As someone who just recently started her graphic design program at university (with pretty much no prior knowledge) these videos are SO HELPFUL. Thank you!
Thank you for the practice sheet! Just started college and the first project in my design class is all about the xacto knife, this video and the sheet is very helpful for me!
This is really helpful to me. I got an xacto knife pretty recently and never really learned this kind of stuff. Thanks, Karen! I do have a metal ruler that has a little bump/edge in the middle if it... that way, I have a place to put my fingers and they won't slip into the cutting area by accident!
Thanks for the cutting practice. I just got an x-acto knife on the date 4.15.2015 which was yesterday for me, and I really needed practice. I also bought about 70 extra blades.
Thanks for the practice sheet! I'm cutting out an oval main deflector for this Enterprise D toy mod I'm working on, and wanted to practice before I ruin a bunch of milk carton plastic lol.
This is such a helpful video! I wish I had seen this before. I would've bought a cutting mat. I was cutting out a design to make a bleached silhouette tshirt and it was the first time I had used an x-acto knife. The surface I was using made cutting out the design somewhat difficult. --cough-- and I may or may not have ruined some furniture --cough-- Thanks Karen!
Hello, First off, awesome video; Very informative! Second, I was just wondering whether I can cut perfect curves, and minor details using this tool... Thanks
A week ago, I bought a cheap craft knife (not xacto) that swerved randomly. I put a new blade on, and started cutting. I immediately noticed the swerving, which occurred no matter whether I cut up an down or against the sides. at one.point, i was cutting away from me (rookie mistake, I know) about a good five minutes into cutting, it swerved all five inches, right into my hand, and a good half inch into my index finger. Luckily, I hit it at an angle, so it only went about 1/8 inch Deep and was somewhat shallow. Worst cut I ever had,it bled profusely for an hour
Ooh! Practice sheets! THANK YOU! (No seriously, gonna use that idea for myself.) Woah, so many great tips. I'm overloaded. Thanks for the amazing video. I'm gonna have to make a transcript of this video or something, for reference. Good enthusiasm, too.
Thanks for the tips. I'm a junior in art school, but I'm an Art Ed. major with more of a... messy outlook to work, so I've been looking for ways to perfect my craft. I really need a paper cutter. My mother got an old guillotine they were throwing away at work, and I restored it, but the blade (while now rustless) is super dull, and it's an old brand so I'm screwed on that end.
Fun fact: the olfa style blades are something we use in paint testing to scribe panels for adhesion tape tests. It's interesting to me how many of our tests have some kind of potential crafting/graphic design overlap.
Great video, thank you! I heard lately talking about x-acto knife here and x-acto knife there, and I thouht HMMMM it must be some super marvelous thing I need to have.... finding out that I already have dozens of those was a le down LOL
Nice clear intro, I get them with a safety cap on the end (so I can carry them in a pencil case). I also keep an oilstone on the desk and when giving things a good coat of looking-at I stroke the blade at a shallow angle on the stone to keep it razor sharp, saves a lot on blades I find and its a nice meditative thing you do not have to pay close attention to..
How do u sharpen the blades ? I got a knife to sharpen my knifes . Didn't know if I could use it on these or not ? How do you make the knives longer ? I been cutting my Pool Noodles alot .
Is this strong enough to cut thru some harder materials, like rubber, magnet tape, silicone, etc or do I have to get a utility knife. I'm looking for something that has the precision of this but with a heavier duty blade.
Do you know any DIY/projects that mainly use x-acto knifes? My parents bought me a huge set of different x-acto knifes that I probably don't need but I really want to find out a project to use them for, any ideas?
Xacto blades are one of the easiest blades to sharpen with a little practice when the blade is installed on the aluminum shaft. Use a diamond knife sharpening hone block!
Hello, you said that the X - ACTO Knife your using is #2 it is actually #1 and you should also not swing it around without the cap, but nice video it really helped me understand how to use it properly. 😃😃😃😃
I have the most basic straight aluminum handled x acto knife. I probably tightened the collet nut too tight. I can't figure out how to release it so I can install a fresh blade. I chucked the handle in a vise then twisted one way with pliers on the knurled area but the whole tip assembly, blade, collet and collet nut unscrewed from the handle. When I tried turning the other direction I tightened the whole thing tighter than the hubs of hell. Help!
Do you have any suggestions to reduce pressure on the fingers when using a knife? Whenever I do a complex project with a lot of cutting, I find the tip of my index finger really starts to hurt from pressing down on the handle, and if it gets bad enough I can't bend my finger for awhile. I could be holding it wrong, but it's the only way that feels natural in my hand!
i kept getting nervous for you.. as you spoke with your hands... with a blade in your hand.. i was the klutz who would get cut making my books and presentations...
