The blade holder is the most important part of the Inspiration. Hard to believe that such a small tool plays such a significant role in the cutting capabilities of the Inspiration. Not only is it important to keep the blade sharp, but it’s also important to keep the blade holder clean from cutting fiber and debris from your paper crafting projects. You will always want to make sure that if the blade holder is not secured in the blade carriage of the Inspiration that you have it stored in a safe location where it won’t get lost or more importantly damaged.
I’ve had my machine for two years and I’ve noticed that my cuts aren’t as clean as they were before even though I’ve changed out the blade and mat.
Elenor R. Riverton, CO
The blade holder is more than just a tool that holds your blade. It’s a precise instrument that’s designed to hold the blade in place and also allow it to swivel and move as it cuts. In order for the blade to move and swivel there are ball bearings on the inside of the blade holder that hold it in place. If the blade holder is dropped or damaged these ball bearings can become lose and the blade will not be held in place properly. If the blade holder becomes damaged in any way you’ll find that your cuts are no longer clean and the edges will looked frayed. If changing out your mat and blade hasn’t made a difference with your cuts, your blade holder may be the source of the problem. First try cleaning your blade holder. To effectively clean out your blade holder, remove the blade and then press and hold the button on the top of the holder. This will allow any debris that is inside of the blade holder to come free. If this does not resolve the issue, you may want consider getting a new blade holder. I would caution against ever taking the mechanism of the blade holder a part. Often times you’ll find that the pieces won’t go together like they once did.
I know I had to clean my blade holder out so the the blade could swivel freely. Thank you for this timely information.
I bought a new blade and the old one came out just fine. I tried putting in the new one and it wont go in. The old one wont go in again either. It feels like it is being stopped by something that has a spring on it. I tried pushing the top release pin on top and tried changing the setting from 1 to 6 and so forth, but nothing is working. What should I do?
Claudia, I have exactly the same problem. Have you received a response to your question? I have emailed customer support. Hope to hear from them soon.
Connie, we were able to resolve Claudia’s problem with a new blade holder. This should be the fix for you. 🙂