(Part 2) Best utility knives according to redditors

Agreed with other posters; the plastic material is overwhelmingly likely to be HDPE. Maaaaybe nylon, but probably HDPE (given its semi-translucent appearance). HDPE is food and medicine safe, dishwasher safe, tough as nails, and easy to work with.

If you're thinking of sourcing materials locally, look for a store like TAP Plastics (this is my local plastic retailer on the west coast of the US). You could also order the stuff and have it shipped; here's a 2ft length of 1" HDPE rod on Amazon for $17.00, which would give you plenty of material to make lots of utensils.

That screw on the top is a stainless, pan head hex (or socket) cap screw, which is a nice fastener but not exactly the right thread for the material (HDPE can hold threads, but the thread type on this metal screw could easily strip it out... I know I sound fussy about the fastener specs, but it matters in this case, since you want to avoid having the screw loosen itself all the time). A better fastener would be one intended for plastic; you want thread rolling screws to get the right anchoring in the plastic. You can find a 50-pack of 1",stainless steel pan head thread rolling screws for $6.44 (again, on Amazon). You'd drill a pilot hole in the HDPE bar that's smaller than the screws' thread diameter, and the screws will self-tap and get good "purchase" in the plastic.

For the thumb detent/brace, this again is HDPE sheet that's been formed into that specific curve. The nice thing about HDPE is that it can be formed using a modest amount of heat; boiling water is all that's needed in order to get it malleable enough to easily shape it into the right profile. That looks like 1/4" to me. You can get HDPE sheet and cut it into strips using a plastic cutter ($5 on Amazon), then cut strips to length, form the strips to the right ergonomic shape, drill, and assemble. Here's a 1/4" thick, 12x12" sheet for $8.50.

Finally, to deburr and smooth the cut lines on the plastic, you can hit it with a propane or butane torch, with quick passes that'll melt the small burrs and help the other marks to level-out.

Another thing to note: this utensil adapter is precisely the type of use case where 3D printers shine, and I'm looking at my 3D printer and the quick 3D model of this I just built in CAD, and I know I can bang these off and ship them to you in no time. I hesitate, though, in recommending only 3D printed parts. I have hundreds of functional prints around the house/garage/cars etc, and I love making functional prints, but as good as I get at design, and the better the hardware gets, functional prints from desktop printers still have strength and durability limitations; extruded rod and sheet are just stronger.

​

All links in the same list:

- 1" HDPE rod

- Stainless pan head thread rolling screws

- Plastic cutter

- 1/4" HDPE sheet

This was the best thing about working at walmart. I've got like 5 unopened in my tool box.

Soft-Grip Snap-Off Utility Knife with 6 Blades - Lifetime Warranty https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003RXMQUY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RWq8Ab7GK8Z6V

I asked the same question to a guy that does it professionally for gun cases awhile back and this is what he said. I did it for my ak pistol and some foam. Worked great. They dull pretty quick between blades but you get a bunch with it.

This reminds me i could do it with my toolbox though which i never really considered. We have stacks 10 feet tall any given day of 1’x1’ foam squares i could use at work. Its not hard foam but still.

a scraper is a nice, niche tool that he would probably enjoy having -- or enjoy having another if he already has one.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001P0PHW/

similarly, one can never have enough marking tools (though bringing a knife to the office might be a no-no depending on your office culture):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZ2FRIQ/

A knife block?

Here's a similar one - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00ATOM18G

It is made of 3/16" black Elmers Foam Board.

The tools I used are:

• Self Healing Cutting Mat
  
• Singer Dressmaker Pins
  
• Wescott Stainless Steel Office Ruler
  
• Aleenes Quick Dry Tacky Glue
  
• Irwin Tools Combination Square
  
• Box Cutters
  
  
  

I own the MAC chef's knife. It has held its edge really well. I honestly don't even maintain it that well and it still hasn't shown any rust or stains.

