Re: [BKARTS] sharp knife

[Carol Pratt <jcpratt@xxxxxxx>]

(I tried sending this directly to Caryl, but it was returned... so  
everybody gets it.)



Scalpel handles are available through most bookbinding supply houses  
in  the US, e.g. TALAS, Bookmakers, Conservation Resources,  
University Products, Gaylord, and probably others. In the UK  
Conservation Resources (Oxford) carries them, probably also  
University Products in London.   I don't know about vendors in other  
countries, though there would be some.   Last year I ordered scalpel  
blades (box of 100) from TALAS, did it on-line, and got them within a  
week.  Boxes run around $30, more or less, which is a lot cheaper  
than buying singles.  You might also be able to find handles and  
blades through a surgical supply house, if there is one near you, or  
a veterinary supply.  Ours locally were not able to give me a "box"  
price, so I don't bother with them.  It is not important that the  
blades be sterile; you're going to cut paper and cardboard and cloth,  
not do surgery.

I like the #23 (curved) and #25 (straight with a point) blades for my  
#4 handles.  I also have a #3 handle, which uses different blades,  
and I got a box of #11 blades for it (also a straight blade with a  
point, but different from the #25).  These are not as easy or  
comfortable to use as the #25, but this might be only my particular  
preference.  I started binding and conservation work with a #4  
scalpel, and old habits die very hard.

Some people who began with an X-acto use them with satisfaction.  I  
didn't, and I don't.  Don't like the way the handle feels in my hand,  
and I don't like the blade control.  This is purely a personal  
response, although scalpels are undeniably SHARPER.  They are also  
twice the cost per blade.  X-acto also has a wide selection of blade  
styles, and when teaching I always recommend a #11 blade, which looks  
and works pretty much like the #25 scalpel.

It is worth while to explain that I use the two blades, 23 and 25,  
for different purposes.  The #25 is suitable for most tasks.  And as  
I said before, two or three passes are perfectly okay to effect a  
clean cut.  You will use only the tip 99% of the time.  The #23 is  
most useful for cutting fragile materials, such as very thin papers  
or filmy cloths, which the #25 might drag against.  The whole blade  
of the 23 is used, beginning with the tip and moving the cut down the  
blade curve, as the knife moves along.  It is a smooth, flowing cut,  
and the hand/arm moves in the same arc, essentially.  Difficult to  
explain, easy to demonstrate.

With either system a sharp blade is essential.  When you begin to  
feel a "drag" as the tip is drawn down the straight-edge, it is  
definitely time to change the blade.  X-actos uscrew to loosen the  
blade.  With a scalpel you must  use either a blade remover tool or  
pliers to take off and put on a new blade.  These things are SHARP  
and they will slice your finger as easily as paper even when they are  
dull.  They're made to cut flesh, after all.  Working with a dullish  
blade is a sure ticket to damage where you least want to damage your  
project--or you will cut yourself.  Here in Eugene, we have a  
"sharps" recycle program, so my used blades go into a special  
container for the "hazardous materials" people.  If placed into the  
garbage, the used blade should be rewrapped in a foil sleeve before  
discarding.  X-acto blades should be discarded with some care, as well.

Scalpels are very brittle and the tip can be easily broken off.  When  
taking my knives somewhere away from the studio, I use small caps to  
protect them.  These are just sleeves of binders board (two small  
rectangles glued at the side edges, with an open channel at one end  
for the blade to slip into.  The whole blade is covered, and the cap  
extends beyond the tip.  Protects the blade, protects fingers,  
protects other nearby materials.

I do not like the snap-off utility blade knives.  They don't cut  
really well, and the blade wobbles about, making a clean, straight  
cut more difficult.  I prefer a Stanley box-cutter to a snap-off, and  
I do have one on the bench all the time.  I use it for many chores,  
always keeping a good, sharp blade in it all the time.

Hope this all helps.  Write again if there are more questions.

Carol
Eugene, OR
-------

On Jun 1, 2006, at 7:17 AM, Caryl Seidenberg wrote:
Sorry for answering on line. Carol of Eugene Oregon gave me some  
valuable
info. and I would like to ask her where she bought the tools she rec.  
but she
did not leave an email address.
Mine is _CARYL360@xxxxxxxx (mailto:CARYL360@xxxxxxx)

             ***********************************************
I'm not really sure exactly what you are wanting, since you mentioned  
both scalpel and X-acto.  I've used other kinds of knives, but I  
prefer a #25 blade in my #4 scalpel handle for most of my work.  If  
it needs to be very sharp, I use a fresh blade.  Cuts don't require  
much pressure—you just make 2d and 3d passes at it.  Keep the  
straight edge guide in place until the cut is complete and the waste  
paper can be entirely moved away with the blade tip.  Works fine for me.

Is there some reason why this won't work for you?

Carol
Eugene, OR




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