The numbers actually are kinda important. It means which blade your gonna get.
I agree with everyone though a num. 11 blade is the best all purpose blade.
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X-acto hobby knife with no:11 blade.
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Buying them on Amazon is a good idea. I got 10 handles and 100 blades for I think like $10. Looking at @Panzer_modeler picture, the blades I use the most are a #11 #10 and #17
The 10 I used for cutting PE off the fret by rocking it back and forth, the 17 is good for scraping stuff
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You can use sprue cutter to remove the big gates and a micro saw at an angle to get the attachment points. Then a blade or sanding stick to tidy up.
I have broken a few micro blades over the years so I have chucked the broken part in a knife handle/pin vise.
HTH
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I have 6 different color coded soft grip #1 handles. The ones I use most are the #11 blade, always on my bench and my all purpose go-to knife, can’t model without it. A million uses. Then a #13 blade, not pictured, which is a miniature saw blade, gets into tight spaces and produces razor thin cuts. A #16, or “stencil blade”, perfect for trimming surface detail because you can come straight down on it. And a #17 blade, great for chiseling away surface detail to replace it with PE, or for scraping away detail or scraping putty to smooth the rough spots.
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The X-Acto is too expensive on my Amazon, is this from Army Painter a good deal:
Wait, I read the blades are actually “x-Acto”, at least that’s what it says in the description.
Also, I like the “open-close” system, seems it would be fine for most blades on the market.
That looks decent, I would also consider something like this:
Dremel type drill. Attach narrow milling type bit or small round end bit.
A Jig Saw in the house is a very useful tool in many cases. It’s cheap, and with its thin saw blades, you can get most anywhere to cut whatever material, depending on the type of blade you use. Against plastic, take the ones for metal.
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I’d pass on the Army Painter unless someone can vouch that it isn’t junk. It looks like a cheap plastic handle. All of the Army Painter tools I’ve purchased in past were junk so I avoid AP products.
Quality metal handle works best with a sharp blade in my experience.
The #11 & #15 scalpel blades are fantastic. However, one must treat these ultra sharps with care and respect or one will get cut.
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How about this AK one, it has 20 spare blades and the expense will help me to get a free delivery on another haul of modeling stuff.
Since I am here, I see that vallejo has both rust and old rust pigment, which one would be better suited for my WW2 models? I suppose ordinary rust, right?
Anything else useful I might throw in? (Need to get to 39 € to get free delivery)
@Nightgaunt , please check messages.
A #1 handle with #11 blades can be purchased direct from an arts & crafts supply store or big box store, no shipping required.
I know but I also need some new pigments, a pigment binder, some new colors, so I am trying to bulk stuff to get free delivery.
I would remove the sproket from the sprue by cutting the sprue and leave some of the sprue gate attached to the sprocket. Now that you can manouver the sprocket in your hand, use nippers to slowly trim bits of the sprue gate away. When most has been removed, finish the job with an xacto knife.
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“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” … “The right tool for the right job.”
🪚🪛 
→ 
Free shipping or not, treat yourself to a decent knife handle. The ‘X-Acto Gripster Knife’ style as mentioned above comes in several colors (buy a few for color-coding). In addition, it has a comfortable non-slippery grip and anti-roll hex on the end. … Many have told the tale of blood and gore of knives rolling off the workbench and into a thigh, a calf or a foot… or unmentionables! 
PS: I’m relatively new to scalpels other than the one’s used on me. … Yup, get some of those too.
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I would do unspeakable things for knife that doesn’t roll into my feet all the time!
Might have to look into one of these handles
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A small tab of masking tape sticking out and doubled over on the end of the handle will stop it from rolling too. Not as nice & elegant but inexpensive & effective.
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This is a great thread. Thanks for starting it and thanks for all the tips.
I’m still pretty new to this. Armor kits for a little over a year and airplane and ship kits for a couple of years. But the big three improvements for me were:
- a good set of sprue side cutters (I got some Tamiya ones after using what just happened to be hanging on the wall at the LHS)
- surgical scalpels - I use these for separating PE from the fret and for cutting masks. Sharp, brittle, and dangerous. One came with a tool for removing old blades and that was way worth it.
- and this tool which Angel told me about: IPMS/USA Product Review: The Small Shop Standard Photo Etch Cut-Off Set (PE removal and organization system). I spend way less time cutting and cleaning PE. I sometimes don’t even need to sand a nub off after using this to make a cut.
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The Xacto is too expensive but what shade of rust pigment is better? I don’t mean to sound condescending but that sounds like misplaced priorities as I’m sure most pigments, and most hobby paints in general, cost more or equal to a standard old metal Xacto brand handle. Maybe it’s just Monday but this just struck me odd and a bit wrong. I believe strongly in the right tool for the job, be it auto, home or hobby applications. If you’d go outside to cut wood with a screwdriver and hammer then I’m not sure what more to say…
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