The Victorinox fibrox chef's is such a great basic knife. I just picked it up and it's holding it's edge very well. I also highly suggest their boning knife and paring knives which I've had for a couple of years now.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Cutlery-6-Inch-Semi-Flexible-Straight/dp/B0019WQCNW

I absolutely swear by the victorinox semi flex boning knives. The handle stays grippy no matter how slimy/bloody they get and as long as you keep a steel close by it'll hold an edge through the whole thing. Also just from the nature of the job, boning knives get the shit beat out of them so I see no reason for a super high end one.

https://youtu.be/wijM-XI9rn8 and here's a quick rundown of some basic butchery tools you might not have considered from youtubes patron saint of rock n' roll butchering

As others have mentioned, resist the urge to buy a set or block of knives. They can look like a great deal, but you're very likely to end up with two or more knives that you never use.

I often go even further than the others in this thread and recommend that you start with just a high quality 8' chef's knife and a bread knife. I know plenty of people that just do pretty much everything with a sharp chef's knife and don't bother with a shorter blade at all; I personally find my 10cm utility knife handy, but I'd be inclined to say you should wait and see if it feels like there's a niche that needs to be filled before you invest in a decent one.

There's been a couple of mentions of Victorinox knives; I know a lot of chefs that use them, but all of them do so because they're good enough for the kitchen while still being cheap enough to be more or less disposable. If you're cooking for a commercial kitchen they're a good choice, but for home use I'd say it's worth investing in a high quality blade that will last you a lifetime. With that in mind I'd go for Wüsthof if you can get a hold of them where you are. Absolutely brilliant knives, very durable, great steel and their quality control is peerless.

I would generally go for a western chef's knife over a Santoku. I do like them and Japanese knives as a whole, but in my personal opinion it's better at specific tasks while being less versatile and thus less useful as a first knife.

If you do choose to invest in good knives, taking proper care of them is vitally important. Magnetic racks for storage are ideal, but if you live in a particularly humid environment or have a small kitchen where they'd be near the sink or the hob, I'd go for a fibre block like this one;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Longlife-Knife-Block-Adjustable-Bristle/dp/B00ATOM18G

Those are also useful for holding a disparate collection of differently sized knives. As someone else mentioned, wooden blocks will contribute to dulling your blades.

Keeping good knives sharp is very important, and you'll often be directed to steels and whetstones as the best way to sharpen your knives. This is true, but I cannot stress enough that you must be absolutely certain that you know what you're doing before you try to sharpen or hone a knife by hand. I have seen £300 150 layer Japanese knives ruined by people attempting to sharpen and hone them with very little idea of what they're actually supposed to be doing. It's not rocket science, but it is something that you'll want to read up on (watch a few youtube tutorials too) before you try it out on a good knife. Getting some practice in on something cheap that you don't particularly care about is a fantastic idea.

...so yeah. Sorry about the infodump, I work in a cookshop and talk to people about this stuff all day, I can't stop myself! I hope at least some of it is useful.

Can't go wrong with Victorinox. This kit includes several knives for various uses, a honing rod and a case thing for storage. https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Cutlery-Ultimate-Competition-7-Piece/dp/B01I5SF9XG/. You can buy knives individually and i think they have other kits like this available. In general, you're probably not going to beat the quality of victorinox knives for the price.

I'm abusive to knives and these come super fucking sharp. I have a scar from the first time i used the chefs knife in this set. It went through me like a hot knife through warm butter. I've only honed it a few times and it is still very sharp.

There are lots of different tool makers, here's a couple of detail knives that are decent price.

R. Murphy Detail Knife

Flexcut Detail Knife

I'd recommend staying away from the Mora knives. They tend to be longer and a little unwieldy. I think the blade is close to 2 1/4 inches whereas the Flexcut and Murphy knives I listed above are 1 1/2 inches.

For gouges, v-tools, and chisels, Flexcut Craft Carver Set (5pc) is a decent price as well. It's an interchangeable blade set, I started carving with it and still use it to this day.

Another thing you'll want to invest in is a strop and compound. Stropping your blade blade regularly will keep it sharp. Amazon has them if you search for "strop block" or "strop paddle". The sharpening compound I use is a chromium oxide bar or Flexcut Gold.

