James River Branch: Tools and Supplies

Tools: Hobby Knife and Blades

Without question a hobby knife is the single most useful tool any hobbyist could own; I can't imagine how one could function without it. For me, it goes much further than my hobby: for many years I was a professional graphic artist; back in the days before computers, artwork was created by hand and manipulated with knives and glue. And so a knife has pretty much been a natural extension of my hand for most of my life.

A sharp hobby knife does more than simply cut or carve; it becomes a set of tiny fingers. The blade tip can pick up and precisely position small objects: simply touch the tip to the object, and it (usually) sticks. This only works, however, when the blade is exceptionally sharp. Given that the tip is also quite delicate, blades don't last long. Therefore, I always purchase blades in bulk packs of 100—often two packs at a time—so that I'll never run out in the middle of a project.

The specific knife handle type isn't all that important; I've been using the good old "industry standard" X-Acto #1 (right) since the early 1960s, and while fancier handles have come and gone in my shop, I've always had a couple of #1s on hand because 1) they're familiar, which makes them easier and more reliable to use; 2) they're practically indestructible; and 3) they're cheap. I also have a #5 heavy-duty handle (right, red handle) for different tasks.

There are many ways to use a hobby knife. As noted before, the tip can work like a set of micro-fingers. It can also score materials such as plastic so it can be snapped; this is faster and cleaner than slicing through the material using brute force. Hold the knife backwards, with the tip perpendicular to the surface, such that the blade edge faces away from the direction of travel. Using moderate pressure, drag it across the surface—it should make a squealing sound. The depth of the score should be about 30% of the material thickness; thus, for thin stock, a single pass will work, while thick stock will require several passes.

Among many other things, a sharp knife is also good for cleaning up parting lines on molded plastic parts. Holding the edge perpendicular to the surface, lightly drag the blade along the line; it will shave off a small amount of plastic. In addition to removing parting lines, this technique is good for cleaning up rough edges on cut stock.

As for blades, even though there are dozens of styles available, 99% of the time I'll use the standard #11 (right, top). The second most useful style I've found is the #18 chisel blade (right, center), which fits the #5 handle, for shaving wood and carving scenery materials. The #15 saw blade (right, bottom) is also quite useful, having distinct advantages over a traditional razor saw.

In addition to a healthy supply of blades, I recommend having a blade disposal container on hand. You don't want to be tossing used blades in the trash, as they become a safety hazard; they'll poke through trash bags and cut anything they touch—which is all too often your hand. A discarded plastic food container with a slot cut in the lid works perfectly; it will hold hundreds of blades, and it's free.

Just getting started? I wouldn't recommend getting one of those attractive-looking knife sets hanging temptingly in the craft shop—most of the items will go unused, it's missing a few key items, and the storage box isn't worth the extra money. Simply get a #1 handle, a #5 handle, a bulk pack of #11 blades, and 5-packs of #15 and #18. You can get them all from an online discount art supply store such as Dick Blick for about $37.00, and it will be money very well spent.