An alternative to the basic hobby knife...

Paul,

that video(and others on your site)was very helpful. My brother is a dentist, so I'll talk to him about ordering a Brad Parker.

I do a google search each time I order the #11 blades for X-acto. I can usually get them for ten bucks per hundred.  These are usually not X-acto brand (there are a number of mfgs of similar blades) and they are not as good as X-acto's own, but I have never been able to find X-acto blades for that price. I guess I should shop for the scalpel blades the same way.

Paul Budzik

Try here...$17.50 for a hundred...seems cheaper than what I see Xacto's going for.  I've used these blades and they are a lot better than Xacto's.

www.havels.com/original-stainless-steel-surgical-scalpel-blades-hs25.html

 

I'm very interested.  Can't argue with surgical blades!  Prices are great, too.  How do you figure out what blade size fits what size Xacto handle?

Thanks for the comment.

I have similar handles ,indeed, there are a lot of different style handles, but they don't contour to your hand like the Bard-Parker...which was the real point of the video.  I don't think most modelers are aware of that particular handle and blade combination, but I know when someone visits my shop, they usually go away looking for one, and I've had to mail a few to friends around the world that went home not being able to get one.

Paul

paulbudzik.com/.../outside_the_box.html

Swann Morton produce the 5A & 6A handles that are similar to these & take standard scalpel blades;

http://www.craftknives.co.uk/range/professional-range-scalpels/

Don,

Try here...$17.50 for a hundred...seems cheaper than what I see Xacto's going for.  I've used these blades and they are a lot better than Xacto's.

www.havels.com/original-stainless-steel-surgical-scalpel-blades-hs25.html

Paul

http://paulbudzik.com/tools-techniques/outside_the_box.html

I do have one of those "scalpel" knives in addition to several X-acto type knives on my bench. I only use the scalpel when I really need the sharpest knife, since the blades are more expensive than X-acto type blades.  One of the X-acto handles has the last blade I used in the other X-acto handle, which is my general purpose knife.  The used blade in that other handle is used for seam scraping, which works well but does dull a blade quite rapidly.

That's interesting. I've been happy with ol' Xacto, but that looks superior.

Glenn

Thanks Paul!