Source for Number 11 Blades

[Tom Geiger]

Back in the day I wound up with two boxes of 100 Exacto brand number 11 blades.  They've gotten me through the hobby for years, and I can see the bottom of my last box.

So I'm looking for the same box.  I checked both Hobby Lobby and Michaels and they do have Exacto brand, but nothing more than a dozen blades. Apparently the 100 box isn't available.

Then I hit the 'bay.  I see tons of cheap blades, in 100 lots, mostly sourced or being sent directly from China in the $10-20 range. All the ads mention Exacto, so they snagged my keyword, but I'm not finding the real thing.

My big question... where is a good source for blades?  And do I need the name brand Exacto, or will these cheap knock offs suffice? 

 

[Casey]

I only buy vintage X-acto (assuming you spelled in correctly in your search) blades on eBay, and haven't had trouble finding them in 100 packs, like so:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/X-Acto-knife-blades-BULK-PAK-of-100-No-11-and-an-extra-10-FREE-BLADES/202810470938?hash=item2f3872321a:g:LPEAAOSwJMBdSHEv

 

 

[DPNM]

In my experience Tom, the cheap knock offs I have are different in two ways from an X-Acto #11.

The first pic shows the difference in the tips. The #11 is on the left. The tip of the KO on the right is not broken off. It came tapered like that.

Also, the KO is about 1/2 the thickness of the #11. I use this to my advantage at times when scribing as it makes a thinner line. It is hard for me to take a good pic showing this but if you look near the clamp areas you may see the difference.

I'm also not sure if they will interchange handle wise. My KO came as a set and I use the handles it came with.

 

 

[BigTallDad]

Try Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/X-ACTO-X-Life-Classic-Blades-X611/dp/B00006ICJV

[Tom Geiger]

Thank you guys!  I ordered the box of real X-acto blades that Casey listed.  I'm happy to pay $20 for a box of the real thing.

The Chinese knock offs could have been had for $10 a hundred, postage included and shipped from China.  Here's a photo included in that auction. Even branded.

 

 

[SfanGoch]

From ebay:

X-Acto X611 #11 Blades for X-Acto Knives, Bulk Pack

[Deuces]

I can't wait till they come out with the TiN coated blades..... Or are those already out...??....

[espo]

There is nothing like the real thing. A cheep price doesn't always mean you saved money if the blades don't perform the way the real ones do. Sometimes you will actually save money by paying more up front to git the real thing. 

[Deuces]

X-acto Z series #11 blades with zerconium nitride coated cutting edge.... $28.76 for a box of 100 from Amazon...

[iBorg]

Any usage reports on the coated blades?

 

[Deuces]

Not yet... But I do plan on ordering a box....

[Casey]

 

[Dave Van]

The best were a black #11 that Testors offered at one time....but no longer. I used the last one a year ago.

[Mike Chernecki]

Be careful buying the 100 pack X-Acto of blades off eBay from China. I did and received a box of 100 blades that were not sharpened. I also bought a set of X-Acto drill bits, they too where not sharpened.

[LL3 Model Worx]

I've used the Z series, and I cant really tell the difference in them honestly.

I bought some off brand #11s from Amazon, pack of 100 for like $6 and they aren't too bad. They came in a plastic pack and were wrapped in brown wax paper coated in oil...so I'm assuming they have a decent carbon content.

They do not seem quite as sharp as my real x-acto blades, but they make great blades for general use/utility

I use the real deal where it counts and the cheapies where it don't.

[stitchdup]

I tend to go for the swan morton medical scalpels, box of 100 sterile blades for about 15 quid with a new handle included. I can find exacto blades local but they are 5 quid for 3 and i'm too cheap to pay that

[Tom Geiger]

My blades arrived yesterday.  Per Casey's advise I bought a box of 100 real x-acto blades in an ancient box.  Included a bonus of 10 extra blades so I have 110 blades which will probably last me a good long time.

 

[misterNNL]

  On 11/25/2019 at 3:33 PM, Mike Chernecki said:

Be careful buying the 100 pack X-Acto of blades off eBay from China. I did and received a box of 100 blades that were not sharpened. I also bought a set of X-Acto drill bits, they too where not sharpened.

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For those who haven't looked it up yet, a quid is equal to $ 1.29.

[OldNYJim]

I’ve been picking up expired surgical blades on eBay - they’re no good for medical procedures, but brand new in the packet and the only ‘expired’ thing about them is presumably the guarantee that they’re properly sterilised still.  They’re usually really cheap!

[Tom Geiger]

many years ago we had a guy in our club who worked in a hospital.  He brought many surgical blade number 11s and shared them with our members. They were sterile and individually wrapped.  I remember thinking at the time that these were probably $20 blades!

[1930fordpickup]

I have been lucky with the Excell brand of blades. I did just pick up a pack of the coated #11 X-acto blades this week. When they arrived this week I used one at work and I am not sure they are any better for general use as of yet. 

 

[Tim H]

I prefer the Model Master #11 blades. The seem sharper than the X-acto blades.  Anyone know where to find them. I am getting low.

 

Tim

[StevenGuthmiller]

For this kind of price, the cheapo blades would definitely be worth checking out!

On Amazon.

200 for $11.99.

300 for $15.99.

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by StevenGuthmiller

[NOBLNG]

I bought these a couple years back from Amazon. I don’t recall what I paid, but they seem to be pretty good quality and “made in USA” ! I have some z-series from Michaels ($6.99/5) that I save for foil work. They don’t seem to have them anymore though.?

[StevenGuthmiller]

  On 11/23/2022 at 8:14 PM, NOBLNG said:

I bought these a couple years back from Amazon. I don’t recall what I paid, but they seem to be pretty good quality and “made in USA” ! I have some z-series from Michaels ($6.99/5) that I save for foil work. They don’t seem to have them anymore though.?

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Amazon still carries these "American Line" blades.

 

 

 

Steve

Edited November 23, 2022 by StevenGuthmiller