That's an OLFA knife. They're made in japan and they're really nice.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIO2TG/

I have the Four Star model of that knife. It's been my go-to for years. It's greatest strength and only limitation is it's length; six inches is perfect for smaller work, especially in prep and Garde Manger. It's light weight and very 'nimble', especially in smaller work stations. Henckels is a quality product and if well cared-for can certainly last a lifetime.

Depending on your station you might need something bigger, either eight or 10 inches. Could be a slicer/yanagiba or a 'chef's'/gyotu. I certainly recommend a paring knife and IMO keep it at 3.5 inches. Longer gets unwieldy.

Again, depending on your station, I'd go with this if your on the line a lot. Good, general purpose knife and great for cutting sandwiches. If you have a lot of meats to clean then I'd lean towards a boning knife like this. I prefer flexible blades and have found my 5.5 inch Henckels to be much more useful than their longer models.

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-10-810-QuickSlide-Pocket-Utility/dp/B000E60H44

I've carried this thing for about five years at a lumberyard and as a mechanic.
I laughed when I saw the link picture, I forgot mine was ever new.
Mine has no more paint.
It is missing the black mechanism cover (lost while cleaning, didn't break).
It has a key ring through the little lanyard hole, which in turn is wrapped in paracord with a lanyard loop.
It has a thick rubber band wrapped around it just below where the slide locks closed, so I can set it on angled surfaces without worrying about it sliding off.

http://www.amazon.com/Cutter-1000-Series-Cut-Easy/dp/B00J5N3SNO

The company issued these cheese ball "EZ cut" box cutters after my boss sliced his leg cutting towards himself through cardboard, but me and most of the guys use whatever we personally prefer.
I wish this box cutter had some kind of spare blade storage, but other than that it's fucking great. I take it apart and clean/oil it maybe every six months.
My coworker Melvin calls mine the EZ Thug.

Definitely BIFL quality box cutter. I'll try and post a pic. I would be really bummed if it disappeared. It's taken all the abuse I've literally thrown at it or thrown it at. It's a trooper. I can also feasibly justify carrying it around out and about because of my job, too, and it would be a nasty weapon if I had to use it as one.

So much easier with a box cutter. Try this one next time https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GIO2TG/ref=psdcmw_553240_t2_B00UINRKTI

Really night and day (i started with that xacto knife 8n that pic)

Use a Snap-off Utility knife and keep the blade sharp. The extend pretty far so you should be able to cut through a couple of inches of foam in one go.

I recently purchased a set of Wood River chisels (they are on sale atm) and just finished honing and sharpening them w/ the Scary Sharp method last night. I really like them. http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/151268/WoodRiver-6-Piece-Bench-Chisel-Set.aspx

This is a cheapy gent's saw I got when I first got into dovetailing. I went with it for the same reasons you listed -- didn't want to invest a lot in a saw until I knew I would continue with handcut joinery. If you have the funds to go better, by all means. I really should upgrade by now but, hey, this saw is still working for me after 10 months, so why rush it? https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/TS/item/PZ-30210

Scary Sharp supplies -- A kit of various grit sand papers to use. Get a granite slab or sheet glass and adhere these to it (they already have a sticky back so you wont need adhesive spray): https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/THS/item/ST-MAF.XX

Bevel gauge - I got my first from True Value and it works fine. I recently got another vintage one from the 1920s on eBay with brass edging. I have a thing for vintage tools :) : http://www.truevalue.com/product/8-Inch-Plastic-Sliding-T-Bevel/11078.uts?keyword=bevel

Marking knife/gauge - Everyone loves the Veritas marking gauge and I have it on my list of things to acquire eventually. For now, I'm using a cheapy marking gauge I found on eBay and a cheap marking knife from amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CZ2FRIQ/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687642&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00B56B35Y&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=016MA016BD9H98J5CAQJ

I highly recommend the OLFA brand of boxcutters - very sharp, great blades.

https://amzn.com/B000GIO2TG

Also, if you want to make them yourself, don't search for cardboard - search for chipboard. It's a lot heavier than most cardboard you'll find.

