I will never buy from My Sweet Petunia.

My LSS just sent out an email saying the rulers are in stock. Nope. They also got the $60 Misti's back in stock. Double nope.

I don't think it's a far stretch to call it dangerous. Certainly not as safe as a metal ruler. One of my favourite professors always insisted that the most dangerous tool in the whole workshop - which included every kind of powered saw, torch, drill you could shake a stick at - was a hand-held blade. Responsible for more injuries in his classes than any other. People are naturally cautious around power tools, but they tend to disrespect the humble box cutter and forget about the hand holding their work, which is where accidents happen. He'd also have had a litter of kittens had anyone suggested using a PLASTIC ruler with a sharp metal knife. Always pay attention to your dummy hand, be ye cooking or crafting or doing home repair! That's the one that's *not* holding the tool, and the one that's going to get hurt more often than any other.

From the video, it looked like the ruler has a groove in the middle to guide the cutting, like the old Coluzzle templates (for those who may remember that far back). Again, she has essentially adapted a previously invented tool, and is trying to patent her version of it. Her ruler markings were unique in some ways, I'll acknowledge that, but under the circumstances, she could potentially be sued by the Coluzzle creator, unless she got permission from them for her derivative design. Her ruler is a cross between the Coluzzle templates and a regular ruler. All she did was add some unique markings. Maybe she could get a patent based on the markings, but it would be justice if the Coluzzle inventer sued iher.

The Coluzzle templates were also made of plastic, and no matter how careful you were, or how lightly you stroked, sometimes you knicked them.

There is also always a risk to the hand holding the ruler. She used the Fiskars craft knife that fits onto the finger. I have not used one of those, so I really have no opinion on whether it is safer or more easily controlled. I personally think the Coluzzle swivel knife was less risky. It was held upright, not at an angle, and the blade was very small.

Safety issues or risks aside, though, I prefer convenience, ease of use, and tools that speed up my crafting, not ones that take extra time. The convenience factor is one reason that the Coluzzle and its templates stopped selling. Most people preferred to use thin dies because they got an exact cut. There were sometimes imperfections in using the Coluzzle, because the hand holding the template could slip a little. There was no rubber or cork on the bottom of Coluzzle templates either.

Recently I had to use a metal ruler and a craft knife to cut through foam core board for something, and I had to use several strokes to make the cuts all the way through. They were, of course, not quite perfect. It was annoying and time consuming. I would not want to bother with any tool that requires several strokes to make one cut. That alone would prevent me from wasting money on MSP's ruler.

I suspect that when crafters start actually using the MSP ruler, it will quickly end up in the bin of unloved tools that were a waste of money.

The quilting rulers that are clear like this ruler are meant to be used with a rotary cutter. There's no way they would last using a regular blade and they're pretty thick and sturdy. For cutting with a regular blade I have a Tim Holtz ruler that has a metal edge. Coincidentally, it's also clear and is a centering ruler. I'll try to find a link.

Those don’t have her special ‘slot’
But I dont see a whole lot of difference from the shape cut ruler & hers except for size and if size were a difference in patenting then she shouldn’t have sued Tim Holtz
m.youtube.com/watch?v=pETsJf2nNQE

And yes my coluzzles are nicked & I even bought the special swivel coluzzle knife

I guess she had to come up with something this year to be relevant at Creativation. Seems like she could have just introduced an updated look on the Misti, round the outside corners, get rid of that awful raspberry color, make the foam mat gray, something. That thing looks like a Buick from the 50’s.

Provo Craft should sue her. They're the ones who made Coluzzle templates, which had the slot for the blade. Maybe because they no longer produce or sell the item, she thinks she can essentially use their concept, but it is still a derivative of a previously patented tool.

If Provo Craft did not grant permission to use their concept, they would be within their rights to sue her and demand a percentage of her income from the ruler sales.

Considering what she did to Tonic, and what she is trying to do to Stampin' Up, it would be justice. And Provo Craft, makers of Cricut, are big enough that she can't bully them into giving her a free pass.

I hadn't seen the Dritz ruler. Yes, they would be the perfect ones to sue her, more than Provo Craft. They are big enough to do it, and can argue that she is causing them potentially a loss of sales, which I believe was part of her arguments against Tim Holtz/Tonic.

And the dritz one is only $10

I don’t know. But her Misti is over priced for what it does so...

Yes, I know that. I was just sharing a similar ruler that has a metal edge, unlike hers. The Shape Cut rulers don't have any markings smaller than 1/2". I have one that I use for fabric. It got nicked using a rotary cutter so I can't even imagine trying to use a regular knife with them. 

I can’t figure out how to post a photo from my phone (or if it’s even possible), but the front page of Scrapbook.com has the TH platform advertised under the words “The #1 Recommended Stamping Tool”. YEAH, scrapbook.com!!!

Oh my gosh, they look so similiar    I wonder if Dritz has a patent on their product though because if they don't, MSP will probably get one....sigh..... 

For the others who asked about price of the MSP ruler: where I live in Australia, it retails for $34 plus postage which makes it around $40.  That's crazy expensive.  And the rulers are in imperial measurements whereas Australia is metric so that part of the product is useless.  And I have a centering rule already which cost me $3.  

Jennifer has always seemed to be up Petunia's backside when it came to the misti, so she probably will feature it.