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Disclaimer: The wizard bookmark design is an original by Eileen Lim (thedaydreamprincess on Etsy).

Knives and Blades, a Review

I remember being asked by one of my followers on instagram (my ig is @papeldepinay, btw) to write a review on my cutting instruments a couple of months back. It seemed like a good idea since I’ve used several brands already and I do have my favorites.

Since July last year, I’ve used the following brands: X-acto, Maped, Dafa, Linex and Morn Sun.

X-acto

X-acto is probably the most known brand of blade used for papercutting. It is a brand owned by Elmer’s Products, the company specializing in adhesives. So far, the X-acto blades I see in bookstores are sold per piece, in 2s (in cylinders), or in 3s. These are all X-acto #11 blades, but are just packed differently by bookstores. I’ve noticed, though, that the blades sold per piece last longer and cut more deeply. I’ve no idea why, though. The blade is also darker grey in color and has an inscription that it’s made in the US.

It’s not a surprise that X-acto is a favorite among crafters. It makes very precise and sharp cuts. However, because the blade is really sharp, the tip can break easily. And once the tip is broken, it’s good for nothing. You’ll have to replace the blade. This is a problem especially for crafters like me who tend to make deep cuts. If I am making an A4-sized papercut, I ‘d normally have to use 2 to 4 X-acto blades.

The dark grey blade makes better cuts and does not break easily.

Maped

The Maped brand has got to be my favorite. Okay, I might be a little biased (or just plain biased) about this as I’ve only used Maped knives since I started cutting. Why? Their knife has a soft grip (your fingers will thank you) and very easy to use. You can also buy blades from other brands, which is what I do. So if you prefer to use other brands, you can just buy their blades and attach the blade to your Maped craft knife. As for the blade’s quality, it lasts the longest compared to other blades. Sometimes, I am able to make 2 or more projects without changing the blade. It’s that durable. The tip does not easily break as well.

 

A unique-looking craft knife that Maped also carries.

My only problem with Maped is that you can’t buy spare blades from this brand. You’d have to buy the knife, which also comes with 3 (or is it 4?) blades. The whole thing costs 120.00 Pesos. The price isn’t that bad, really, but what would you do with 10 similar craft knives after a while?

Dafa

The Dafa knife is not really something that I can say I’ve really used. I bought it because it has a small blade, which I thought would be great for making those tiny cuts. Unfortunately though, it didn’t quite do it for me as the knife doesn’t have a good grip to it and it easily slips off my fingers. Of course, I’m not sure if I’m just using it the wrong way. But I got tired of using it after just one project and didn’t bother to figure out the right way of holding it.

 

The Dafa knife has a smaller circumference and carries a smaller blade as compared to other brands.

Linex

Linex is also another brand that I’ve noticed to be durable. I was able to make 2 papercuts without changing blades. Maybe that’s the reason why it’s a bit more expensive compared to other brands. When it comes to the quality of the cut, though, I’d say X-acto is still the better brand. The cuts it makes, as I’ve observed, are not as clean as the latter.

 

Morn Sun

Morn Sun is probably the cheapest brand of spare blades you can find in the market. Three blades only cost 30 Pesos. I discovered this brand in Deovir, an art supplies store, when they ran out of X-acto blades. Good thing I didn’t buy more of this as I wasn’t really happy with it. The cuts aren’t clean and the blade seems to be dull. It would probably be okay to use this for projects that do not have intricate details.

There you have it. My review on the different brands of cutting instruments I’ve used so far. If I were to rank them, my obvious top choice would be Maped, followed by X-acto, Linex, Dafa, then Morn Sun.

I hope I enlightened those of you who are also in search of that perfect blade for your projects. 🙂