Product Review - Kearing Slotted Cutting Ruler

We had been getting requests for a certain slotted cutting ruler (ie Stipology by Creative Grids). It was not available with our current suppliers. However we did see this one made by Kearing. Asked our good friend Jessie Roussel of J Roussel Creations to give it a try before we brought them in to the shop.

Here's what he has to say about the Kearing Slotted Cutting Ruler:

Cons

• 1” smaller than the Creative Grids Stripology ruler in both directions, this removes three cutting slots (spaced ½” apart)

• Seems to generate a bit more suction on the fabric beneath the ruler when picked up - can lead to fabric movement making pivoting the ruler more difficult (I’ve had this happen with the CG ruler as well, so maybe a general design flaw)

• No “grippy” underside - may cause the ruler to slip (i didn’t have issues, but some might) - this can be rectified with a coat of ruler no-slip coating (see below)

Pros

• 1mm thicker than Creative Grids ruler - this lends the KEARING a stability you don’t feel with the Creative Grids, I wasn’t manhandling the kearing, but I also wasn’t being especially careful to pick it up from both edges like I have to do with the Creative Grids.

• The added thickness does lend the slots to be a bit stiff the first cut through, but after the 3rd or 4th they seemed to have loosened up without any major issue.

• The Creative Grids has white and black lines - helpful for some fabrics, but an eyesore if you have a cutting mat that ALSO has white lines - the yellow and black lines on the Kearing are less visually abrasive.

• The Creative Grids ruler also SEEMS to have more lines on it due to the white popping in your vision, adding to the chaos - the Kearing Slotted Ruler only has black lines for measurements, the yellow lines are all for preset sizes of squares or triangles.

• The Creative Grids ruler also has makings for triangles, but they are small black dotted lines and get lost in the general chaos of the ruler

Overall, I actually like the Kearing better than the Creative Grids, simply due to the thickness, it makes such a large ruler not feel so delicate. That being said, it can still warp, so I assume it could still crack along the slots, but I feel like there’s less of a chance compared to the Creative Grids. The pros for the ruler for me outweigh the cons, the only one that’s not really “fixable” is the suction, though as I was cutting I got a bit better at lifting one corner up then the other and that seems to help mitigate the suction effect.

Odif Grippy spray Now in stock at Craft de Ville!

Handy for backing cutting rulers, makes them grip the fabric without making them tacky to the touch. It does frost the rulers a bit, but you can mitigate that by spraying a thinner coat (I was a bit heavy handed on my example ruler). You can also use the neon Glow-Line Tape and mark off specific lines you use all the time (like 2.5” from either edge), spray the ruler and peel off the tape, leaving those areas clear and easily visible.