A Beginners Guide to Cricut Blades!
Have you ever wondered which machine tools, housing, and blades are compatible with your Cricut machine? Or do you still need clarification on the different blades available for Cricut machines, trying to figure out which blade is best for your project and Cricut machine? Of course, using the right blade for your project is vital to get the best results and cuts. But figuring out all the different blades and tools can be tiring if you're a beginner. This blog will tell you everything you need about Cricut blades and tools. In addition, we will answer all your questions by explaining the different types of Cricut blades and help you choose the right blade for each material.
What are Cricut Machine and Cricut Blades?
The Cricut is an electronic cutting machine that can cut and print different materials, such as card stock, paper, heat transfer vinyl, and adhesive vinyl. You can cut anything that you can cut with a craft knife or scissors with the help of the Cricut machine, and Cricut makes the work easier, faster, and perfect for you. Furthermore, you can make any personalized items you like, according to your wish, with the help of the Cricut machine, like customized t-shirts, mugs, wall art, party decoration, etc.
A Cricut machine can make your craft easier, more fun, and less time-consuming, making your perfect and professional. You can purchase a Cricut machine according to your needs. The most crucial factor in deciding which Cricut machine to buy is to decide on what project you want to work on and with what kind of material you want to work. Suppose you want to cut simple things like paper and cards; you can go for the cheaper and lighter Cricut machines. All the devices have different features and work differently, so you can choose one that best suits your needs.
All Cricut machines are well-designed, have different power, and can cut various materials perfectly. However, using the wrong blade can damage your materials and blades. Therefore, Cricut blades are placed inside the housing; the housing holds the blade in its place, and the blades can be replaced when cuts are not the same and as sharp as they used to be.
Different Types of Cricut Blades
Many types of Cricut blades are used for different materials and machines. Therefore, choosing what Cricut blade best suits your device and project and fulfills your requirements is essential. Each blade is explained in detail below.
Cricut Joy Blade
The Cricut Joy is a portable and small machine, perfect for beginners and quick projects. It has only one cutting blade, the Cricut Joy blade, and one additional tool, the Cricut Joy Foil Transfer tool. The Cricut Joy blade is a fine-point blade designed for the smaller Cricut Joy machine. You can use this blade to cut many things, like smart material, paper, adhesive vinyl, infusible ink transfer sheets, cardstock, and iron-on-vinyl. This blade is compatible with the Cricut Joy machine and Cricut Joy Blade Housing only and cuts light to mid-weight materials.
Fine-Point Blade
A Cricut Fine-Point blade is a standard blade that comes in both the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explorer. It is a versatile blade designed to cut intricate designs with different materials. With this blade, you do not need to purchase the housing separately. It can cut iron-on vinyl (heat transfer vinyl), paper, cardstock, sticker paper, adhesive vinyl, infusible ink transfer sheets, smart materials, faux leather, and suede. It generally works best with standard-grip mats or light-grip mats.
Deep-Cut Blade
The deep-cut blade is an add-on stronger blade that works with The Cricut Maker and the Cricut Explorer; designed to cut heavy and thick material. The blade is stronger than the fine-point blade, gives depth-of-cut, and uses a different angle to cut thicker materials. It best works with a strong-grip mat at a 60-degree angle and does not work with the Explorer 3 and Maker 3, and you will need to buy a housing for this blade. It is designed to use a steeper blade angle and cut thicker items, including chipboard, craft foam, cardboard, magnet sheets, genuine leather, wood veneer, and stiffened felt.
Bonded Fabric Blade
Bonded fabric is a regular fabric, like cotton, with a stabilizer (like Heat N bond and wonder under) ironed onto the back; it is compatible with all Cricut Explore and Cricut maker machines. This makes it easier to cut with more stable material. Cricut allows you to skip the bonding step because it has a line of fusible bonded fabric with 12 x 12 inches dimensions. It is very similar to the Fine-Point blade; the only difference is its pink color; the Fine-Point blade and bonded fabric blades can be used interchangeably. Cricut already had a fine-point blade, but it launched a pink-colored bonded fabric to remind you to keep your paper and scissors separate. It can cut any kind of bonded fabric.
