When I work in the kitchen, I always make sure my knives are well sharpened. Yet for modeling, I throw away my x-acto and insert a new blade.
Does anyone use a stone to sharpen the blades ? What are pros and cons ? I'd like to share some of your experience with that.

Sometimes I sharp the blades using the lower part of a mug where the ceramic is not covered by the enamel. It works quite well and I cannot see any cons, apart the fights with my wife when I do it. She thinks I'll ruin the mugs. Anyway after a while you''ll have to replace the blade anyway...
Ciao

I dont know acto blades can be sharpened and never tried to sharpen my used blades, I always insert a new blade.I also use surgical blades,I tried and learned they can not be sharpened.

I have a Whetstone that I use for my pocket knives. I also use it to sharpen my general purpose X-Acto blade on occasion. I do maintain a new blade in my fancy X-Acto handle (rubber coated and doesn't roll).

I've been contemplating this too.
I've seen an exacto sharpening jig w/ stone in Micromarx catalog. Got me thinking about it.

I think I'm going to go soccia and sabot combo deal - mug sharpen the general purpose guys and keep a newone in my better handle!.

Thanks everyone.

I use a whetstone....works perfect for me. I also use a tool the butchers use...sorry that I don't know the English word, but over here we call it a "aanzetstaal". It's a large pin with a rough surface. This tools sharpens the little knives very easily, makes them sharp as h... and you always have a straight cutting surface.

Just two Eurocents

Danny

hi all!
I also use surgical blades and I just replace it for a new one when it´s dull.
They´re cheap, so just replace it...
cheers

I use scapel blades that I get from the hospital. A #11 scapel fits my X-acto handle perfectly. They stay sharp a really long time, so I never sharpen them. I only change them when I break the tip off.

Patrick

:-) I use scalpel blades, I was given a couple of boxes about 15 years ago and still have some left. I used to just change them but when I actually saw them getting fewer in number I looked at ways of sharpening them. I have worked in the laser industry, one of the materials we cut was ceramic tiles (20 thou) used in eletronics. This material makes an excellant sharpening stone :-) I guess the bottom of a mug would come close :-)
Mal

Another option could be to get into a fishing tacle shop and buy a small pen-shaper stone that's used to sharpen the fishing hooks. I just found one in my fishing eqp, I gave it a try and I have to say that it works. They reccomend to use it wet...
Ciao