Cutting surface

[Mirco]

I use a piece of linoleum. Harder top side for scoring, softer bottom (gray) side for cutting. Safe for blades, cheap, portable (no problem to cut a 5x15 cm piece to fit your pocket tool set). And comes in any size up to several square meters, if you like .
Disadvantages: lower surface friction than the specialized cutting mats, so you have to hold the parts very well. Doesn't heal, so it has to be replaced quite often (but much less often than cardboard mats).

But everyone I know who tried a special cutting mat says there is nothing better and hasn't used anything else since then.

[solarprism]

I first use a glass, and found out that this will make your head of your knife easier to break.I now use a cutting mat but if you need a emergency situation, you can use a old notebook( the book made from paper, not the notebook we type in :D )

[NStarkel]

I just use a kitchen cutting bord from ikea.... it was cheap though! and i got it for the plasic models but now that i made both i only use it for paper... it has lots and lots of cuts in it....

[Vermin_King]

Self-healing cutting mat. When Christopher Roe (Mel Ebbles) had his shop, I picked up the papercraft starter set and the mat was part of it. It also had two Olfa knives, and assorted goodies.

A good mat with a good knife makes things a lot easier.

[cdavenport]

Self-sealing mat and/or translucent white kitchen cutting board.

Incidentally, the kitchen cutting boards are made from the same material as plastic milk bottles...at least here in the United States.

The drawback to the kitchen cutting boards is that they need to be resurfaced to make keep the surface smooth whereas the self-sealing mat doesn't have that problem.

It all comes down to cost in my mind. You can get some thin kitchen cutting boards at the Dollar Store for "pennies," and these will give excellent service while serving as a cutting platform for many models. Remember, you have two sides. Once the board becomes overly scored, you just toss it and get another.

[RickTNRebel]

I cut and sometimes score on a transparent, self-healing art cutting mat over a frosted acrylic (1/4" thick) insert set into a tilting drafting table. A flourescent light is mounted under the acrylic. This backlights (called a "light table") my work so cutting and scoring, especially white side scoring, is easier. I also work under a swing arm magnifier lamp and have 4 light tubes (2 fixtures) overhead. I keep various other small work surfaces close at hand depending on what effect I need. I just plop them down over the mat.