# which is best knife for marquetry?



## [email protected] (1 Mar 2013)

as per the title, what is the best knife and blades that money can buy for marquetry cutting!

I think I would prefer a round handled knife to a flat one.....

thanks


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## Rob Platt (1 Mar 2013)

jewellers saw blades and probably a surgeons scalpel sharp and pointy. hth
all the best
rob


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## Dodge (1 Mar 2013)

I tend to make my own marquetry knives when I need one out of old or broken hacksaw blades, you can grind them to the profile required and they hold a very good edge, simply taping a piece of dowel that has been split down the middle onto the sides with masking tape makes a good handle and can be re-used time and time again.


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## Lons (1 Mar 2013)

I have 2 sizes of swan Morton scalpels and a number of different blade profiles, never found a need to use anything else. All my marquetry has been the "window method" using fairly thin veneers though.

I was introduced to it by my wifes uncle who was a heart surgeon and got his scalpels free :wink: 

Bob


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## carlb40 (1 Mar 2013)

Lons":2hzqqath said:


> I was introduced to it by my wifes uncle who was a heart surgeon and got his scalpels free :wink:
> 
> Bob


Hope he washed them before bringing them home :lol:


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## Big Gaz (1 Mar 2013)

These are the knives we use at the peter sefton furniture school when we were shown marquertry by Quinten Smith of the marquetry society

http://www.breakaway-tackle.co.uk/index ... duct_id=99


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## Lons (2 Mar 2013)

> Hope he washed them before bringing them home :lol:



I never saw any blood on them (except my own occasionally) #-o 
Not sure he washed them before taking back into to operating theatre though :wink: 

Bob


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## johnwc812 (2 Mar 2013)

I always have found that Swan Morton scalpels ideal for marquetry
I prefer the metal handles (but they are not round).
My local chemist orders packs of blades for me.
Non-sterile blades are cheaper, but still packed in sealed packets.
A useful hint from a Canadian marquetry website is to "back-off"
the top corners of the blade making tight curves easier to cut, see attachment
Cheers John


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## Peter Sefton (2 Mar 2013)

I use my Swann Morton 10A blade in the No 3 handle, but then again I use that for almost all my cutting and marking out jobs.

Here is the “tool I can’t do without”

http://www.peterseftonfurnitureschool.c ... sefton.pdf


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## [email protected] (2 Mar 2013)

thanks for all the input - doesnt look like theres a magical knife out there thats a big secret!! The trusty swan morton it seems to be then and to that end, I've bought 10 packs sof blades as I have the handle already. I must be honest, I've never really got on with the swan morton knife I don't know why....


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## xy mosian (2 Mar 2013)

You don't happen to be left handed do you [email protected] The blade in an SM holder is canted in a way which suggests to me that although good for right handers could be awkward for lefties.
xy


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## [email protected] (2 Mar 2013)

no I'm RH!


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## xy mosian (3 Mar 2013)

Hi [email protected], It isn't the handedness then. It was just a thought. 
As for a round handle, would added scales help, bits added to the flat handle of the Swan Morton. 
xy


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## jimmyhenson (3 Mar 2013)

I have never used one of these but was often tempted
http://www.mehr-als-werkzeug.de/product ... idashi.htm


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## andersonec (4 Mar 2013)

Someone has posted a link above to the only round handled marquetry knife you will get, it's the Ernie Ives craft knife, you will find it on Amazon for a few squids.

Andy


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## bugbear (5 Mar 2013)

xy mosian":1ueyf2e1 said:


> Hi [email protected], It isn't the handedness then. It was just a thought.
> As for a round handle, would added scales help, bits added to the flat handle of the Swan Morton.
> xy



At various craft fairs (on varying craft stalls) I've seen people using scalpels with the handle augmented with strategically placed and shaped polymer clay (e.g. Fimo)

BugBear


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## [email protected] (8 Mar 2013)

i've now been using the SM scapel to reaonably good effect - at least the blade steel is good quality unlikie stanley blades that break off and blunt with the least effort...


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## János (8 Mar 2013)

Hello,

http://www.olfa.co.jp/en/body/detail/72.html

I use these.

Have a nice day,

János


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