#11 blade quality issues, a rant.

**John Wagenseil** · #1 05-21-2013, 01:18 PM

A few years ago I was browsing an art supply store and splurged on a box of #11 blades made by the American Safety Razor Company in Virginia.

They are extremely sharp, hold their edge for a long time, and I had never broken off one of their tips in my cutting pad. Just honing the edge made them last even longer.

Last night I replaced one of the ASRC blades with a no name from a tube of blades from my tool box.
Its awfull, I went from slicing through paper to ripping paper. I suspect the blade is from an order of Chinese no names that I purchased a long time ago. Even sharpening with a diamond plate and honing do not help these blades , they cannot hold an edge for more than a few cuts. They are barely up to cutting paper.
This really brought the difference in quality between blades to my attention, and how much a decent quality blade contributes to enjoyment of paper modeling.
The Chinese import blades are no bargain, they do not do their intended purpose very well, yet they have driven almost all domestic manufacturers of decent quality blades off the market.

There was a previous thread about a perception that new xacto brand blades from China are not the same quality as the old domestically manufactured blades. I cannot address that issue, but I did compare a current xacto blade to an ASRC blade, and my impression is that the import Xactos do not cut as well and are easier to break than the ASRC #11 blade.

Companies have taken advantage of cheap Chinese manufacturing to give their profit margins a boost, at the cost of supplying a crummy product. Manufacturing a decent #11 bade is not a huge secret, 40 years ago, a lot of American , British, Taiwanese and Japanese (Olfa still does) companies could produce a decent piece of steel at a reasonable cost.

Today, there is no longer a middle market: for example if you are looking for a kitchen knife, your choices are limited to cheap and flimsy or very high priced from a specialty store. Finding something in the middle is getting very hard.

I went internet shopping for a new box of ASRC blades and discovered that the company had gone into bankruptcy and been bought out a couple of years ago by the Personna conglomerate.
I hope the new owners have maintained the quality of the old product and not let quality control slip.
I also found that buying bulk blades might be difficult, as many suppliers will not ship a dangerous product like a box of hobby blades to a residential address. Other items they will ship, so it is not a matter of not wanting to deal with non corporate customers, it is their fear that they could be held liable if their product was "misused". I suspect it only a matter of time before liability and other legal issues make the pursuit of most interesting or creative hobbies an impossibility.

**Miles Linnabery** · #2 05-21-2013, 01:47 PM

Dear John:
Big problem some of it may no heat treatment of the blades if you have a propane torch you can try heat treating the tip first 1/4" of the blade hold it in the flame until it turns red then dip it in cooking oil then try sharping it again and see if that helps. years ago I used to do this with wood carving knives some of with it helped.
Good luck,
MILES

**adder** · #3 05-21-2013, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Wagenseil

Manufacturing a decent #11 bade is not a huge secret, 40 years ago, a lot of American , British, Taiwanese and Japanese (Olfa still does) companies could produce a decent piece of steel at a reasonable cost.

Here in the UK it's even worse. The best I've been able to find are Swann Morton but while using them I've had one or two twing off over the other side of the room . So now I try not being so heavy handed until I find a decent replacement, even if it is expensive.
Searching ebay for UK items using the brands you mentioned, Olfa, ASRC and Xactos only gets me cheap knifes that have snap off blades and no size 11 blades at all.

**Darwin** · #4 05-21-2013, 02:04 PM

I've finally tried the #11 X-acto Z blade, and am quite happy with it. After 4 days of pretty heavy use of it, it is still nice and sharp and tip shows no wear at all. As an aside to the discussion, you might consider getting some packs of number 2 blades (the number 11 for the medium and large size handles) and using them for heavy cutting. The tip holds up much better than the 'regular' number 11 blade.

**ghshinn** · #5 05-21-2013, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darwin

I've finally tried the #11 X-acto Z blade, and am quite happy with it. After 4 days of pretty heavy use of it, it is still nice and sharp and tip shows no wear at all. As an aside to the discussion, you might consider getting some packs of number 2 blades (the number 11 for the medium and large size handles) and using them for heavy cutting. The tip holds up much better than the 'regular' number 11 blade.

I agree with Darwin about the #2 blades. I've been using them for some time and find that they do just as good a job as #11 X-Acto blades, especially with heavier stock, such as light cardboard. If you're gentile, you can also use them with 65-110 lb card stock, but if you press a bit too hard, they do not provide as precise a cut as #11.

Garland

**Tim Crowe** · #6 05-21-2013, 02:30 PM

I use snap-off blades for general cutting. And save my #11s for precision work.

Tim

**Wad Cutter** · #7 05-21-2013, 03:04 PM

Can I have your opinions on OLFA KB4-S/5 from Japan? Maybe this is my problem with blades lasting and tips breaking off. Thank you for any ideas and or suggestions. wc

**richkat** · #8 05-21-2013, 03:17 PM

I also go with Darwin, I use the number 2 blades now and they seam to last a lot longer than #11 blades........Rich

**Zakopious** · #9 05-21-2013, 04:42 PM

Blade quality is an old subject which has been discussed before:
See: x-acto vs Revell Blades

I have had a Testors throw-away-knife with a blue blade for a few years and it works well for me.
It needs to be sharpened occasionally and I also use a finger nail buffer to polish the blade.
See: Amazon.com: nail block

In fact, I did not even pay for it because it was a gift at our local IPMS Christmas party.

Another person in the old discussion said that the Testors blade was "flexy blade, wont keep an edge, wont take an edge..."

Perhaps the quality of the Testors blades is variable ?

**Don Boose** · #10 05-21-2013, 05:45 PM

Wad Cutter -

Although I usually use Excel blades, I have found the OLFA KB4-S/5 blades to be of equal or better quality and I use them sometimes. I also keep an Olfa AK-4 knife holder on hand because, as Gil has pointed out in the Forum, it will grip a scalpel blade securely and is more comfortable in my hand than a scalpel holder (I have a lifetime supply of scalpel blades as a reult of Lil winning them at a Flying Aces Club NATs lottery in Geneseo some years ago).

Others may have a different opinion.

And based on Darwin's advice, I am on the qui vive for X-acto Z blades and #2 blades.

Don