The Well-Appointed Desk

I’ve been wanting to write about my favorite craft knife for some time now, but I bought it several years ago and had never seen it in stores again. Well, we are all in luck because last week, I found it again at my local Joann’s craft shop. Its the Fiskars SoftGrip Craft Knife ($5.69). It has a  soft rubberized grip area with a unique soft arced shape.This creates a comfortable grip and keeps the knife from rolling off the table which is a big plus.

I use X-acto blades everyday because of my job so finding a comfortable tool is paramount importance. This is the best knife I’ve owned. My daily knife is a soft aqua color that has turned a dull blue gray from years of use. These are photos of my new bright orange version for home use. Goodbye, metal tube knife!

If you’ve never used a utility or craft knife before, I highly recommend adding them to your arsenal of tools. Combined with a cork-backed metal ruler and a self-healing mat, trimming paper, photos or other straight edge cutting will be fast and clean. Detail cutting can also be done with a craft knife and is less hand-cramp-inducing than scissors.

How do you replace the blades?

Untwisting the knurled end will loosen the clamp on the blade to easily replace with a new sharp blade. The Fiskars takes a standard #11 craft blade. I use Excel blades in the box of 100 ($18.75) which is by far the best value. Align the knife blade and tighten the knurled end.

Storing a craft knife   

It comes with a cap to cover the blade but, sadly, the cap does not stay on well and I get nervous removing the cap that I might slide my thumb over the blade when removing it. I’ve actually done this in the past so I definitely have that once-cut-twice-shy behavior. Also, I lose the caps within weeks so its not a big deal to me. I do recommend storing all X-Acto style knives, tip-down in a cup or jar to avoid accidents but the whole point of a knife is to be sharp so use with care. If you need a portable X-acto, I recommend a retractable version like a utility knife rather than a knife with a cap.

What do I do with all the dull blades?

Use an old can or jar with a cover (or make a slot in the lid just big enough to drop your blades into) to put used blades into. When full, tape it shut and drop it at metal recycling facility.

I hope this helps inspire you to try a new tool.