In tassie need cutting mats

QUESTION: Love you site, great too see someone in Aus doing something so good. My question is, Im after cutting mats, but cant seem to find them anywhere,
any ideas,
thanks,
Rick

ANSWER: G'day Rick,

Trust me - cutting mats are EXTREMELY hard to get hold of in Australia. I used to order direct from Mugen Dachi (Tameshigiri.com) - but now postal restrictions in the US mean that due to the size of the boxes, it can't be shipped...

More recently, I have been buying pre-rolled mats from 'Keen Mirror' - which are the same as the Mugen Dachi ones, only pre-rolled. Last time I bought 8 1/2 mats and 2 full ones and had them shipped via Access USA. Total cost from Keen Mirror to Access was $58.24 - plus another US$111 to ship them to Australia, which comes out to be around US$14 per half mat... Pretty expensive...

Just last month, Aussie sword seller Global Gear have started selling 'tatami mats' at around $25 each I think. But they look like beach mats! So I think, the only way is to do what I do and go the half mats via Access...

Expensive, but when it comes to cutting - nothing else compares... :-)

Cheers,

- Paul