used Fletcher blades?

jtn

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Sep 15, 2005
Posts
2
Loc
St. Louis, MO
We use a Fletcher 2200 mat cutter and can only get about one mat out of each blade but the blades are still sharp for many other projects. Does anyone out there know of a blade-knife that takes blades the size of the Fletchers? Or does someone have another good use for them?
Thanks & Happy Holidays,
JTN
 
One mat per blade??? Yikes! What kind of matboard are you cutting??? Does it have sand in it?

I have a Keeton Kutter and I can get 15-25 mats per each side of the blade (of course I am using the now-discontinued Hendrixson blades) (depending on size of cuts and type of board).

Then I use the "spent" mat cutting blades on the straight side of the Kutter - after that I use the blades for cutting paper backings - then I use them for scraping stuff and cleaning gunk off of uncoated glass. I just hold them in my pinched fingers - and yes, sometimes I wish there were a perfect holder for them but I have bought every kind of holder I have ever seen and never found one that is better than cramping my fingers to get whatever job done properly.
 
Good Morning,

15-25 mat openings per blade is probably pushing the envelope, regardless of brand of machine or blade.

1 mat per blade is on the other extreme.
shrug.gif


For those that still use manual mat cutters (or for those that remember), typically wear and tear will yield about 4-10 mats per blade with superior results. After that, the odds of hooking or rougher edges start to increase.

At that point, why take the risk - simply change blades.

Similarly, most professional framers don't bother using the opposite side of the blade, as the odds of it being damaged or not as sharp during the insertion process are obvious. The retail price of one conservation quality mat will pay for a whole box of blades, so...... :D

That's it!

John
 
Like others have mentioned before I got the Hassle-Free trimmer solely because it uses used blades. Works great, but I rarely use it. I just use the blades free-hand to trim the backing paper. Also use them ti open chop packages, UPS packages, the wrap maround length... etc.

Frankly anywhere I need to cut I use a used blade. Then I put them into a box marked ***Sharp*** and keep my hand out of it!

I have a parts bin drawer thingey near my mat cutter that I keep my new blades in. Another bin/drawer in the thingey holds my used blades. When a new blade goes in the used one goes right into the old drawer.

Keeps me from cutting myself, (and customers!) Then when I need one I know where to get it, and when domne using it I throw it right away. Hate having the used blades lying around just waiting to cu tme (or my customers!)
 
John - Never once have I noticed any problems with flipping my blades - and I have used the Hendrixson blades in the Hendrixson Head for 25 years. Maybe that is design flaw in other cutting heads that Bob addressed when he made the Hendrixson Head?

And most of the mats I cut seem to be between 5x7 and 16x20 so perhaps that explains the number/blade (although I must admit I have never stopped to actually COUNT!!!
 
I don't flip-flop. sorry


I use single edge blades so flipping around is out of the question! A couple of times I tried cutting with th eblades upside down. Didn't work well, and hurt like **** when I took them out!
 
My experience with the Keeton Kutter and the Hendrixson blades mirrors that ot Mar's experience. I could get 15-20 16x20's from one end, and never had any issue in turning the blade around. Took a day-long seminar from Bob Hendrixson back in the day, and ordered the Hendrixson head for my Kutter...it never arrived.

In order to save my fingers from cuts and fatigue when freehanding a used blade, I'll tape up the back side of the blade for comfort and traction.
 
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