has had, I really can’t see how it’s the machine at fault.
I might try normal blades again.
Warren, where do you buy your genuine summa blades?
Hugh
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Up until this wee problem with the fan our our Summa, a blade lasted ages and these were from Grafityp.
F
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Thanks Fred, I’ll look up their pricing, genuine summa seem to be around £20 a blade for a pack of five but, if they last so long I’d be happy to go back to them!
Might be one of those times where "if it ain’t broke, don’t try & fix it" comes in!
Hugh
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£20.00 for a pack of 5 Hugh 😀
Thought i’d gotten a duff pack not hardened properly or something ’till i spotted the fan wasn’t working!!
F
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