Whilst self healing cutting mats have become increasingly popular over recent years, there is still a little confusion as to what self healing means and how it shows itself during everyday use.
Rhino Cutting Mats is one of the most respected names in the cutting mat industry, producing exceptional quality surfaces that are designed to last. Leveraging this knowledge, we have put together this short guide illustrating what self healing cutting mats are designed to do and the visual indicators that they are working correctly. This way, you can be sure that you are fully aware of what your self healing cutting board is capable of and that it is working as it should.
What is a Self Healing Cutting Board Meant to Do?
Self healing cutting mats are designed to provide a protective cutting surface, keeping worktops undamaged and assisting in ensuring that cuts are straight and accurate. Furthermore, the material that the mats are made from is designed to keep cutting instruments and knives as sharp as possible, reducing the blunting that other materials can often cause.
To summarise, self healing cutting mats are purpose-built to be extremely durable and resilient, creating the perfect cutting surface that reduces blunting but also ensures any worksurface is well protected from damage. In fact, many self healing cutting boards are also chemically resistant, illustrating their innate strength and toughness.
Beyond this, the self healing nature of the cutting mats refers to what happens after a cut is made. The idea is that due to the nature of the material, the cuts themselves close up after a period of time and whilst they can sometimes still be slightly visible, they do not impede future cuts in the same place. This is key for ensuring consistently accurate cutting regardless of previous stress that the mat has been under.
Visual Signs of Self Healing
Whilst most of what makes a self healing cutting mat work is below the surface, there are still some common visual signs you can look out for to check that your cutting board is working correctly and healing accurately.
Gap Closing
Depending on the specific cutting mat you have selected, it may be visibly clear that the incision you have made in the mat has closed. This is a clear sign that your mat is self healing correctly and you have nothing to worry about. Saying this, specific materials that offer other advantages may still show the incision when you look at it but upon running your finger over the incision, you’ll find that the surface is smooth and unaffected. This still shows that the cut has self healed correctly and will not affect future incisions into the cutting mat.
Blunting Reduction
If you have utilised previous cutting surfaces during your time crafting or manufacturing, you may have got used to a specific lifespan for your blades or knives. Self healing cutting mats are designed to extend this lifespan and reduce blade blunting. If you notice that your rotary or straight edged blades are lasting longer, then you are likely witnessing the effects of effective self healing and a high-quality cutting mat.
Reduced ‘Tramlining’
Tramlining is a phrase used to explain how cutting mats react when you make multiple cuts directly next to each other. When a conventional mat or material is cut and then another cut is made a hair away, this can cause a gouge in the material and in turn, skew the straightness of the cut.
The self healing nature of our cutting mats means that the gouging and risk of tramlining is significantly lowered, ensuring consistently straight cuts, regardless of how close you are to a previous incision.
Using these visual indicators, you should find it easier to check the effectiveness of your self healing cutting mat. If you are searching for a long-lasting, high-quality cutting mat that can also serve as a comprehensive worksurface protector, explore Rhino’s range of cutting mats or get in touch for more information.
