Years back I worked in a print shop doing old-school paste-up on a slanted drawing table. One day a heard a scream. Another artist ended up at the hospital for stitches when her knife rolled off her drawing board and stuck in her thigh!
X-Acto does make handles that are "anti-roll", but you don't normally find those at hobby stores. The large majority of knives are rolling #1 round metal handles.
But for straight cuts, why dull an expensive knife blade? Most all kits come with laser-cut balsa parts. You don't need a fancy knife to cut through small hold down tabs between the long cuts.
It occurred to me that on a #11 blade, the tip gets dull while three quarters of the blade is still sharp! If the tip breaks off and the blade is no longer usable.
The solution seemed to be a carpenter's break-off blade knife!
It is one long flat knife with a break off score about every quarter inch. Break off the dull top segment, and you've got a new sharp knife.
Here's my personal favorite: CLICK HERE
9mm blades strips fit it. It doesn't roll off the workbench!
TIP: On Amazon, break-offs are less expensive than the Excel blades. CLICK HERE
10 blades with 120 break-off tips are $6.59.
Divide $6.59 by 120 tips, it's like paying a little over $.05 each!
These cheap break-off blades knives are okay in a pinch. They won't last long in everyday use.
TIP: Carry a few of these in your range box. Leave your good knives at home.
That's a great idea, Chris. I'll be picking up a few of these. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOne thing you could try on those #1 handles - pencil grips.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.staples.com/Pencil-Grip-Pencil-Grip-Triangle-Multi-36-Pack/product_845574
https://www.staples.com/Pencil-Grip-Pencil-Grip-The-Writing-Claw-Multi-12-Pack/product_899672
One thing to be careful about with the break-off knives -- the blade refills may not always be compatible across different manufacturers. Had run into occasional frustration when the replacement blades (typically "no-name" or "off-brand") I'd picked up would only fit in the handle "upside-down" as the hole engage the advance/retract knob wasn't positioned in the right place.
ReplyDeleteI got my anti roll Xacto knife at either Hobbu Lobby or Michael's, sob there's at jest one national chain hobby store out there that carries them.
ReplyDeleteThose knives are so cheap at a local surplus place we have here ($1 each), I consider them disposable. I do have a really good one, and it's what I would call a standard size. I have found blades for it the couple times I have needed to.
ReplyDeleteWhen I took graphic arts and learned silk screen and setting type we had a sharpener that would renew the point on a #11 blade.....it ground the tip back restoring the sharpness but not quite the point ....it buzzed it off at a angle
ReplyDeleteHi Metal,
DeleteFor a short time I would sharpen a dulled blade. When I switched over to the break-off blade knives it didn't seem worth the effort.