# tool for delicate paper cutting **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 20, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514 "2006-08-20T23:53:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514/1 "2006-08-20T23:53:49Z")
I need to create some stencils and so I need a tool to easily etch some patterns in paper. Some of the patterns are detailed. I don’t normally do this kind of work, can someone recommend a tool for this? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514/2 "2006-08-21T00:12:42Z")
[X-Acto Knives](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-acto) are a popular choice for that kind of work. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514/3 "2006-08-21T01:35:54Z")
A second vote for the x-acto knife. Type in \*\*papel picado \*\* on google images and you’ll see a number of intricate designs all of which can be reproduced with an x-acto knife and a steady hand. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514/4 "2006-08-21T03:22:44Z")
There is, or at least used to be a thing called a “coupon knife” which was a very small steel blade imbedded in a piece of wood, or plastic about the shape of half a valentine, with the straight edge flattened out to a quarter inch, and the blade back a quarter inch from the point. It would cut a coupon out of the newspaper, and not cut the page underneath it. A specialized sort of tool, but very simple to make, if you are handy with tools to make tools. I found one sort of like that, here: [http://www.martorusa.com/s.nl/sc.8/category.14/.f](http://www.martorusa.com/s.nl/sc.8/category.14/.f) Half way down the page. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514/5 "2006-08-21T03:55:32Z")
[QUOTE=minlokwat] A second vote for the x-acto knife. [/QUOTE] A third, and a suggestion to lay in an ample supply of #11 blades. Change your blade as soon as it is not perfectly sharp anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514/6 "2006-08-21T05:55:04Z")
I came in to recommend the #11 blades too. If you find you like to hold the knife very close to the paper, wrap the upper part of the blade with tape to keep yourself from getting cut. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514/7 "2006-08-21T06:01:34Z")
Oh, check out your local art or office supply store for the 20-packs (I think) of #11 that come in the black container. One side holds the unused blades while the other side has a little cavity with a slot for you to put the used blades in so they can’t accidentally injure someone. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tool-for-delicate-paper-cutting/369514/8 "2006-08-21T07:00:14Z")
\ Since you seem to want to be on the cutting edge of our opinions, I think I’ll move this to IMHO. Good luck. Sounds like a fun project. \