Excellent Knife For Detailed Applique Work?

[Mokosh]

I like to do a lot of highly detailed applique work and unfortunately I've just been using an exacto knife. I am really tired of having to replace the blades every 15 minutes when I'm working on a large project. I swear, it's like trying to shave a Yeti with a pack of Bic razors! Does anyone have any suggestions for a quality knife that will let me cut such detailed work with out dulling so quickly?

Thanks!

[joet]

I like to do a lot of highly detailed applique work and unfortunately I've just been using an exacto knife. I am really tired of having to replace the blades every 15 minutes when I'm working on a large project. I swear, it's like trying to shave a Yeti with a pack of Bic razors! Does anyone have any suggestions for a quality knife that will let me cut such detailed work with out dulling so quickly?

Thanks!

You might try using what the doctors use - a scalpel. Hide Crafters located in Texas carries them for not a whole lot of money. Go to: http://www.hidecrafter.com/hci/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=203&category_id=82&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=35 and check it out. I think they also carry replacement blades. I've used one for years and have had really good luck cutting those fine details for filagree.

[Mokosh]

You might try using what the doctors use - a scalpel. Hide Crafters located in Texas carries them for not a whole lot of money. Go to: http://www.hidecraft...emart&Itemid=35 and check it out. I think they also carry replacement blades. I've used one for years and have had really good luck cutting those fine details for filagree.

Cool! A friend recommended I use a scapel but I wasn't sure where I could purchase one without seeming kind of, well, Jeffrey Dahmer-like. Excellent, thanks for the link.

[dirtclod]

You can get scapels at most farm supply stores to. One other you can try is stroping your blade and if nothing else try to sharpen the dull blades. Your not going to hurt anything if their all ready dull.

[Mokosh]

You can get scapels at most farm supply stores to. One other you can try is stroping your blade and if nothing else try to sharpen the dull blades. Your not going to hurt anything if their all ready dull.

Good tip, thanks!

[Art]

The internet is also a good place to buy. You probably want to start with a #3 handle and a #11 blade, but there are many other blades for really intricate work. Some blades only fit a #4 handle so you need to ask for a handle to fit such and such a blade. There is an exacto kit that has blades of many different shapes, but they are in no way as sharp as a surgical scalpel. If you have to pay more than about $4-$6 for handle look elsewhere. A #3 handle and 100 #11 blades should be $22 or less.

There are usually tons of them on amazon or ebay.

Art

Good tip, thanks!

[Leatherimages]

I like to do a lot of highly detailed applique work and unfortunately I've just been using an exacto knife. I am really tired of having to replace the blades every 15 minutes when I'm working on a large project. I swear, it's like trying to shave a Yeti with a pack of Bic razors! Does anyone have any suggestions for a quality knife that will let me cut such detailed work with out dulling so quickly?

Thanks!

If you're using just the very tip of the exacto blade you might try this:

With a small needle nose pliers, grip just last 1/8" or so of the blade tip, and break it off, discarding it carefully. It's a fresh start!

You may want to strop it some also on a rouge board.

This can be repeated several times, when appropriate.

I acknowledge your work may be more detailed than a short exacto blade might be able to do,

but at least know that exacto blades can be sharpened and stropped for a longer use.

Hope this helps some.

[mischief]

I use a lot of xacto blade in wood carving and strop them with ultra fine sally hanson nail boards that I borrow from my wife and forget to return. Should work for awl blades also.

ED

Edited May 15, 2010 by mischief

[Mokosh]

Really helpful advice! Thanks guys! Funnily enough, on my current project I find my self using "Joyce Chen" cooking shears. lol! A silversmith friend turned me on to them, as they were her preferred tool for cutting thin sheet silver. Turns out they are fantastic for really thin, soft lambskin too!