Dumb Question

[Jonesey]

Can someone tell me what the difference is between these 2 blades? 

I need some more of the larger ones, but the ones which arrived are the smaller ones

 

Thanks

 

[Baker]

The smaller ones fit in a smaller "handle". (see arrow)
Other than that they do the same thing (for me)

 

Ps 

There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers 😉

[PRS]

The larger ones are #2 blades and I am not sure why but they are pricy and I have not found a source for 50 or 100 packs like I can the #11 blades.

[RichardG]

A chart of the blades and their uses 

https://www.industrialelectronics.biz/xacto/blade1.htm

 

This conveniently gives the codes for bulk packs so:

 

Pack of 100 #2 (X602)

US - https://www.amazon.com/X-acto-X602-Blades-100-Pack/dp/B000789P4M/ref=asc_df_B000789P4M

CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/X-Acto-X602-Blades-Knives-Bulk/dp/B000789P4M/

UK - ?

 

[Jonesey]

Thanks all.

Looks like I ordered #1

[Jonesey]

And as luck would have it, my usual supplier - Cornwall Model Boats - are out of stock 🥺

[TOM G]

   You can find #11 blades on the cheap brand new..... on ebay.

[allanyed]

Jonesy,  For future consideration, look at scalpel blades and handle.  The handles are not round so do not roll off the bench onto the floor or stick in your leg.  They are sharper and available in packs of 100.  Swann Morton is the brand I have been using since switching from Xacto for blades, but there are probably others.   No need to get the sterile blades which tend to be more expensive.  I still love Xacto for key hole saw blades and such.  

Allan

[amateur]

I still am not sure whether I like the scalpels: the scalpels tend to flex, while the x-acto blades are quite inflexible. Is a matter of taste, I guess. Swann is redicously sharp.

 

Jan

[Jaager]

Depending on what and how you are cutting   an alternative is a violin makers knife.  They are #11 in shape.  There is a range of widths: 3.5mm to 19mm.

Stropping frequently will provide a sharp edge.  A task that breaks disposable blades is probably better done with one of these.

[allanyed]

Scalpel blades are indeed more susceptible to breaking.  If the cut is so much that it could break a blade I go to a honed chisel which would be a more appropriate tool for that particular task.  I have found over the years that  Xacto or scalpel blades are not the end all to every job that requires a sharp edge.   Whatever anyone feels works best for them and gets the job done in the end is always the best choice. 😄

[Louie da fly]

I sue both scalpels and craft knives. The comments about scalpel blades breaking are true, but only if you force it a bit. My main problem with craft knives is that the handles keep undoing themselves so the blade keeps coming loose. I've come to terms with it to a certain degree, but I still prefer scalpels.

 

Steven

[shipman]

I keep recommending these Swann-Morton tools.....

https://www.scalpelsandblades.co.uk/range_23_swann-morton-supatool-blades-and-handles.php

[Ian Barefoot]

3 hours ago, shipman said:

I keep recommending these Swann-Morton tools.....

https://www.scalpelsandblades.co.uk/range_23_swann-morton-supatool-blades-and-handles.php

A million surgeons can't be wrong!

[wefalck]

The common disposable scalpel blades are not meant for wrenching, i.e. side-forces, they are meant for straight downward cuts in the plane of blade. Swann-Morton and similar suppliers also make 'post-mortem' blades that are thicker and hence stronger, but I think they are more expensive and not so easy to find on ebay etc.

 

In the old days at least they made pretty heavy scalpels. My father trained as a medical doctor in the late 1930s/early 1940s and I inherited from him a set of heavy anatomical/post-mortem scalpels with nice ebony handles. The blades can be honed very sharp.

 

It is always useful to make oneself aware of what happens, when you cut something with a knife-edge tool: you basically drive a wedge into the material in question. The thinner the wedge, the easier it is to drive it in. To drive the wedge in, you have to displace material. The tougher the material, the more difficult it is obviously to displace it. And here comes our impatience into play: we want to remove as much as possible with a single cut. But the tougher the material, the thinner the shaving etc. should be. Removing the material in layers/steps is often the answer to flexing blades - it makes wrenching the blade unnecessary. Thinking strategically into which direction the material needs to be displaced also allows you to make relieving cuts first.

[shipman]

Ian, your comment "A million surgeons can't be wrong!".......

 

The Supatool handles and blades are a little larger,stronger, more secure versions of the scalpel type, just as sharp and will take serious abuse. The blades keep their edge longer and can also be honed/lapped, extending their life, which offsets their higher price.

 

I get no commission from the suppliers.