Comparison

First I need to say to Karen, I was being a pill that day at guild meeting. I felt snarky when the Martelli rep was there and should have been nicer. Although I still feel like we were watching one of those old time snake oil shows.

Now to my post.
I have owned a Martelli ergonomic rotary cutter for years. I think it is an ingenious design and it really works. I have much less pain and better accuracy when using it. The better accuracy comes from the less pain.
Recently a Martelli rep was in Mobile at the Azalea City Quilters Guild meeting while I happened to be in town. I really don't care for their manner of selling their product but it is a personal thing with me. I can't think of how they could change it to make it better.
After coming home I got my Martelli cutter out and played with it again. I then remembered why I had put it away and not used it in a while. The spring had popped off and the guard wouldn't stay out of the way. I emailed Martelli and told them my problem. In less than 30 minutes I had a reply email asking for my mailing address as they were going to mail me a new spring and a DVD showing me how to replace it. I was impressed!
Sure enough in about 3 or 4 days my spring and DVD arrived. In about 15 minutes I had it replaced and I was back in business.
Now to the comparison. They have recently reworked their rotary cutters to make them even more ergonomic and comfortable. They worked with a physical therapist and orthopedic dr to make it better. I felt it was worth it to me to try the new cutter since my arthritis us getting worse.
Can you see the difference in the handle? The new handle is thicker and more cushioned and really does feel better in my hand. Also the cutter feels more sturdy. The plastic is thicker.
I have been using this cutter exclusively for the past couple of weeks and decided I really like it. If you have any arthritis issues at all you may want to give it a try. If you decide to buy one I recommend you shopping around until you find the new design. You may need to order it from Martelli's website to make sure you get the newest one.