I used these to make some tiles for a game prototype and was very happy with the heft of them.

https://amzn.com/B006YKF9II

Cutlery-Pro Gourmet Chef Granton... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KNPDKR6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I guess it depends on if you're looking to stay small or not.

For something larger, check out the Benchmade 7, or Benchmade 8.

For something about the same size, Gerber's GDC Hook Knife or Columbia River's K.E.R.T.

I googled snap off utility knife. Here's the first result: https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Grip-Snap-Off-Utility-Knife-Blades/dp/B003RXMQUY

I have the Compact Milwaukee and am not a fan; the blade comes loose all the time, especially when doing things like cutting drywall or removing wire insulation. I have used the Fastback Milwaukee though with good results, it’s just a lot bigger and doesn’t feel as good in the hands. I’ve owned 1 of the Compact, 0 of the Fastback.

The Klein pocket knife looking one is garbage for doing actual work with. I’ve owned 1 of these.

I have a SOG Flash 2 w/ serrations that I love but it’s my EDC and doesn’t live in my tool bag. Super sharp and the serrations slice though sheathing like hot butter. I’ve owned 4 of these.

I have a smaller one, a skelotonized Gerber w/ Lenox blades that I love as well. That one does live in my tool bag and is used all the time. The Lenox gold blades are amazing. I’ve owned 1 of these.

Milwaukee Compact

Milwaukee Fastback

Klein Electricians Knife

Sog Flash II

Gerber EAB Lite

Howabout a lame auto-retracting "safety" box knife?

Molon labe

Ill never give up my Easy Cut 2000

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Cutter-cutter-setting-holster/dp/B0184W06Z4/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=walmart+box+cutter&qid=1562809391&s=gateway&sr=8-5

To start working with eva foam, all you need is some foam floor mats (this is cheapest at Harbor Freight if you have one nearby), a box cutter, a rotary tool and adhesive. I like to use contact cement and finally a heatgun You may also want a sharpener since foam dulls blades really fast.

Here's a pretty simple tutorial by Will Morgan on how make a dagger.

I also have a more in depth tutorial on how to make a Fallout 10mm pistol out of foam

this

Today, I went back to my old elementary school and journeyed the trail behind the playground. I had never gone back there before, and I had always pondered the wonders that the trail held.

So over 10 years later, I finally ventured the path. The woods were green and lively with a side path that was dark and flat. I took to calling the second path "Taker's Way" and it'll be my new sparring venue. After going deep into the woods, I finally reached the bitter end. Through branches and brush, I found...

someone's backyard...sigh, they can't all be the temple of doom.

I bleach shirts, so a good knife would make things a lot easier.

I had the same kind of thinking and I bought this set about 6 months ago. Used it for all of that so far except spatchcocking and it’s been great. I know it’s not quite the same thing, but it did chop up wings like butter though the other day...

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-7-Piece-Natural-Competition-Handles/dp/B01I5SF9XG

New quality hand tools are fairly expensive. It's a niche market nowadays and there's only a few companies that still make hand tools that are worth buying. That being said ~$500 will get you a very decent set of hand tools.
The list of hand tools I'd recommend is;

Layout

• Combination Square - You have two two options here. You can go for something like this which is inexpensive and decent quality. You'll probably find that it will get sloppy and lose accuracy over time but it's a good option to get started. On the other side you can go for a Starrett combination square which is the best money can buy.
  
  
• Bevel Gauge - Brand isn't too important here. Most bevel gauges will be sufficient, just make sure the locking mechanism is easy to use. Avoid the ones with a disk shaped locking mechanism, they're a pain to lock. A bevel gauge shouldn't cost you more than $10.
  
  
• Marking Gauge - In terms of value for money I'd go for the Veritas marking gauge. This is one of the most useful tools when using handtools so it's worth getting something nice to use.
  
  
• Marking Knife - You can either make your own which isn't to hard or buy one. You should be able to get one for around $10. Something like this or this should be okay.
  
