Friday, July 31, 2009

Love Your Craft Knife

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

It's probably no secret that I love my craft knife. Or, rather, craft knives, since I have more than one. Currently I am using a retractable detail blade craft knife manufactured by X-Acto and the standard size Martha Stewart craft knife. I like both of them just fine ~ no complaints ... yet.

I say "yet" because I haven't found the "perfect" craft knife, so I always approach a new knife with a bit of skepticism. I have also used a standard size X-Acto which I broke after years of use {miss it!}, the pink Bo Bonny retractable detail blade craft knife which broke before I even had to replace the blade once {utter trash!}, and various disposable breakaway carpet knives/box cutters.

The only reason why I don't just stick exclusively with the box cutters {they're the most economical option out there} is because I use craft knives so much that they become uncomfortable in my hand. That is one thing I really love about the Martha Stewart craft knife ~ it is very easy to hold and comfortable to use.


Despite not having found the "perfect" craft knife, I still love using them! I use them all the time to get a nice tight edge to the paper on my mini albums, to cut detailed shapes out of patterned paper to use as embellishments on layouts, and for a number of other reasons. If you don't already love your craft knife, there are several ways to improve how you feel about it!

First, make sure it is sharp. Really sharp. Change it often. More often than you think it actually needs to be changed. Replacement blades are cheap, so there's no reason to try to stretch the blade's life ~ all that does is ruin your project.

Second, switch from a self-healing mat to a glass mat. A self healing mat is fine, but a glass mat is so much better. The blade doesn't dig into the rubber ~ instead it skims across the surface of the glass. It cuts through the paper quickly and cleanly & with less pressure from your hand. {So you don't get as tired!} There are glass mats designed for scrapbooking, like this one for the Making Memories Slice:


Or this one from Tonic which is actually on sale right now for $11.89 at Two Peas in a Bucket:


The benefit of a glass mat that is actually designed for scrapbooking is that it will usually have a grid on it. This can help you with measuring, lining up page elements and other projects that require lots of detail work. However, if the grid doesn't matter to you, or if you already have a self-healing mat with a grid, you could go with any piece of tempered glass with a finished edge. I know scrappers who use glass cutting boards with great success.

{Another benefit of glass mats unrelated to cutting is that they are an excellent surface for heat embossing. The glass protects your normal work surface from warping, and it distributes the heat along the back of the project and the embossing powder melts really quickly.}

Third, when you're actually doing the cutting, turn the project instead of your hand. This will enable you to keep the knife in a comfortable position for your hand & it will be easier to control. Turning your wrist all around to try and cut around the edges of things will feel unnatural and not give you the control you want.

I hope these tips help you to build a better relationship with your craft knife! It's definitely one of my "must have" tools, and I don't know if I could scrap without it.

Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tips. They are very helpful. I just need the glass mat and I will be ready to roll. I started with the car mini from Michaels. I made a "It's a Boy" album. It's not finished but when it is I will post. I did post a mini that I made from coasters from Michaels and scraps. It was fun. I'm starting small. Again, thanks for all the tips and inspirations.

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  2. Thanks for more great tips. I actually bought my glass mat AND martha knife already, thanks to YOU! I often watch your videos and borrow ideas for new tools and products.
    BTW, I ordered a big shot and some Bigz XL album dies. Can't wait to try them out. Too bad we aren't close so we can share dies. :)
    Take Care.

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  3. Thanks, Maritza! I was skeptical of glass mats in the beginning, but once I tried it for myself I was hooked. It really does make a HUGE difference. :D Your coaster album is very cute!

    Hey, ddbug! Sounds like you've got some great stuff! You will love the glass mat and the Martha knife is very comfortable! I love my BigShot & I totally wish I lived near enough to someone to share dies! :D THat would be awesome!

    Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  4. Good Morning,
    I too became a convert by watching your videos, since I had never done a "mini" until you taught me how I of course had to do it "Katheryn's way"!! I love my craft knive's, as I have many, and would never try it any other way! (I have found that for me I change which knife I'm using about every 10 minutes or so it changes the pressure points by using different grips due to different sizes and such - kind of like changing shoes!)
    I discovered using a small sanding tool also is helpful for tight areas. Also, by using a sander lightly across the entire area it gives a smooth surface before inking the edges. (That's my only hint)
    Thanks again for introducing me to the wonderful world of mini's and opening up another layer to this fun (although, costly...lol) hobby!
    Have a great day & weekend!
    ~Jill

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  5. Look what I found...
    http://www.kaisercraft.net/scrapbooking-papers
    They have an entire collection dedicated to Flamingos!! I know you already did your thing but you should at least look at it (maybe for a layout??)....kind of cool!
    Later,
    Jill

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  6. Jill, that collection is really cute! I actually like several of the paper in the line ~ they definitely go with the Florida atmosphere! I especially like the "Sunrise" paper & can envision myself using my craft knife to cut out the entire center of the page and slipping photos and journaling into the frame!

    That's a good tip to add about sanding. I do use my BasicGrey precision files to get into tight spaces I can't reach with the knife.

    Have a great day!

    Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  7. HI Kathryn!

    love craft knives.. but your right.. finding the perfect one not easy!! but I love trying them out! thank you for the great info on everything!! super sweet :)
    with a grin,
    steffogal1

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  8. Hi, Steph! It is a constant struggle to find the "perfect" craft knife. I am doing pretty good so far with these two, so I hope it works out that they're "the ones"! :D

    Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  9. Kathryn,
    Again you are a source of inspiration and a wealth of information! :-) I use my craft knife all the time too, I'll have to try Marthas. I wondered where you got your mini files, now I know... Basic Grey I'll have to order them. The nail file doesn't always fit the really tight areas. Thank you soooooo much for sharing.
    Hope

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  10. You're welcome, Hope! The mini files are very convenient. I don't use them as much as my craft knife, but I do pull them out quite a bit! I'm glad you're finding the blog a source of inspiration and information!

    Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  11. I am a recent convert to the craft knife. It is quickly becoming my favorite cutting tool. I was also having issues with the presure points so what I did was put a soft rubber grip that I use on my pens on the knife (I use an xacto brand). It goes over the texture part that you twist to change the blade and makes it very comfortable. Thanks for sharing you tips and I do believe I will be picking up a glass mat the next time I am out shopping.

    Leah
    http://mickchick831.blogspot.com/

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  12. Leah, that's a really good idea! :D Thanks! The Martha STewart knife is pretty soft and cushy, but the detail blade retractable I have from X-Acto is just solid metal. You wil love having a glass mat ~ it makes such a difference!

    Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

    ReplyDelete