In continuing with my awesome modeling tools for cheap, I'd like to share what I use for my general purpose hobby knife. Now, I like the X-Acto "Z11" blades, and I always have a sharp one on hand, but they're about $1.20 a piece. For my daily grind I use these scalpel blades.

The deal is you get 100 blades, AND a stainless steel handle--for $8.62 delivered. From the USA even! These blades are SHARP. They have a slightly different geometry than a typical hobby blade, and wear out a little faster when subjected to scraping seam lines and cutting hard plastic. That being said--they're about 8 cents each, so simply pop a new one in.

Being a cheap guy, I discovered that using a barber's strop greatly improves my blade life--for any hobby blade. After an hour of use, I just drag the blade back and forth over the strop, and it's as good as new.

Here's the shop I buy mine from. They usually arrive within 7 days. You can buy any selection of blade styles, and usually find one with that comes with a handle (I like the #7 handle and #11 blade myself).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111086300091?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2672&rev=0&itemid=111086300091&bolf=2&fromModule=1438&frompage=3&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&autorefresh=true

And an example of their #22 blade on a #4 handle (I use this for sculpting foam), along with my strop.

I did the same thing some time ago. I keep the #25 and #22 blades handy for most things.

My dentist builds 1/350 ships and gave me one of his Swiss #7 handles. NO blade wiggle, and it feels simply awesome in the hand. The cheap handles work fine, but when you get a real, good quality one it makes all the difference int he world.

I have a cast one that I love, Nice tight fit with the blade, However the other one I have has a screw to hold the blade, I don't like it as much.

I use another method.
Scraping seams: No-No. I use a small, good quality, needle file instead.

Cutting plastic: No-No. Side cutters. Thanks again for that tip;) For really chunky stuff I might use a coping saw.

Removing other excess plastic: File or fine "sand paper"

This choice of tools saves a LOT of wear and tear on my fingertips and has reduced my consumption of scalpel blades to an absolute minimum

There is also a large difference in cost between sterile and non-sterile scalpel blades

Cutting narrow strips of thin styrene: Yes, I might use the scalpel for that purpose.

/ Robin

Nice deal just ordered a 100.

I do have a box of 100 # 11 blades also.

I bought on line somewhere 15 years back.

I resharpen mine, sometimes.

Jeff