I just recently bought a new X acto knife. im so scared of using it. cuz im used with olfa knifes and i didnt encounter any blade splitting. My friends just reccomended the knife and i wanna give it a try.
Another safety tip should be don't gesture-talk with an xacto knife in your hand (like what is done in this video), I cut my poor chin doing that, and it also have flown out of my hand before as well
Another great video Karen! My wishlist is too long to put here, BUT, the number one wish would be a dedicated craft room to put it all in! Hugs And Happy Valentine's Day.
You shound do is take out the blade and heat-treat it. This can be done by taking the blade out, holding the end that goes in the handle with the pliers, and holding it directly in the flame of the lighter for about 1 minute. ImmediatelyAfter being in the flame drop it into some cool water. Then pull it out and wipe the blade off on a rag.
things I'm doing right now with the Paper Knife (that's what I call it) . on bed . cutting cardboard . animals inside the box XD . no supervision . cutting shape
I started laughing when you said to “don’t leave the x-acto knife on the table because it roll off and stab you in the foot” because that’s exactly what happened to me today 😩 and now I’m freaking out about getting infected and the tingling I now have on the wounded area 😢
They're #11 blades. On the topic of plastic rulers, it's not just your ruler and your work that can be damaged - I knew someone who cut his finger most of the way off that way (he had to go to the ER and get it sewed back on...)
![[Gegagedigedagedago] NEW Help Gegagedigedagedago Nugget escape from Nikocado Avocado Challenge](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hJWnwRC2Fz8/mqdefault.jpg)
As someone who just recently started her graphic design program at university (with pretty much no prior knowledge) these videos are SO HELPFUL. Thank you!
These things are really sharp "touches the blade"
Eh. As long as you dont push down or start sawing, it most likely won't pierce.
ミームロードLogan call the ambulance
Nice spoons....
...and proceed to wave it around in circular motions, as close as you can to your face
Mee
Thank you for the practice sheet! Just started college and the first project in my design class is all about the xacto knife, this video and the sheet is very helpful for me!
This is really helpful to me. I got an xacto knife pretty recently and never really learned this kind of stuff. Thanks, Karen!
I do have a metal ruler that has a little bump/edge in the middle if it... that way, I have a place to put my fingers and they won't slip into the cutting area by accident!
Oh that ruler sounds really cool, I've never seen those.
A couple of safety rules: swings knife round with no lid
lol..my thoughts too
Thanks for the cutting practice. I just got an x-acto knife on the date 4.15.2015 which was yesterday for me, and I really needed practice. I also bought about 70 extra blades.
She's got that cute nerdy look. I love it!
She is adorbs!!
The girl that’s doing the vid is not a nerd she seems very nice
She is a Karen
Jayesh Thawani wait fr
@@astren9619 ion think so, her name is just karen
Your channel is delightful and you really know your stuff, but you have so much energy!
I never knew there was so many interesting things to know about properly using an xacto knife.
Okay, she is full of energy and fun to watch. This is NOT a boring exacto knife lesson.
I stayed up all night watching your videos went to bed and woke up and now I'm gonna spend my day watching your videos
I love your enthusiasm! :)
Thanks for the practice sheet! I'm cutting out an oval main deflector for this Enterprise D toy mod I'm working on, and wanted to practice before I ruin a bunch of milk carton plastic lol.
This is such a helpful video! I wish I had seen this before. I would've bought a cutting mat. I was cutting out a design to make a bleached silhouette tshirt and it was the first time I had used an x-acto knife. The surface I was using made cutting out the design somewhat difficult. --cough-- and I may or may not have ruined some furniture --cough-- Thanks Karen!
"...or whatever drugs they're passing around art school."
-Mom Can I go to art school?
@Lucas Pearce I actually do go to art school now. It’s true
Hello,
First off, awesome video; Very informative!
Second, I was just wondering whether I can cut perfect curves, and minor details using this tool...
Thanks
It's been years since I crafted and your video was the perfect refresher--with great safety tips. Thanks so much!
A week ago, I bought a cheap craft knife (not xacto) that swerved randomly. I put a new blade on, and started cutting. I immediately noticed the swerving, which occurred no matter whether I cut up an down or against the sides. at one.point, i was cutting away from me (rookie mistake, I know) about a good five minutes into cutting, it swerved all five inches, right into my hand, and a good half inch into my index finger. Luckily, I hit it at an angle, so it only went about 1/8 inch Deep and was somewhat shallow. Worst cut I ever had,it bled profusely for an hour
Sharp blade? People cutting themselves?
