The Utility Knife - It's Care & Use

[Lynn O. Doughty]

On another thread I was ask several questions about just how I use and care for Old Reliable:


"Is your blade tricked up? Is it not stock standard? Is the new blade you use shop standard or do you or someone else sharpen them to the next level?

How often do you strop, or do you not, when the blade gets dull do you jettison it or resharpen it?"

First I only use a utility knife that has a handle with no slide mechanism. I want that blade locked firmly. As for the blade it's just a stock Stanley box knife blade. I go through a lot of them so I bought a contractors pack of 100 which lasts a long long time.

When chucking in a new blade the first thing I do is to get rid of the factory edge. While it's sharp it not sharp enough! I have a motorized hard cloth strop which I charge with Zam compound, the green stuff. Laying the blade flat just a couple of swipes does the trick. Then a quick pass over my motorized leather stop and she's ready to go. Occasionally I'll redo this process but as soon as I note the loss of sharpness or a nick in the blade it's either turned around to the other end, tossed into the trash or put to use somewhere else that doesn't involve carving.

I know that some have reshaped the standard blade. I really see no sense in this as I have another standard carving knife that works in those instances where the box knife won't.

The real beauty of the box knife, besides being extremely cheap, is that you don't have to waste time keeping it sharp. That job has been done for you so you can concentrate on carving while letting the others expound on their knowledge of which knife to buy or the correct way to hone the blade. I think the price of a utility knife like I use now runs about $2.50 and a 100 blade Contractors pack around $12.00. So for the meager price of about $15.00 you can get your hands on a super tool with over 200 razor sharp edges ready to go to work. Not a bad deal. But the real cleacher is when those other carvers come by your table and see you making the chips fly with Old Reliable's cousin and ask that question they always ask...."Did you carve all this with that?" you can reply "I sure did!" then watch the crestfallen look on their face appear as they turn to go home realizing they spent all that money for all those tools they were told they just had to have. Priceless!!!! (Well, almost anyway!)


In the photo I recommend only the top two knives: The expensive foreign model or the antique Stanley. Forget those bottom two....they're unsafe.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I have a couple of them I use for a bench knife...but the standard blade isn't much in my opinion...so I sharpen and hone the blades and they do a pretty fair job then.

[BeaverDon]

Lynn, the only problem I found with the Stanley knife is the handle is a little rough and, after a long session, I was getting a sore hand from it. I cut a piece of inner tube for the handle and that helps. But thanks for introducing the concept of producing beautiful, delicate work from the most common and inexpensive of tools. I admit, I am a tool addict, like most carvers, but the Stanley knife is always on my bench now.

[Forbes in France]

I use a Stanley 199 with a 5192 blade, the hooked blade gets me out of trouble every time. when I started ( not long ago !!) I used the standard blades, but finding the hooked ones has been a revelation

[Simplyme]

I agree. I think I would turn to "Un-Predictable" as my tool of use.

[STAR]

Thanks Lynn for taking the time to answer that question. Your honesty and your professionalism in helping everyone here is appreciated. Good karma to you.

Since I have come to this site I feel I have learnt so much in a few months. Strangely, a lot of the techniques you use in your videos is in line with how I would attempt it. I just now need to feel comfortable in believing in myself and having the confidence to mess up.

" I need to spend more time in the saddle.

ps.

I would like you to one day consider putting a cow in with one of your cowboys. I feel it fits in well with a western scene and I would be able to learn some new techniques. I suppose a lot of your horse videos would apply to doing a cow as well.

Thanks.

Pete