blades

**a380** · #1 02-10-2016, 10:32 PM

anyone use these blades? especially the stainless #11's? reviews?

Hobby Blades & Knives - IDL TechniEdge

**hetzer** · #2 02-11-2016, 12:14 AM

yes I did, got a scrapyard full of them. this type of blade seems great for details but breaks extremely easily, usually with the tip stuck in cutting mat... now use #2, #19, #24.

**Scooter** · #3 02-11-2016, 10:03 AM

I buy these by the hundreds. Yes the tips are brittle. I don't use a mat, I cut everything on the glass of my light table so the tips break or get dull rather quickly. I still like them for most all of the cutting work I need done. They are cheap, just shop around for the best price.
For non critical cutting, I will sometimes run the dull point over a stone to put a new edge on them but at pennies per, I mostly drop them in my sharps collector box.

**a380** · #4 02-11-2016, 11:15 PM

thank you all for your replies. I have used/currently use xacto, olfa and exel. just wanted to know if this brand was any different.

**John Wagenseil** · #5 02-12-2016, 07:13 AM

I cannot say anything about this brand based on my own personal experience.
I have found that #11 blades made by manufacturers in Japan/US/Taiwan tend to be acceptable, those made in China often do not hold an edge or snap easily.
The brand you are looking at appears to have its factory in NJ.
Olfa blades are made in Japan. The Japanese have a reputation for making sharp objects.
Excel makes its #11 blade in a US factory. I have used them and liked them.
X-acto's standard #11 blades are Chinese, but see what I have written below.

I just did a a check of X-acto's product line on their web page.
They have their standard made in China #11 blades which I personally do not like and do not buy anymore. ( I still have a few old stock made in USA #11 X-acto blades which are good.)
They have a "Z-Series zirconium nitride coated # 11 blade". These are more expensive than the standard made in China #11 blade. I have used them and like them a lot. They are very sharp and seem less prone to tip breakage.
There is a new-to-me product, the "X_life #11 classic fine point blade" which is a blued high carbon steel #11 blade made in the US. It is more expensive than their standard made in China blade. My guess it that X-acto had received complaints about their outsourced product, and decided to offer consumers a choice between the inexpensive made in China product, and more expensive product made in the US that has better quality control.

I used to re sharpen the cutting edge of #11 blades. I don't do this any more. Especially with the X-acto Z series, when the tip gets dull, I grind away the BACK of the blade with a course stone to re create the tip and expose a new segment of the blade. Sometimes I will grind away some of the side of the blade to make it thinner, though this makes the tip more fragile.
If you are ambitious and have an extra handle, you can use a combination of coarse and fine stones, or a course stone and wet and dry sand paper on a smooth hard surface, to put a chisel tip on the end of a #11 blade. This is useful for corner cuts.

**Deriachai** · #6 02-12-2016, 07:23 AM

These are the same blades I use, though I got them from Amazon instead.

They work fairly well, though as others have mentioned, the tips break fairly easily. They still cut well without them though.
After over a year, I am still on my first pack, as I can normally finish a full model with a single blade before it gets dull enough to be an issue.

**Dabeer** · #7 02-12-2016, 01:48 PM

I've tried this brand, through Amazon as well... I hated them. They lost their edge quickly and the tips broke the first time they touched the cutting board. I still have a few that I used for trash projects like cutting heavy cardboard where accuracy doesn't matter, but I will never spend another dime on that brand.

**a380** · #8 02-12-2016, 11:14 PM

thank you for your continuing input. I suppose I will stick with the blades I already have-a mix of exel, xacto and olfa.

**Jim Nunn** · #9 02-13-2016, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hetzer

but breaks extremely easily, usually with the tip stuck in cutting mat...

This is a very true statement, but it is also why your tips break off. the key is to develop your skill set so that you are not cutting into the matt with the tip. the skill will come to you if you practice and your matt will last longer. using a glass sheet for a cutting matt is one way around this but I prefer using a cutting matt
As for blades I use surgical scalpels the cost is low (<10.00 / 100) and the quality of the blades is high. after all they are made with surgical stainless steel. They are thinner than a hobby blade and they do flex but they do not break. they also take an edge quite well a few swipes on a black stone and they are like new. You may have to modify them by breaking off the protruding tang on the end of the blade to get to fit into a typical handle for hobby blades. You can also get a very nice handle for the blades. Links for the handle and blades are listed below.
100 Scalpel Blades 11 Scalpel Handle 3 Surgical Dental Ent Instruments | eBay
1pc Surgical Scalpel Blade Handle Holder 3 Fits 10 11 12 13 15 Blades | eBay
Jim Nunn