Even for being 17 I'd rather have someone help with using an Xacto knife
Ooh! Practice sheets! THANK YOU! (No seriously, gonna use that idea for myself.)
Woah, so many great tips. I'm overloaded. Thanks for the amazing video. I'm gonna have to make a transcript of this video or something, for reference.
Good enthusiasm, too.
Where do you go to find them
We used that xacto knife practice sheet thing and I got all excited when it said Karen Kavet bcs I love your videos!
We used it in art class.
OMG. SO HAPPY I FOUND THIS SIDE OF TH-cam. I DIDN'T KNOW IT EXISTED!!!!
I really like the tip about putting masking tape on the front of the ruler. Never thought of that!
thanks for the Practice download. i was looking for this exact thing.
stuck around to watch this, great helpful advise, For that I will subscribe.
Thanks for the tips. I'm a junior in art school, but I'm an Art Ed. major with more of a... messy outlook to work, so I've been looking for ways to perfect my craft.
I really need a paper cutter. My mother got an old guillotine they were throwing away at work, and I restored it, but the blade (while now rustless) is super dull, and it's an old brand so I'm screwed on that end.
Thank you Miss Kavett. I'm not into crafts and such but more like using Plati Dip to paint my car and this was helpful.
I like the Fiskars one, but hate that you can't find one with a cover that doesn't fall off. Thanks for this info.
I found that a pen cap makes a great cover
Thanks for the help Karen, much appreciated! Just printed 5 cutting practice sheets from your PDF 👍
Yay for your xacto knife teacher! A good paper cutter is on my crafting wish list!
Thank you so much! I really love your videos, you are truly my idol when it comes to graphic designing. ! I'm aisha a 16 years old from dubai.
Awesome, good luck with your design work!
Fun fact: the olfa style blades are something we use in paint testing to scribe panels for adhesion tape tests. It's interesting to me how many of our tests have some kind of potential crafting/graphic design overlap.
Do you recommend an xacto or another knife for cutting foam board? I am making many curved cuts
Great video, thank you! I heard lately talking about x-acto knife here and x-acto knife there, and I thouht HMMMM it must be some super marvelous thing I need to have.... finding out that I already have dozens of those was a le down LOL
This tool is very useful to me for my clay tutorials
Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful tips and information.. so practical and applicable.. Keep it up! :)
Thanks Karen!! Very well explained!
Do you have any hints for cutting newspaper? I ruined my project earlier today when I tried to use an exacto knife.
Nice clear intro, I get them with a safety cap on the end (so I can carry them in a pencil case). I also keep an oilstone on the desk and when giving things a good coat of looking-at I stroke the blade at a shallow angle on the stone to keep it razor sharp, saves a lot on blades I find and its a nice meditative thing you do not have to pay close attention to..
How do u sharpen the blades ? I got a knife to sharpen my knifes . Didn't know if I could use it on these or not ? How do you make the knives longer ? I been cutting my Pool Noodles alot .
Is this strong enough to cut thru some harder materials, like rubber, magnet tape, silicone, etc or do I have to get a utility knife. I'm looking for something that has the precision of this but with a heavier duty blade.
Your Personality is AWESOME! Subscribed! Haha
Do you know any DIY/projects that mainly use x-acto knifes? My parents bought me a huge set of different x-acto knifes that I probably don't need but I really want to find out a project to use them for, any ideas?
Do you cut only with the sharp point, or do you use the knife flat?
I have trouble with curves/ circles any tricks ?
Quick question: When i cut with a metal ruler, i end up screwing up my blade against the ruler... How do i fix this?
The olfa knife is very easy to use to break of the dull blade you could use plier to snap it of
you really like the & symbol haha thanks! I self taught myself to to change my blade during this video :]
Thank you for the practice sheet!!
i always put sharps in a plastic bottle before throwing out.
Xacto blades are one of the easiest blades to sharpen with a little practice when the blade is installed on the aluminum shaft. Use a diamond knife sharpening hone block!
Hello, you said that the
X - ACTO Knife your using is #2 it is actually #1 and you should also not swing it around without the cap, but nice video it really helped me understand how to use it properly. 😃😃😃😃
I have the most basic straight aluminum handled x acto knife. I probably tightened the collet nut too tight. I can't figure out how to release it so I can install a fresh blade. I chucked the handle in a vise then twisted one way with pliers on the knurled area but the whole tip assembly, blade, collet and collet nut unscrewed from the handle. When I tried turning the other direction I tightened the whole thing tighter than the hubs of hell. Help!
