The world's most expensive x-acto knife

[charangohabsburg]

Since many years I 've got a nice little cutter, this one:



...and now I ran out of blades. The local shops here around don't carry them any longer, so I decided to order them online. Hmmm, these x-acto blades should fit my not-x-actly x-acto cutter I hoped, and ordered a few...
Yes, of course they don't fit. Now I am not the one who likes to return ordered goods, but I don't like the strategy of every-brand-has-its-own-"standardised"-system either, so I will not buy another blade holder only because I bought these blades!

So I cut off a length of M12 threaded rod and shortened an M4 screw (both cheap), cut a slot and tapped an M4 thread (quick), adjusted and smoothed the slot with a flat needle file (not so quick), cut two pieces off a brass washer, filed them to exact thickness (not at all quick either) and soldered them in place in order the blade would not tilt when thightening the M4 screw, et voilà!



In the end the whole exercise cost me about two hours of work, hence "the world's most expensive x-acto knife"!

This knife is quite heavy, which I like, and the thread yields a good grip. Although I much prefer woodworking over metalworking it was fun making this cutter - but I still have no replacement blades for my old cutter!

[pat foster]

Awesome!

Pat

[Taffy Evans]

I like that, pity I've got more knives than a cat has lives or I'd make one [or two]. Good thinking.

[Gazm]

Quote from a famous Pom/Aussie sitcom champion, Ugly Dave Gray,...' Clever Dick' !!!

Always great to see recycling at it's best Marcus

Gaz

[charangohabsburg]

@ Pat: yes, sometimes I am also surprised how we can make our own versions of simple, cheap and +/- readily available tools. Maybe I'll try net time to make a nail!

@ Taffy: it seems that one only never can have enough clamps. So I reckon I have to be glad I made a knife before having way too many of them!

@ Gaz: ...And oh, it only looks like made from recycled material, but truth is that the brass washer is the only recycled item, all the rest is brand new! Maybe some day someone can recycle some parts of the knife.

Cheers,