Looking for a "good" X-Acto knife?

[myront]

I've used many different brands of X-Acto knives over these 18+ years. Never liked any of 'em. Blade slips out no matter how tight you turn it, rubber grip fails, barrel cracks etc.

What is the little slot for in these blades? Why can't they make a knife that utilizes that feature to lock it in? Why not incorporate an "anti-roll" feature to prevent it from rolling off the table every time you set it down?

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Personally, I use Craftsman utility knives. The blades are dirt cheap and you can fold the knife and carry it everywhere.

 

[myront]

Personally, I use Craftsman utility knives. The blades are dirt cheap and you can fold the knife and carry it everywhere.

Hmm...don't know how accurate of a cut one can make but I'm willing to give it a shot. For example, cutting a circle out of magnetic material would be tough. As would intricate shapes from coroplast.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Hmm...don't know how accurate of a cut one can make but I'm willing to give it a shot. For example, cutting a circle out of magnetic material would be tough. As would intricate shapes from coroplast.

Yeah, this may not suffice then. We don't hand cut contours in anything, so these work perfectly for me. For contour cut coro and magnets, we just outsource.

 

[tooler82]

Attached is what I always use. Saw somebody said the blades fall out etc. I have never had a blade fall out. They are dull way before I think they would ever fall out. Anyways. Give this one a try, and you’ll love it I guarantee.

 

[ams]

I only use retractable knives, they have never broken or failed me. The kind I get are Alvin SN200, see below. They have metal and not all plastic.

https://www.cutting-mats.net/hobby-...MIpdDT3u3H3QIV0VuGCh02lgIPEAYYAiABEgIgRvD_BwE

 

[signman315]

No OLFA fans here? I've had the same one for 11 years and love it....I actually carry 2 knives...the OLFA with the "art" style blades and a generic utility knife (got a freebie from Glantz that I currently use). So I'll use the utility knife for packaging, rough cutting, cardboard, and the heavier and less precise stuff. Then I'll use the OLFA for vehicle wraps, vinyl cutting/weeding, and other fine detail stuff. The OLFA being retractable will slip back into it's sleeve if you press too hard, but it's not meant for heavy work and so one shouldn't be pressing that hard anyway.

 

[signman315]

What about Frank's toe knife? Seems like a fine tool for signage...

 

[letterman7]

Hmm.. never had an Xacto barrel fail (or grip rubber). Blades loosen, yes.. Rolling off the table.. I use the Gripster(s) with the anti-roll collar: https://www.amazon.com/Excel-Blades...37387995&sr=1-4&keywords=Xacto+knife+Gripster

 

[Dan360]

I use the Olfa XA-1 with 30 degree blades for just about everything. Bigger knives and blades I only found useful for cutting long straight lines with a ruler and I only ever use the art knives for weeding. 30 degree blades will do everything in a retractable and easy to carry knife.

 

[myront]

Attached is what I always use. Saw somebody said the blades fall out etc. I have never had a blade fall out. They are dull way before I think they would ever fall out. Anyways. Give this one a try, and you’ll love it I guarantee.

Nope. That's the one I can't get the blade to tighten. Doesn't fall completely out but slips back and forth or in/out about an 1/8" or so. The blade is meant to only go one way even though it appears it could go the either way. Does have an anti roll "knub" on it though.

The quest continues.

Still no answer as to what the slot in the blade is for?

 

[RISEgraphics]

I always thought there was something in the collet that rested in the slit of the blade for a better grip, but I guess not!

Anyway, I've always been a fan of Fiskars. This is my current go-to:

https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-167110-1001-Heavy-Craft-Knife/dp/B001A42CTW

but I also like the exacto found in the Hyper Tough precision knife set because I find that the handle is a bit more comfortable over long periods of time, but the blades included are junk.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-To...recision-Knife-Set-With-Storage-Case/17190601

 

[bannertime]

I keep an Olfa SVR-2 in my pocket or on my shirt most the time. For new guys and misc table work, we use one of the bigger yellow plastic ones. I've converted all my Xactos to weeding picks.

 

[Rick]

Never had my Olfa handle fail to hold the blade but I have had cheaper imitations fail after a while

I prefer the locking/retractable Olfa but with a 30 degree snap-off blade - works like a charm on intricate cuts...

https://olfa.com/professional/product/wheel-lock-utility-knife-300/

https://www.buyolfa.com/olfa-a1160b-model-5007-snap-art-blades-10pk.html

I thought the notch was for the manufacturing process... to hold the blade in place while sharpening and hardening the edge.

 

[tooler82]

I always thought there was something in the collet that rested in the slit of the blade for a better grip, but I guess not!

Anyway, I've always been a fan of Fiskars. This is my current go-to:

https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-167110-1001-Heavy-Craft-Knife/dp/B001A42CTW

but I also like the exacto found in the Hyper Tough precision knife set because I find that the handle is a bit more comfortable over long periods of time, but the blades included are junk.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-To...recision-Knife-Set-With-Storage-Case/17190601

Yes on that Olfa I use it has a little round ball type thing in it and it slides in the space to lock it in.

 

[tooler82]

Also I saw somebody use it wrong before. It has 2 slits the blade can go in. One goes all the way across, which is not the right slit it goes it. The other is a slit just wide enough for the blade to go in and not all the way across

 

[James Burke]

This is the most awesome knife I've found. Gripping action is similar to a straight knife, but the pressure is directed to the base of your index finger and makes cutting almost effortless. Insert the blade 180 degrees (backwards) and it also doubles as an awesome weeding tool.

The blade slides into slots in the barrel and can not swivel or work loose.

See it in action here: (CAUTION: absolutely beautiful hands at work in the video)

http://www2.fiskars.com/Products/Crafting-and-Sewing/Craft-Knives-and-Blades/Fingertip-Detail-Knife

 

[equippaint]

To keep it from rolling, wrap a thick rubber band around the top. Its lumpy enough to stop it and if it does take off it just goes in a circle.

 

[signbrad]

many different brands of X-Acto knives

Actually, there is only one brand of X-acto knife. It's X-acto. Any similarly designed blades and precision knives are not X-acto.
There are a number of trademark registrations for X-acto, both for the name and for the design of the name. The trademark owner is Sanford LP.

Sometimes a brand name becomes so inextricably welded to its product that in the minds of consumers it becomes almost generic. But just as facial tissues are not all Kleenex brand, so it is with many tools we use.
Only one company makes Sawzall reciprocating saws, for example. It's Milwaukee. To say "DeWalt Sawzall" is like saying "Chevy Mustang."

When a product name becomes used often enough as a common noun it can actually lose trademark protection. This is called genericide.

Regarding the slots, they are probably useful in the manufacturing process for collating, stringing on wires, or otherwise in the handling process. But there seems to be no reason why they cannot be useful in the blade holder in some way. Scalpal blades fit into the surgeon's bayonette using the slots.

 

[GAC05]

To keep it from rolling, wrap a thick rubber band around the top. Its lumpy enough to stop it and if it does take off it just goes in a circle.

So letting it roll off the edge of the table and embed itself into your thigh is not the recommended workflow?