  Saws
  
  
• Crosscut Carcass saw - A carcass saw is a good size for general work.It's easily the saw I use the most. It will be a bit slow for ripcuts but it will get you by. A carcass saw can be used to cut most types of joinery such as tenons, dovetails, etc. I think the Veritas saws are great value for money.
  You'll probably want to add a tenon saw and dovetail saw somewhere down the track to cover all your bases. If you wanted to splash out you could go for the set of Veritas backsaws which is good value for money but is a greater outlay.
  
  
• Crosscut panel or hand saw - This is one tool where you might run into a problem buying new. No one makes reasonably priced quality hand saws anymore. You have two options here. You can go for a disposable contractors saw like this one which is cuts well but has a crappy handle. The other option is to buy and restore a vintage saw. Restoring a vintage saw isn't that hard. Theres plenty of guides and resources on the internet about it. Vintage hand saws are pretty cheap, you should be able to get a nice one for $10-$20 if you went that route.
  
  Chisels
  
  
• 1/4" and 1/2" Bevel edge chisels - Narex chisels are very good value for money. I personally wouldn't recommend getting a set. Start out with a 1/4" and 1/2" which are sizes that pretty much everyone will use then add more sizes depending on what you feel like you need.
  
  Planes
  
  
• Jack Plane - For new planes you have three options for brand here; Woodriver, Veritas and Lie Nielsen. Woodriver planes are made in China but are well made and a bit less expensive than the other two brands. Veritas and LN planes are both manufactured in North America and are top quality. By starting out with a jack plane or No. 5 you can cover pretty much any task. It won't excel at everything but it will get you by. A book could be written on exactly what brand and style of plane you should get so I won't go into detail. I would personally go for a Low-Angle Jack from Veritas as it is a very versatile plane,
  
  Drills
  
  
• 10" Brace
  
• 1/4" and 3/8" Auger bits
  
• Eggbeater Drill
  
  Like with hand saws no one makes hand drilling equipment any more. These tools are extremely common on the vintage market though. You should be able to get a brace and a few auger bits for $10-20 and a eggbeater hand drill for a couple of bucks.
  
  
  Misc
  
  
• Mallet - You can make your own or buy one. Style is based on personal preference. I like this type but I see a lot of people using carving style mallets now.
  
  
• Sharpening gear - You can start out with the scary sharp method which has a low outlay compared to other methods such as waterstones or diamond plates. It does have a on going cost so you might want to change to a more long term method later on. Just google "Scary Sharp" and you should find plenty of info.
  
  
• General tools like screwdrivers, hammer, clamps, etc.
  
  There's a million different routes to take when you start out so this advice is by no means the only way to go.

Knipex for Lineman's pliers: (with or without crimper). Their grip and cutting edge are significantly better than any other brand I've tried.

Wera for screwdrivers: I recommend the XXL 3 set. For sale here.

I still like Klein for strippers. I use the Kurve everyday and the Katapult for wire with thick insulation like PV wire.

Fluke for your meter. Most people recommend the T5 for basic stuff, but the 323 has a proper clamp and removable leads for the same price.

Knipex Cobras for your channel lock style pliers. These are absurdly good and have saved my ass a couple times.

I also recommend buying a Knipex Pliers Wrench. I own a 7-inch and a 10-inch pair and they're way better than a traditional adjustable wrench.

Stanley newest Leverlock tape measures are just as good as Milwaukee's tape and less bulky for half the price.

Milwaukee's Fastback series are the best utility knives by a pretty wide margin. I use the compact one, but that's a matter a preference.

It's a OLFA 26B. I like it so much I'm going to grab a larger Olfa Craft Knife 34B too!

Gerber Pocket Knife - Exchange A Blade

With Titanium edge blades

I already have this, so I wont ask for any gifting.

