Hobby Knife (X-Acto knife) Replacement Blades

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jqavins

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X-Acto brand blades are a little expensive. There are less expensive alternatives from other companies.

What are your experiences with various brands regarding quality and edge longevity?
 
X-Acto brand blades are a little expensive. There are less expensive alternatives from other companies.

What are your experiences with various brands regarding quality and edge longevity?
I've used genuine Excel brand blades, the lower priced Amazon sourced blades, and the Hobby Lobby "store brand" blades - the Excel blades are better, they hold their edge and don't seem as prone to having the tips snap off, but not better enough that I search for the package of Excel blades in my toolbox over the others, whichever comes to hand first is what I use.

Not sure if this translates over to X-Acto or not so take my experience for what it's worth.
 
IMHO X-Acto blades seem to be slightly sharper than even the scalpel blades I bought. A pack of 100 #1 x-acto blades runs under $20 online. Not cheap, but not prohibitively expensive even if they're tossed out when the tip snaps off.
 
Thanks.

Save the #11 style blades for fancy, difficult cuts.
For freeing parts off a laser cut balsa sheet, use a break-off blade knife.
For freeing parts, I use my pocket knife as often as not.

Also, I like #10 blades for a lot of things. I find that the point of a #11 can sometimes catch and tear out, no matter how new and sharp it is, where the belly of a #10 can't.
 
Old-school X-Acto, why people still respect the brand:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/226470077232

Thanks! I also stick with X-Acto. I got a bunch years ago and haven't had to buy more until about now. I had picked up a bunch of similar Revell blades from a craft store when they were on clearance (came in a similar small plastic dispenser box too) and the quality was clearly inferior and the blades dulled quicker; however, it was still sharp enough to do the job.
 
When I was in art school in the late 1980's I invested in a box of 100 blades for my X-acto.
It's 2025, and the box is halfway used-up.
But of course, that's back in the days when this stuff was made in Long Island City, just off the 59th street Bridge.
 
I sharpen #7 blades several times before I toss them, using a jig called an Edjer. It has a grey stone in it that works fine with water. Or even saliva, though that probably increases the risk of infection if you mess up. Works great. I can do it in about the same amount of time as changing the blade.

Newer Edjers use diamond or Arkansas stones. Diamond stones I've used wore out, and I think you're supposed to use oil with Arkansas stones Edjer.com is down, but you can look it up at archive.org . I don't know if they're made any more.

P.S. Google knows better than us and is really bad at finding "edjer". Very good at finding "edger" instead.
 
Awhile back I shaved with antique straight razors and learned where to get ultra-fine sharpening stones from. I learned not to use them on straight razors and just strop the heck out of them but the stones did a nice job on #11 blades and it didn't matter if they were x-acto or generic #11's. Eventually a blade wears out or gets too gouged up to use. Getting a fine stone can preserve the life of a #11 blade.
 
I like the Exacto Z blades. But I rarely use an Exacto any more. I use razor knives with snap off blades and that's mostly for opening Amazon boxes. I don't remember the last time I used anything like that on a rocket. I like power tools.
 
My box of #11 Exacto blades that I bought 40 years ago is about half empty. I use my Victorinox Spartan for Amazon boxes, snap-off knives for balsa and die-cut fiber, and Stanley utility blades for fiber board. The #11 blades I use for detail work. When the tippy-tip inevitably snaps off I resharpen with a 1” belt sander and a 9 micron belt, then strop on a piece of leather glued to a stick of melamine board and charged with chromium dioxide. Sometimes I’ll strop a new #11 out of the box if I want a truly surgically sharp blade equivalent to a B&D scalpel at a fraction of the price. A lot of effort, I know. I’m a cheapskate.

I remember in the distant past seeing a comparison of scanning electron micrographs of various single-edged razor blades. Some brands looked as rough as a pruning saw. Quality was all over the place.
 
I've used genuine Excel brand blades, the lower priced Amazon sourced blades, and the Hobby Lobby "store brand" blades - the Excel blades are better, they hold their edge and don't seem as prone to having the tips snap off, but not better enough that I search for the package of Excel blades in my toolbox over the others, whichever comes to hand first is what I use.

