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I actually wrote the first mass-market book on stamp carving (The Weekend Crafter: Rubber Stamp Carving) for Lark Books in 2002. In it, I talked about a well-known brand name carving material that looks great, carves easily--and crumbles if you look at it wrong. I urged new carvers not to be seduced, as there are plenty of other, better carving blocks out there. Here I am, a decade later, and I can't believe this product is still available to unwary carvers. AND that I myself was taken in, lured by the low price and the good reviews. I thought if it really was the same stuff, they MUST have improved it by now. But no. It's the same problematic stuff--looks great, feels great, carves easily. But doesn't perform so great. And it doesn't hold up. First of all, Speedball did aquire quality versons of carving block from other small companies (the pink version, the blue version) about 10 years ago, and made them more available to a wider audience. So they do offer quality carving block. But the renaming of these versions is extremely confusing: Speedy-Cut Carve block and Speedy-Cut Carving block?? Come on. Suffice to say, this is the same old stuff that crumbles easily. In fact, you can lightly rub a cut line and you will get crumbles. Just brushing off your line cut debris will create more crumbles. Beginning students dig a little too hard or a little too deep (so easy to do) and their entire block splits or crumbles. I bought a bunch, because I'm teaching free classes and providing free materials to several outreach groups with not much funds. So I bought in bulk to get the very best price. Because of shipping costs and restocking fees, it's not worth sending back. My students will use it, and right now, it doesn't matter too much--they're having fun simply playing with the material and they aren't concerned about making stamps that last. But when I see their frustration with a block that falls apart as they carve it, I want to smack myself. It just shouldn't be that hard. Spare yourself the trouble. Try Speedyball's other quality products. Let this one die a peaceful death. Please!

Speedy-Cut is the greatest way to stamp! It is much easier to cut than anything else I have found. Cuts like butter and can be easily cut to any size or shape before making the printing stamp. I love it!

This is really nice for carving. A little thicker than the "pink stuff", so you don't have to mount your stamps. Great for micro-boxes!

This product is absolutely wonderful for stamp carving! Being an avid letterboxer, I carve lots of stamps. Along with the 'pink stuff,' this is the best material that I have come across. Speedball has a great product here.

I love the idea of the Speedball Block Printing and stuff. I did it today and I love it !!!

I love this stuff, especially because it is SO easy to burnish an image for carving.

I decided to play around with cutting linoleum blocks and creating stamps to enhance some art projects. I tried using the traditional blocks and broke one of my tips. I then tried the Speedy Cut block. What a difference! Forget the traditional! Speedy Cut is the best!

This is the most wonderful stuff ever. It cuts like buttah, and it's just so fun. A great way to quickly carve blocks for printing. Yay!

I love this stuff! I first used it to play with different ways of using textile paints and inks to design fabric. This stuff is wonderful and soooo easy to cut. I now also use it in teaching my fabric design classes and everyone loves it.