It's small/thin, has a strong clip. You can replace the blades very cheaply, or get expensive ones like I posted (Irwin 50 pack for 12.69 Prime is a cheaper higher quantity option)

There's 1000

Modern Box Cutter, 3 blade depth setting , Squeeze Trigger and Edge Guides, Holster, Lanyard, Extra Blade - 1000 Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J5N3SNO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DXs1BbAQGCK2X

And 4000

Modern Box Cutter, auto retract, blade vanishing technology, extra tape cutter at back, dual side edge guide, 3 blade depth setting, 2 blades and holster - Grey Color 4000 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWJ2BCY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yYs1BbVRMJ4S8

How are these Olfa fixed utility knives for skiving? Thinking of picking one up to try out.

https://www.amazon.com/Olfa-Craft-Kife-size-34B/dp/B000TGF9DI

https://www.amazon.com/26B-by-OLFA/dp/B000TGNZ8O

{This]..(http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gerber-EAB-Lite-Box-Opener-Money-Clip-31-000345-NEW/370599822514?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D333005%26algo%3DRIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D16726%26meid%3D225507393743323350%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D7905%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D171031980156%26)
Plus this
=Success

I use a piece of wood also, but plexiglass shouldn't be hard to cut with the right kind of tool, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C027ZE/. You can score it and then snap it along the edge of a table like you do when cutting actual glass. Or another way that's easy is if you have a circular saw and an old plywood blade. You put the blade in the saw backwards, so the teeth score their way through the plastic without ripping out chunks of it.

Not really, blade's about 2.5 inches long, maybe 1/2 wide, really thin, useful for cutting meat and cheeses for a quick picnic but not much else. Even cutting through fruit is a push for it.

That's my main use for a knife traveling really, cutting some stuff from the market for lunch on the go.

https://www.amazon.com/NT-Cutter-Auto-Lock-Stainless-Utility/dp/B005J0XDSW/

Try to buy cheap junk from Walmart or Amazon until you know exactly what you want. You don't need a $60 pair of pliers or a $300 drill when you're learning.

• Safety glasses
  
  
• Linesman pliers (high leverage pliers that can also cut wires)
  
  
• Diagonal cutting pliers (wire cutters)
  
  
• Long reach needle nose pliers
  
  
• Wire strippers.
  
  
• 25 foot tape measure
  
  
• Hammer
  
  
• Multimeter that can check voltage and resistance. It doesn't need to be accurate.
  
  
• Receptacle tester that looks like this
  
  
• No contact voltage tester like this
  
  
• A magnetic dish for holding screws. Seriously. Losing screws is not fun. A big magnet can also be useful if you drop a bunch of screws or nails on the floor.
  
  
• Ziplock bags. I always end up needing bags for things. A small bag full of clean napkins is a great thing to have.
  
  
• Knife with a sheepsfoot blade like this
  
  
• Tool box. Get one that is big and cheap. I paid $10 for mine and it holds everything listed above.

This knife slices through BBQ like no other. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KNPDKR6/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have found the Lenox Titanium Utility Blades are worth the price.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009ENCUW

It's not common to carry a knife for defense but it is actually surprisingly common to have one for utility. I don't see many karambits but I do see tiny little utility flip knives every once in a while.

Here's one on Amazon.

Usually you see handymen/outdoorsmen/former or current Boy Scouts have these types of things on them. They're fantastic for a lot of situations. Obviously, this is not a weapon meant to be used on a person. This is mainly used for cutting packaging, cutting ropes, outdoor survival, etc.

There are people who do carry knives for defense. Not always legally either. There's a kid that I know that lives down the street who got caught with a defensive knife in his backpack at school a few months ago. He wasn't even using it, he just had his backpack searched for something else entirely. He's currently in court for that. It's not very common to see someone with a long dangerous blade, but they're out there. There's probably way more people with tasers or pepper spray though.

I got the Olfa knife, and it’s made taking caulk off much easier. Slide the blade under it on bottom and side and than use the hook on the olfa knife.


OLFA 1072198 LA-X 18mm Fiberglass Rubber Grip Heavy-Duty Utility Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GIO2TG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TX3mDbJPV5A77

I have a Benchmade Rescue Hook 8MED. Cuts through anything and much better than shears.

