x-acto vs Revell Blades

[X-ACTO Manager]

I've been reading the posts with a lot of interest. Thank you to everybody for sharing your thoughts and ideas! I just wanted to let everybody know I'm a manager at X-ACTO and X-ACTO has not been bought by Revell. Also, our blades are sold ONLY under the X-ACTO brand name and subscribe to the highest levels of quality in the hobby knife industry, as they have for decades.

Thank you to everybody for your continued support!

[legion]

Has anyone used this brand of #11 blades? Lames des bistouris steriles Fig. 11 Surgical blades - eBay, Skalpelle Messer, Chirurgische Instrumente, Medizin Labor, Business Industrie. (Eindtijd 21-nov-10 20:53:47 CET)

Kind of reluctant to get them (serious dislike of ebay and lookalike sites).

[cbg]

Has anyone used these from Hobby Town? I've had remarkable good luck with them tip-wise and edge-wise.

Bulk pack of 100 retails at $17.99. . .and they're made here in the USA.

cbg

[Jim Nunn]

Originally Posted by cbg

Has anyone used these from Hobby Town? I've had remarkable good luck with them tip-wise and edge-wise.

Bulk pack of 100 retails at $17.99. . .and they're made here in the USA.

cbg

I have been told that these bulk blades marked “USA” are made by Excel and from my experience they are very good and hold an edge better then X-acto. A box of 100 will last me around a year and a half but I do touch up the edge every evening.

Checking E-bay you can purchase 100 scalpel blades with a holder/ handle for around $20 including shipping. With a lot of members recommending them I think I’ll order some.
To the members using scalpels have you found any one brand that is better then the others?

Jim Nunn

[titanicslim]

I went to the local Hobby Lobby looking for an Exacto, same story, bought a cheap Testors knife with #11-type blade cast into a flat plastic handle. The result was also the same: flexy blade, wont keep an edge, wont take an edge...

[Hambone]

For what it is worth, here is my experiance.

X-acto blades Have flexability to cut on a curve, but unfortunatly the tips break off at the critical moment.

Excell blades are to thin for me and tend to flex and bend to the left or right. Also being thin, they need to be shimmed to stay in the handle. More than once I have pulled away from my work and left the blade sticking in the paper.

The last time at my local hobby shop they had Testors blades. They were packaged like Ecell in the clear plastic tube, 5 ea. Are the same size as X-Atco #11 and seem to be of good quality Blued steel. Each is stamped USA. They stay sharp and will hold an edge when dressed on a stone and stropped. I am still using the first blade and it has been four months in which time I have built Two ship models in 1/200 scale. I will buy more. But then again, these five may last me a life time.

Respectfully,
Dennis

[Inky Ford]

I have worked in the medical device industry for a number of years and have worked closely with companies that manufacture and sell surgical scalpel blades. I also use hobby blades on a regular basis. I have done quite a bit of research on blades of all types as I have struggled to find good quality. I thought some background information might be helpful.

Blade material
Scalpel blades and hobby blades are generally made out of carbon steel or stainless steel. Some newer blades have coatings on them as well. All things being equal, carbon steel blades are consider to be sharper since the material is generally harder making it easier to create a sharp edge.

Blade thickness
Scalpel blades are thinner, measuring about 0.015" thick while hobby blades are slightly thicker at 0.021". The reduced thickness makes a scalpel blade less rigid. Revell sells a hobby blade that is thin like a scalpel blade. The Revell brand is the only hobby blade I have found at this thickness.

Edge geometry
Hobby blades typically have two grinds. There is a major grind, or facet, and a minor grind, or hone, at the blade edge. Different manufacturers use different angles. In general, the keener the edge the sharper the edge...but the easier it will dull. Manufacturer's look for the "sweet spot" where blades are sharp and long lasting.

Scalpel blades have a more razor sharp edge and grind angle. Most scalpel blades are stropped on one side and have a more polished appearance. This helps to create a very sharp and fine edge.

As you look at a blade from the side you can see the major and minor grind. In general, the large the grinds appear, the keener the grind and the sharper the blade.

Blade profiles
There is a loosely followed convention for the size designation for both scalpel blades and hobby blades. A No.11 is typically the pointy blade that comes to mind when you think of an "X-acto blade". The surgical No. 11 blade looks similar. Not all manufacturers have the same blade profile. The Revell No.11 blades have a different profile shape than other manufacturers No. 11. No. 11 blades are the most popular blades.

Country of origin
Most blades these days are made in China but there are some brands that are still made in the USA. Check the package for this information. Check closely since many distributors put their address on the pack and in small print you find "Made in China". I believe that US built blades are sharper, longer lasting and more consistent but quality has gone down through the years.

New technologies
There are some new "Titanium Bonded" hobby blades by a company called Acme. I tried these blades and they are very dull. For scalpel blades, there is a company called IonFusion Surgical that sell a scalpel blade with a hard coated edge. This blade is very sharp but since it is thinner gauge it flexes like all scalpel blades.

In the end, there's no one blade that works in ALL applications. When I want to do very fine work I use a scalpel blade. When I am doing rough cutting I use a hobby blade. I prefer USA X-acto blades to Revell any day.

[johna]

I just came to the forum to see if there were any discussions going on about blades. I've just started paper modelling and in the past month have made a number of models using 65# and 110# paper. I've been using Excel blades (#11) that I picked up from Hobby Lobby. Last night I ran out of the Excels and have started using x-acto #11's. The x-actos worked very well on some very fine detailed cutting on 65# paper. This morning I started a larger architectual model on 110# with lots of straight lines. I have already broken 5 tips working on just one model alone. I am ready to scream. Have I gotten a bad batch of x-actos? I have another 15 pack besides the one I am burning through right now. Any comments on blade types using different weight paper or detailed work vs. straight-line work?
John

[ghshinn]

I've had the same problem over the years, especially when using a straight edge to cut the lines. With a lot of practice, I got to the place where I didn't need the straight edge (a metal ruler in my case) and I quit breaking blades as often. I also found that the cutting mat I was using was too firm, so I changed to a softer one (one from Making Memories, a scrapbook company). I haven't broken a tip in almost a year since I changed.

In the case of a really long cut, where being straight is essential, I still use my steel ruler, but I take two or three passes, rather than trying to cut all the way through in one. That seems to help, but care must be taken not to twist the blade.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Garland

[gregh]

@X-Acto Mgr. I have also posted on another thread about the #11 blades. I have some X-Acto #11's from 1980 and they are 1000 times better than the current supply. Spouse was working on crafting projects this year, she went off and bought her own a new X-Acto knife and 11 blades, a few days later ... "do you have any more blades ?". Gave her a couple of the 1980 vintage and have not heard a word since.