Not sure if this translates over to X-Acto or not so take my experience for what it's worth.
I've had similar experience, I now use only Excel blades. The only hobby knife blades made in the US.
 
I also am still using a box of #11 blades I got at the Toledo R/C Show about 22 years ago.

Oh, I did buy a tiny box of 15 Exacto brand in the black slider box about 2 years ago, because I forgot where the big box of them was in the winter but found it again later.

I didn't notice any difference in cutting , but I can't comment on how long they last.
I use #11 for every model need so, but don't cut shipping boxes with them

When I run out, I guess I'll look at snap off blades
 
I also am still using a box of #11 blades I got at the Toledo R/C Show about 22 years ago.

Oh, I did buy a tiny box of 15 Exacto brand in the black slider box about 2 years ago, because I forgot where the big box of them was in the winter but found it again later.

I didn't notice any difference in cutting , but I can't comment on how long they last.
I use #11 for every model need so, but don't cut shipping boxes with them

When I run out, I guess I'll look at snap off blades

I really like my Olfa SAC-1 knife. It quickly became my 'go-to' ...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BKA6IA?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3
 
Regarding 9mm wide snap-off blade knives, even nice Olfa ones (see the middle knife pictured), I've found them to be a little "unstable" apparently due to the tiny bit of slop in the way the handle contains the blades combined with the cutting tip's positioning below the central axis of the handle. As in, a cut can wander on me, and it can even be a little dangerous, such that I've mostly stopped using them. The 18mm wide ones seem to be deep enough to be stable, so I alternate between one of those for regular use and an X-ACTO knife for fine work.
hobbyknife - 1.jpg

By the way, can't say that I recommend the particular X-ACTO knife handle shown because ironically there isn't enough grip internally to fully tighten the collet onto the blade (the rubber sleeve starts sliding around the metal barrel underneath). That said, a larger-diameter rubberized handle like that is easier on the fingers than a basic cylindrical metal-only handle.
 
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I'd like someone to make a knife with a flared out soft handle. The Exacto that I have flares out, but not enough for my weak fingers.
 
I've never noticed a difference between brand name and generic. But then again, I have at least 4 knives, each with a predetermined amount of "life" in them.

1. Brand new (for cutting body tubes or other very sensitive materials requiring maximum sharpness). After the first cut with this knife, the blade gets transfered to knife #2 (or a special container to hold the blades).
2. Almost new (only used a few times to cut soft things, like balsa)
3. Used, but still good (used for things that need a sharp edge, but will quickly dull the blade, such as kevlar).
4. Used, with only certain parts of the blade dull (such as the tip). I'll either cut with the sharp section (usually at the base) or just use pliers to snap off the dull tip.
 
As for handles, I'm very happy with the one that came in this set:
1738073307240.png
https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W30825-Hobby-Knife/dp/B004JCDN0Y?gQT=1&th=1

It's easy to handle, easy enough to tighten, and the rubber doesn't slip. It does roll more than I'd like, but not as badly as the skinny all metal ones. The set has the problem that all sets will have: only a small fraction of the blade shapes are useful to me, and there's only one of of each of them. I like the idea of those pins/scribes/needles at the far right, but I've only used them once or twice.
 
I like the idea of those pins/scribes/needles at the far right, but I've only used them once or twice.

I've had multiple sets of the Harbor Freight pick sets over the years, and they always kinda sucked. Dull and easily bendable. But at least they were cheap. Finally bought this hardened Channellock set last year when the price was several bucks cheaper. Points are sharp and hold their shape. Bought another set for work.

https://www.amazon.com/CHANNELLOCK-HP-4ECP-180-degree-Straight-90-degree/dp/B0C1LF2GH1

The straight one is on my rocket bench as a center point marker. Use it for a lot of other things, too. Apart from that, I mostly use the 90-degree. I don't plan to be without them.
 
I have a set like that in my general purpose tool box, along with all the wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, etc. The ones in the hobby knife set above I've used, but only once or twice, for marking a spot (or was it a line?) without writing.
 

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