[Sakrison]

I'm using up the last of my Xacto Z-series blades. Some time ago, a thread on this site pointed out that Xacto blades had dropped in quality. I agree. Many of the Z blades have to be sharpened straight out of the box and their tips break or bend way too easily.

I use a sharpener from the local hardware store that extends the life of the blades, up to a point (no pun intended). But when I've exhausted my current supply of Xacto, I'll look for another brand.

The palm-sized Smith's sharpener pictured cost me $4 at Ace Hardware. It's very easy to use and it works well. A dozen strokes, six on the coarse side, six on the fine side, will usually restore a good edge, and I can extend the life of a blade by 4 or 5 times. After that, it's time to change blades.