Do you have any suggestions to reduce pressure on the fingers when using a knife? Whenever I do a complex project with a lot of cutting, I find the tip of my index finger really starts to hurt from pressing down on the handle, and if it gets bad enough I can't bend my finger for awhile. I could be holding it wrong, but it's the only way that feels natural in my hand!
THANKS! Your hobby knife advice helped me a lot.
Thank you for the practice sheet. :)
This is a great video to mix it up amongst all the valentines video... I couldn't help but laugh
Great informative video. Beautiful nails, also! Thx for the video. You rock💕💕💕
what would you suggest if you're carving an eraser or some similar material?
Thanks for your great videos Karen! :))
love your enthusiasm
I love the way you speak
Says x acto knifes are sharp touches the top of the x acto knife
its an #11 blade btw
Whats with the spoons?
Hi it’s 2020 all the comments from 4 years ago were the good times 😭😭
Can u show how to do that background paint sample hangers it looks so cool and I want u too show us
i kept getting nervous for you.. as you spoke with your hands... with a blade in your hand.. i was the klutz who would get cut making my books and presentations...
strictly speaking you are supposed to snap olfa blades off with a pliers by extending the blade so the score mark you want to snap at is just exposed.
I really want a large cutting mat! Mine is 7.5 inches by 8 inches which is too small for regular sized paper.
Can you carve on glass with these knifes?
I'm looking on amazon and trying to find the right type do you have any suggestions
I just recently bought a new X acto knife. im so scared of using it. cuz im used with olfa knifes and i didnt encounter any blade splitting. My friends just reccomended the knife and i wanna give it a try.
I am more of a Prop maker who makes props from cardboard, EVA foam, styrofoam, and Foamcore.
I can not get to grips with cutting and I'm not sure on what designs to do
Another safety tip should be don't gesture-talk with an xacto knife in your hand (like what is done in this video), I cut my poor chin doing that, and it also have flown out of my hand before as well
Karen u should do a vid on book designs/how to design a book cover!
She is so successful-it seems. Idk how Im going to make it when I graduate from college as a designer ;( it IS maddening! );
Her: if you're in middle school or younger you should probably have a parent to supervise.
Me: being 10 years old with no one watching me
Another great video Karen! My wishlist is too long to put here, BUT, the number one wish would be a dedicated craft room to put it all in! Hugs And Happy Valentine's Day.
Where would I go to see the exact node papers to print
Can you make a video on the tostitos logo?
I don't think you get xacto knives in the uk, I've never seen them. I use a scalpel which I guess is pretty much the same. Great tips any way.
Why don't they sell covers with the exacto knife??? Like caps pens have. Having a blade without a cover seems very dangerous
Can you please change the angle of your camera? It makes your specs look so low! Sorry I just can't
Your so helpful..love all your tips r genuinly helpful
You shound do is take out the blade and heat-treat it. This can be done by taking the blade out, holding the end that goes in the handle with the pliers, and holding it directly in the flame of the lighter for about 1 minute. ImmediatelyAfter being in the flame drop it into some cool water. Then pull it out and wipe the blade off on a rag.
could these be usefull for sharpening pencils?
Great info. Thanks for posting.
Box knifes are handy for so many many things :D
for curves, arcs, circles...there is also a thing you can use called a 'scissor.'
my xacto knife's cap slides off simply by tilting the knife handle ever so slightly from the horizontal. why? please, thanks.
How do you cut script on a project foam board? Please help
did you do graphic design at university?
With quilting we have a sharps box.
things I'm doing right now with the Paper Knife (that's what I call it)
. on bed
. cutting cardboard
. animals inside the box XD
. no supervision
. cutting shape
What did you study in college?
I started laughing when you said to “don’t leave the x-acto knife on the table because it roll off and stab you in the foot” because that’s exactly what happened to me today 😩 and now I’m freaking out about getting infected and the tingling I now have on the wounded area 😢
They're #11 blades.
On the topic of plastic rulers, it's not just your ruler and your work that can be damaged - I knew someone who cut his finger most of the way off that way (he had to go to the ER and get it sewed back on...)
I'm going into 7th grade and have been using an exactly knife since 4th grade. I poked myself once and then I never got poked again! (:
I want a cameo cutter so bad!
I am a manga artist and I use these knifes/knives a lot for shading and this did help me a bit no offense XD