It's probably no secret that I love my craft knife. Or, rather, craft knives, since I have more than one. Currently I am using a retractable detail blade craft knife manufactured by X-Acto and the standard size Martha Stewart craft knife. I like both of them just fine ~ no complaints ... yet.
I say "yet" because I haven't found the "perfect" craft knife, so I always approach a new knife with a bit of skepticism. I have also used a standard size X-Acto which I broke after years of use {miss it!}, the pink Bo Bonny retractable detail blade craft knife which broke before I even had to replace the blade once {utter trash!}, and various disposable breakaway carpet knives/box cutters.
The only reason why I don't just stick exclusively with the box cutters {they're the most economical option out there} is because I use craft knives so much that they become uncomfortable in my hand. That is one thing I really love about the Martha Stewart craft knife ~ it is very easy to hold and comfortable to use.
Despite not having found the "perfect" craft knife, I still love using them! I use them all the time to get a nice tight edge to the paper on my mini albums, to cut detailed shapes out of patterned paper to use as embellishments on layouts, and for a number of other reasons. If you don't already love your craft knife, there are several ways to improve how you feel about it!
First, make sure it is sharp. Really sharp. Change it often. More often than you think it actually needs to be changed. Replacement blades are cheap, so there's no reason to try to stretch the blade's life ~ all that does is ruin your project.
Second, switch from a self-healing mat to a glass mat. A self healing mat is fine, but a glass mat is so much better. The blade doesn't dig into the rubber ~ instead it skims across the surface of the glass. It cuts through the paper quickly and cleanly & with less pressure from your hand. {So you don't get as tired!} There are glass mats designed for scrapbooking, like this one for the Making Memories Slice:
Or this one from Tonic which is actually on sale right now for $11.89 at Two Peas in a Bucket:
The benefit of a glass mat that is actually designed for scrapbooking is that it will usually have a grid on it. This can help you with measuring, lining up page elements and other projects that require lots of detail work. However, if the grid doesn't matter to you, or if you already have a self-healing mat with a grid, you could go with any piece of tempered glass with a finished edge. I know scrappers who use glass cutting boards with great success.
{Another benefit of glass mats unrelated to cutting is that they are an excellent surface for heat embossing. The glass protects your normal work surface from warping, and it distributes the heat along the back of the project and the embossing powder melts really quickly.}
Third, when you're actually doing the cutting, turn the project instead of your hand. This will enable you to keep the knife in a comfortable position for your hand & it will be easier to control. Turning your wrist all around to try and cut around the edges of things will feel unnatural and not give you the control you want.
I hope these tips help you to build a better relationship with your craft knife! It's definitely one of my "must have" tools, and I don't know if I could scrap without it.
Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
