Any suggestions best craft blade/scalpel for cutting shield transfers

[Johnny Boy]

Avery good evening one and all. I've got an Ancient project on the go using Victrix Early Imperial Romans and Germanic Warriors with little big men studios shield transfers for both factions. For general purpose cutting etc I use a Stanley craft knife but for cutting out the shield bosses it's a bit unwieldy for the job. So if I could ask for recommendations of a suitable tool for the precision required I'd be most grateful.
Many thanks in advance
JB

[The Voivod]

Not sure what you mean.
A stanley craft knife is more like a small box cutter, I guess?

What you need is a real craft knife with some decent blades.
This is just an example
https://www.amazon.in/Pindia-Cutter-Interchangeable-Blades-Silver/dp/B071L4Q4KD

There are plenty of other options, but make sure you get some good quality blades. Note that those blade will dull far sooner than you'd like when cutting paper and cardboard. Good tools are worth what you pay for them, though.

These blades you can get in most hobby stores and are often used for many types of paper craft. They are very precise and have good handling. Just keep an eye on how sharp they are. A dull blade can ruin whatever you're cutting.

[Johnny Boy]

Many thanks for that, replacement blades and their availability are most definitely a consideration with a craft knife. Just as an aside the Stanley "Craft" knife has an elongated blade and short handle of approximately 4 inches and robust enough for quite heavy duty cutting without fear of the blade shearing off for which I have the scars and nerve damage to show
What's the general opinion on scalpels?

[zemjw]

Scalpels are great for some things, like trimming greenstuff. I find them way too dangerous for normal cleaning duties. Depending on which blade you get, you may find your fingers resting uncomfortably close to the cutting edge. They dull something rotten when used to cut paper

It may be worth looking at swann morton handles and 15c blades. The blades are meant for removing corns, so are really small. The downside is that they're not that common and I had to buy a box of 100. The 10A blade is the general purpose one and easier to buy in packs of 5 - https://www.swann-morton.com/product_range/3.php. That site will show you the range of blades they have.

Xacto do a frisket cutting blade that swivels. It may be worth a look. I could never get it to behave, but that was probably just me 

[Blackwolf]

I would use a good pair of nail scissors,much easier than a scalpel.

[Mako]

Medical scalpels.

Change out the blades, regularly, if they show any sign of dulling.

[Storm Wolf]

Medical scalpels.

Change out the blades, regularly, if they show any sign of dulling.

+1 for scalpels, I use Swann-nortons myself and have had the same handles for 25 years plus. (Just like Triggers Broom ) I also use a decent Stanley knife with the snap-off blades for the bigger and rougher cutting jobs.

Glen

[FifteensAway]

That Pinida set looks like an X-acto knife set.  No idea what currency is referenced, don't recognize the symbol.  There is almost certainly an X-acto knife blade for the job - finding it is sometimes the challenge.  I think the nail scissors idea has merit though there are all kinds of craft scissors out there, too.

[SteveBurt]

The hobby knives with snap-off blades. Snap off a bit so you have a new sharp blade.

[Johnny Boy]

Many thanks for all the great feedback. I think I'm going to go with the Swann Morton scalpel and blades. It's the Shield bosses that I struggle with and I must say the SM scalpel and blades are very reasonably priced for what you get. 

[Wirelizard]

For cutting paper and light card, the Xacto #10 curved blade is usually better than the standard #11 triangular scalpel blade. You use the belly of the blade to cut rather than just the very tip, so you're much, much less likely to tear the paper. You can still get into corners with the tip of the #10, though.

Blade C on this page: https://www.mcmaster.com/x-acto-style-blades/

(X-Acto themselves turn out to have a nearly useless corporate website. Fascinating.)

[Brandlin]

I would use a good pair of nail scissors,much easier than a scalpel.

This ^^

Model shops sell decal scissors which are PERFECT for this job... spring loaded, small sharp shears. I get extremely clean and accurate cuts. I will NEVER use a blade for this job again.

These are mine...

[Mindenbrush]

If you are just cutting the centre boss holes, I use a pair of Punch pliers