Rotatory Blade
It is a stainless steel blade that can cut delicate materials and fabric without a stabilizer. It's a small round blade that cuts the lines, slicing through the fabric without tearing or dragging. The blade has its housing with a golden gear at the top. The rotatory blade works best with a fabric-grip mat and can cut all kinds of fabric like denim, cotton, silk, and linen.
Knife Blade
The knife blade is strong and designed to cut thicker materials than any other Cricut Explore has been able to cut before. It is similar to an X-Acto knife, compatible with Maker machines, and works best with strong-grip mats. The knife blade is a 12mm carbide blade that slices through dense material up to 3/32 inches or 2.4mm thick. It can cut materials like 3/32" balsa wood, up to 7 oz tooling leather, 2mm Cricut chipboard, 3mm craft foam, 2-ply or 4-ply matboard, up to 1/16" basswood, and up to 5 oz garment leather.
Perforation Blade
The perforation blade makes precise perforation cuts with various materials and is only compatible with Maker machines. It is a perfect tool for raffle tickets, flyers, tear-out booklets, or any other project requiring a clean tear. It works best with light-grip or standard-grip mats and can make tear lines on cardstock and paper. However, it can also be used with leather, faux, adhesive vinyl, iron-on, and craft foam.
Wavy Blade
A wavy blade is a blade to add a wavy decoration cut to any project and works best with a mat that is appropriate for your material. You can change regular cut lines into wavy lines by selecting the wavy line type in the Cricut Design Space. It is compatible with Maker machines only. It can be cut with light to medium-weight materials, like cardstock, copy paper, acetate, cotton fabric, adhesive vinyl, iron-on vinyl, craft foam, leather, felt, vellum, and linen.
Blades for Older DIY Machines
Models like Create or Expression machines use different blades; these older blades are incompatible with new machines.
Standard Blade
It is a fine-point blade with a bright green housing.
Deep Cut Blade
It is a steeper blade that cuts thicker materials.
Cake Blade
This blade comes with cake and cake mini machines.
Conclusion
The Cricut blade can perfectly cut your material, giving your project a stunning look. Although Cricut blades can last for a long time, there comes a time when replacing the blade is necessary. The blade's life depends on the materials you are working with, how often you use them, and how you care for them. Blades that cut through thick materials, like the Deep Point blade and, significantly, the Knife blade, need to be replaced more often because of the pressure the blade needs to execute to get smooth and clean cuts.
FAQs
Question- What blade is best to work with vinyl?
Answer- All Cricut machines are well-designed, have different power, and can cut various materials perfectly. However, using the wrong blade can damage your materials and blades. Therefore, Cricut blades are placed inside the housing; the housing holds the blade in its place, and the blades can be replaced when cuts are not as sharp as they used to be. Use a fine point blade and green mat with more pressure to cut vinyl easily.
Question- How long does a DIY gadget blade last?
Answer- The more often you use your device, the more early you need to change its blade. What's the right time to change the blade of your device must be decided on your own. Following the guidelines, you should change your blade once every two months with the average use of your Cricut machine. And if you use your device frequently, you should change your blades once every six weeks or one and a half months.
Question- Can you sharpen your blades?
Answer- Yes! Cricut blades are the primary cutting parts in the machine, and they are designed to be sharp enough to cut any pattern or picture. Over time, the sharpness of the blades decreases blades becoming dull and providing inconsistent cuts. In addition, replacing blades frequently can be expensive. So, sharpening the blade extends its life of the blades. However, you should be careful while following the process, as it can harm you or your blades.
Source: https://cricutdesign6cut.wordpress.com/2023/03/17/a-beginners-guide-to-cricut-blades/