My background is in printmaking. That is what I majored in in undergraduate and graduate school. I left it behind after school due to the cost and toxicity of materials. Now that there are safer options and water-based products, I've been wanting to try block printing. I actually have the cutter somewhere in the basement. Of course, it is buried under something. So what did I do? I bought more! And I got some little flexible blocks. (I also have those in the underneath)
The Speedball blades seem sharp enough but the Speedball Speedy Cut blocks are a mess. They shred as you cut them and if you try to brush the shreds off, you make more. In doing some internet research, I found that the best soft blocks were made by Staedtler Mars but are not longer available. In addition to the hated Speedy Cut, Speedball makes Speedy Carve which is supposed to be pretty good.
I found it hard to visualize what I should cut away and cut more than I needed to. Still, I am pleased with how the bee turned out. I may modify it a bit more if I can bear to work with that block again. Or I may just go buy Speedy Carve tomorrow. And some printing paper (of which there is also some down there).
