Xacto vs eXcel # 11 - stainless vs carbon steel

[sfrailfan]

I'm curious now too. I've used these by the hundred as a graphic designer. Althogh there are usually a group of people using them; my experience is the life expentancy of a #11 isn't that long no matter which brand you get. For modeling I use the #11s but also rely on the heavier blades (don't remeber the numbers off hand) for working in styrene, like removing the molded air tanks from the side of an Athearn EMD unit. They give me more control too.

[Anonymous]

Micro-mark ( website ) sells 100 carbon steel # 11 blades for $ 15.85 ... they don't specify who they are from and the way it's worded, it clearly is not Xacto.

 

 

[Railphotog]

Don't know who makes them, they're not X-Acto, but I get them in packages of 100 from Micro Mark for around $12.00.   I usually keep at least three knives on the go when I'm doing a project - one with a new blade for the sharpest cuts in new stuff, one that has been used for a while for scraping and such, and another one for heavy stuff.   When I put a new blade in the main knife, I its blade gets passed down to the next one, and so on.   When the blades are relatively cheap, always using new blades is a great help in modeling.

 

[WCfan]

A stainless steel blade will bend, a carbon steel blade won't. It will snap! I run into this many times in vehicle fire rescues.

Well, my stainless steel blade broke but!, I droped mine on concrete. It hit just in the right spot and it broke.

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

A stainless steel blade will bend, a carbon steel blade won't. It will snap! I run into this many times in vehicle fire rescues.

[WCfan]

I get X-acto. Maybe because my LHS only has those blads. But for me they work, I only have to change the blad every 3 months, and mine take a beating.

[loathar]

Sounds like a job for Mythbusters! My votes on Exacto stainless. I used to go through a lot of these in the printing biz and they held up the best. Tried some cheaper generics and they were a waist of money.

PS- You may want to check out a graphic arts supply. $32 is about twice what I was paying 5 years ago.

[Texas Zepher]

stainless vs carbon

Unfortunately my normal rule of knife blades doesn't apply to razor blades.  Normally, a stainless blade will take an edge very easily but also needs to be re-sharpened often.  A carbon blade is hard to get a good edge on, but once sharp will last forever....   Now you have me curious, so I'll have to forumulate an experiment to find out.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

IMO the carbon steel blades chip and break too easily. Their strong but fragile. Give me a stainless blade anytime.

[Anonymous]

Seems like I'm going thru a lot of Xacto # 11 blades so I am considering buying in lots of 100.

Anyone have any personal experience with Xacto vs eXcel or stainless vs carbon ???

Prices as follows :

carbon steel  ... xacto x611 = 23.97/100 ... excel 22611 = 15.97/100 

stainless ......... xacto x621 = 31.97/100 ... excel 22621 = 21.97/100

Appreciate your help ... Ed