How Do I Choose the Best Craft Knife

Having the best craft knife can improve your crafting abilities and overall enjoyment of your craft. The most desirable features in such a knife are a comfortable grip, solid construction and safety features. The type of craft for which the knife will be used also should be considered when choosing the best craft tool. Some crafters may choose to have more than one type of craft knife in their tool box, because certain features may be better for particular crafts.

There are two common styles of craft knife — cartridge and pen — with the pen being more popular among crafters. Cartridge knives are perfect for cutting card stock, scoring and paper modeling. Pen knives are favored for lettering projects that require a high level of delicacy. Depending on what you are crafting, you may require both types of knives in your collection of craft tools.

The cartridge style craft knife resembles a common box cutter, but it is much more. The best cartridge style craft knives feature aluminum construction, a die-cast grip and an auto-lock slider. Most cartridge knives can hold extra blades, and the best ones automatically load the blades for added safety.

A pen knife looks much like a calligraphy pen, except the ink tip has been replaced with a blade or lettering needle. The best pen knives have an ergonomically correct shape, soft-grip handle and protective cap. While most pen style craft tools do not self-contain extra blades, they should be easy to change out without risking injury. In addition, there are double-ended craft knives available that have a blade on one end and a lettering needle on the other end.

A good craft knife can last 10 years or more and is relatively inexpensive. If you really are satisfied with a particular style, you might consider buying more than one. Products in the crafting industry have a tendency to come and go with the latest trends. As a result, you may find yourself searching for refill blades long after the tool is out of production. When you decide on the right craft knife, consider buying extra blades at the same time.

No matter what type of craft knife you need, the best designs have earned praised for being solid, precise and smooth. When using a craft knife, you may be spending extended periods of time with your tool. Whether it is stenciling, engraving or scrapbooking, the right tool can make all the difference for your crafting project.