Our findings re the Cameo blades

[philk]

Dear All

I am surprised to see that there are still a lot of postings going on about blade problems, I think that for the record it is time for me to lay out the facts as we see them.

Firstly, I would like to say that we do not actually see a blade problem. Before Christmas there were a lot of postings here about faulty Cameo blades, I asked everybody with a problem to send their blades back to us for inspection. We only received less than 20 back, which out of thousands sold at that time was a minimal percentage. As a matter of goodwill, we shipped out replacement blades to all regardless of if they were faulty or not, meanwhile, our engineers inspected all of the returns under a microscope, we only found 5 that were faulty, this is a minuscule quantity, and less than 0.02% of the units sold.

The other 15 units were either chipped or blunted. if there is a problem with the Cameo cutters it is that it is too flexible, and owners can extend the blade too far, this is the biggest cause for chipping the blade which was the main damage seen by our engineers. If the blade extends more than the thickness of the card then it is likely to get damaged. Please remember that setting 1 on the Cameo cutter is equivalent to the blue cap, setting 2 is equivalent to the yellow cap and setting 3 is equivalent to the pink cap. Any settings higher than this must be used with caution and only were the thickness of the card warrants it.

The next problem that I am reading is about dust collecting in the tip of the cutter, this is normal, and so long as the blade rotates smoothly then it should not affect the cut. When cutting card with the cutter, it is designed to work with a scissor action, to perform this it is important that the nose cone runs on the surface of the card while the blade cuts. By making the hole larger, you lose this scissor effect and the quality of the cut deteriorates. We have tried literally hundreds of different style holders, and the existing design works best. The current size of the hole is the optimal size to give the best quality cut.

The down side of this is that the hole is more liable to fill with dust, but to be honest, unless the dust is really compacted or has chips of card in there it will not affect the quality of the cut. We do not suggest that anybody puts the blade in their mouths and sucks out the debris, but before using the Cameo, just wind in the blade give a quick blow on the tip then set the blade depth again, this wont stop the dust getting in, but just stops it getting too compacted.

There is also confusion about the availability of cutters. The original cutter with coloured tips is still in stock for those who require or prefer it. We have discontinued the replacement pins because there is not sufficient demand for them. I have seen postings asking if we could just keep a few in stock for those who require them, this is not really possible, we have to manufacture the pins in their millions, this will take a long time to get rid of while we are only selling about 10 per week. Unfortunately it was not commercially viable.

So in conclusion, please use your Cameo ratchet cutter, it works well, it is a far less expensive option, but treat it with care, it is a delicate tool. You would not throw your expensive kitchen knife into the breadboard or drop it on a stone floor, look after it.

I hope this clears up any of the misconceptions that are floating around. Meanwhile, if anybody does have any problems, please do not hesitate our support at support@graphtecgb.co.uk. I must reiterate, if a blade is found to be faulty, we will continue to replace it free of charge, however if the blade is chipped or blunt through incorrect operation unfortunately we will not be able to be as generous.

Phil

[Lucille]

Thanks Phil, at least we now know what the Graphtec findings are on the blades and that they have been investigated and found to be OK.

[Susie.A]

That sounds very reassuring and I suppose the internet is to blame for a lot of the misconceptions. If people couldn't post then they'd think that it was a one off duff blade, but as soon as a few people post it sounds like there is a major fault.

I know it is an inconvenience if something does go wrong but it is nice to know that we have the backing of Graphtec in the event of a problem. I will probably order the blade and try it before my other blade needs replacing, that way if I do find a problem I won't be stuck without a blade. Can't imagine the dust issue being a problem as I've never had that before and tend not to use fibrous card at all because it doesn't cut well.

[mitch6824]

Well said Phil.
I have a cameo & love it.
To those who were wondering, yes it does cut much thicker than my robo (which I also Liked)
I agree treat the blade with care, but I have not had a problem with mine.

[vanessa1968]

Many thanks for clearing that up. I have not had any problems with my blade and absolutely love my cameo. It isn't being used to it's full potential at the moment though! I have had some time off and had hoped to have some quality time in my craft room but it hasn't happened!!
Where does the time go to??

Vanessa

[Sweetp]

Thank you Phil for clearing things up!

[Fuschia]

That's good to know that you've done tests and checked everything out Phil, thank you for letting us know

[Lucille]

How lovely to finally hear from people who are enjoying their new Cameo machines and enjoying them, it would have been nice to hear from the other 240 people who viewed this thread, I can only assume they are pleased with theirs as well

[cattiegracie]

I must confess to reading this post even although I don't have a Cameo, that is why I didn't comment, guilty as charged Lucille, lol!!

[BathBelle]

Same as Grace. and I look at the thread every time as it comes up when I search for New Posts, so I've probably looked at this thread 4 or 5 times, without comment, so probably other people do the same, I like to see how a discussion progresses.

Ruth

[BathBelle]

Just tried to edit my last comment but it wouldn't work (my laptop playing up I think). What I was going to say is is it 240 people or 240 views? does the count distinguish

Thanks Phil for letting us know your findings. I may even get round to buying a Cameo soon as my craft retreat has been cancelled and I suddenly have some spare cash!

Ruth

[ellygreen]

I am the same as Ruth but i have not commented coz i do not own a cameo and if i did reply about having to now either purchase a ratchet blade or the whole set for my craft robo it would not be positive i am afraid and i would ruin the thread. So sometimes its best to keep your mouth shut as they say lol

[Shirley Anne]

Thanks for the info Phil - my ratchet blade is still working fine and I am really happy with my Cameo.

[silverst170]

My Cameo is wonderful and no problems with my blade either... Thank you!

[ed dawson]

Sorry. I expressed my feelings in another thread. I have developed reservations about the Cameo ratchet blade. I am not able to use the same cut settings on the same materials. I have cut only paper and card and nothing heavy. The blade has not been extended beyond position 4 (in use). For me, it does not have the same consistency and longevity that we enjoyed with the old Robo cutting system. I have looked at my blade under a magnifying glass and can't see any chipping. If the cuts I have had from this blade represent 'normal' usage then replacing the old system with this ratchet system is going to feel like commercial exploitation rather than progress and making the spindle 'unavailable' ensures that we pay for redundant blade holders and caps each time.

I honestly wish I'd not bought the Cameo and had stayed with the Robo - I would still have complained about the massive increase in the cost of cutting units.