richard_young80•12d agoProlific Poster

Tried a leather paring knife from a craft store and it dulled after one book

I was binding a small journal in Tuscaloosa last Tuesday and picked up a $12 paring knife from a big box craft shop to trim the spine leather. By the time I got through the third signature the blade was dragging and tearing instead of cutting clean. Anyone else find that cheap tools just set you back more time than they save?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_alice12d ago

Yeah twenty bucks or less for a knife is just throwing money away. The steel is too soft to hold an edge and you spend more time fighting it than cutting. I'd rather save up for a basic Japanese skiving knife that actually lasts. Cheap tools like that cost you twice in frustration, once in your wallet.

eva_moore12d ago

It's funny how that applies to so many things, isn't it? People buy the cheap stuff first, then spend twice as much fixing the mess it makes.

the_claire10d ago

Buy cheap buy twice. Learned that one the hard way about 30 times now.