Favourite Tools For Cutting Leather Hard?

[Kye]

The title says it all. What is your preferred tool for cutting leather hard clay? To date I've been poorly prepared and only had a non serated beginner triangle tool. I'm mainly interested in yarn bowls at this point, so I am looking for something to cut out a circular j wedge in leather hard bowl walls. I was about to buy a jewelers saw, and thought I'd check in here first. TIA.

[PRankin]

I use an exacto knife. Nice and sharp.

[neilestrick]

Dolan 220C

[Marcia Selsor]

either of the above. I like Dolan carving tools for carving.

Marcia

[Min]

Surgical scalpel, #11 blade.

http://www.amazon.com/Disposable-Miltex-Scalpel-blade-pack/dp/B0017UATGC

[oldlady]

if you are looking for a sharp knife, Testor makes a very inexpensive one for building model airplanes and cars.  it is designed to cut balsa wood.  the best part about it is that the handle is flat.  the blade resembles the kind in an xacto knife but it will not roll in your hand or across the table.  i bought a dozen of them several years ago and shared some with friends.  if bought individually at a model hobby shop they are about $1.

[Joseph Fireborn]

Exacto for me. Cuts like butter.

[GEP]

Exacto knife for me too. 

[MatthewV]

Surgical scalpel, solid stainless. Blade is no longer a razor but that is likely a good thing. Excellent for finer carving.

 

Next up is the thin utility knife. The kind with the "break the tip off" blades that can be extended to a few inches. This is the tool I would recommend as a starting place.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

+1 for break off tip knives, and those little triangle exacto blades for tighter curves.

[Pugaboo]

Exactly for me as well.myou can actually buy different types aand sizes for blades I have a couple different ones depending on the cut I am doing. The really thin tiny rotating one is great for tiny detailed cuts.

 

T

[jrgpots]

For small curves try #15 scalpel. For larger curves try #10 scalpel. For lines on straight edge try #11 scalpel as Min said.

 

Jed

[Kye]

So am I seeing that everyone prefers non serrated over serrated then?

[MatthewV]

Yes. serration is for sawing. For cutting we want a clean slice.

 

 

If trying to make the top of a leather hard piece level, use a sure-form from the hardware store. It is like an industrial cheese grater and work great. This tool is good for eating away a few millimeters evenly.

[Benzine]

For small cuts a small basic Kemper tool, that has an X-Acto like end, but not nearly as sharp. For small carving, I use an assortment of dental tools.

[terrim8]

x-acto or $1 paring knife from the grocery store! I actually like the cheap knife best- it has a bright green plastic handle- easy to find.

[Kye]

Thanks! I ended up finding some dental tools, one with two different very slim pointed ends. I was able to simply scrape over the lines for what I was trying to carve out repeatedly. It took a bit of time, but I was very happy with the end result. I'll try to post here later. I have a scalpel if I can find it, and if i'm still looking for something else, Iove the look of that knife up above / the Dolan.