Hi, I am doing whittling and wood carving here in Wellington for a while and what I found out is that ok wood for whittling is cedar, rimu and kauri. These are reasonably soft and great option for whittling (carving only with knife). For wood carving with gouges is totara and also all the above great option. Otherwise I order basswood(european lime) from Amazon. This is so far the best wood for carving and its a pleasure to carve. I am a bit sad that basswood is not very present here.. :-( even though Ive seen these trees here, they are considered more exotic and it will be quite shame to chop them down..

Down below are links for whittling knife which I use and am very happy with (i have tried more than 15 different whittling/carving knives) and basswood.

​

If you are interested to meet me I offer these whittling/wood carving workshops here in Wellington(the last is 20 July 2019) Then I go back to Czech republic for more wood carving studies:

https://homewoodspirit.com/wood-carving-wellington/

​

VladimirM

​

​

Whittling/wood carving knife:

https://www.amazon.com/Flexcut-Detail-Knife/dp/B00FQCYVY8/ref=sr_1_10?crid=1YKNLPJ3CV2EN&keywords=flexcut+wood+carving+knife&qid=1556563129&s=gateway&sprefix=flexcut+%2Caps%2C397&sr=8-10

Wood for whittling:

https://www.amazon.com/Walnut-Hollow-Basswood-Whittlers-Carving/dp/B0018N9Z72/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=basswood&qid=1556563068&s=books&sr=8-2

Nothing beats good old Olfa Kiridashi in that field IMO.

District 9 made a version of this as a ti integral with a pocket clip a while ago, very awesome design. It sold out, but still might be available on the second market.

It's really difficult to layer like that when you're starting from a single hunk of foam. You could build it in sections, so the gold parts could probably all be carved separately then glued together at the end. However for the white/blue part I would do a single piece and just tape off sections to paint. Use a Dremel for details and smoothing. I like to use this box knife for carving large chunks and larger details: https://www.amazon.com/NT-Cutter-Auto-Lock-Stainless-Utility/dp/B005J0XDSW

As far as symmetry, it can be pretty difficult, especially with something with organic curves like this gun. Honestly I'd just say take your time and remember you can always take away more but it's hard to put it back. For making things smooth with a dremel go over the area gently with increasing grit level round drum bits until you get the look you want. For the engraved lines, there are pointy dremel bits called diamond point that would be helpful. Trace the lines on the foam and go over them slowly with the pointed bits.

Conventions make me happy. Specifically anime and cosplay cons. There's this instant comraderie that you feel when you step through the doors. Everyone there is a stranger, but seem like friends you've known for years, just out of a shared love for media. For a day or two, there's no sense of time or worry, just enjoyment in the company of those around you.

Here is a carving knife that I would really appreciate. Funny enough, I'd be using it for cosplay.

:)

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Cutter-cutter-setting-holster/dp/B0184W06Z4/

$8 - your size may cost more

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004MUFHUM/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1


$6 - used this one, but consider a higher -rated cutter

https://www.amazon.com/Hyde-Tools-45730-Knife/dp/B000C027ZE/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=acrylic+knife&qid=1572996803&sprefix=acrylic+knofe&sr=8-4

I'd suggest checking out these instead. There are more notches on the spine, giving you a couple options for length.

I have a RUT v2, and they fit perfectly. I'd wager they fit yours as well.

This one is metal and is close to a stander replaceable blade knife. It has the feature you need and uses standard blades.

http://www.amazon.com/WKAR1-Auto-Retracting-Safety-Utility-Knife/dp/B007D43RQ0

http://i.imgur.com/NuGI1dO.jpg

I see it all the time on all kinds of different products, especially food where you wouldn't want to buy a box that's been cut open. It really comes down to employees either caring about what they do, or being properly trained on how to open boxes. Opening boxes sounds easy, but there really is a right and wrong way to do it. I used to work at Wal Mart and we actually had required training on using the box cutters that they supplied to us. They were actually pretty nice because you could adjust the cut depth. I assume that most retailers just give their employees run of the mill box cutters with a set (deep) cut depth. That's just asking for trouble on something like this, though. Of course, even the best box cutter won't help if the employee doesn't care.

Here is the cutter they use.

Box cutters?