X-ACTO Basic Knife Set | Set Contains 3 Precision Knives, 10 Precision Knife Blades, Wooden Chest for Storage (14 Count)

This is a fantastic little set for the price!The two metal tools are well-made and have a good weight in the hand. X-ACTO is practically a household name, and they make quality blades and tools.However, the large "C" handle has a very cheap feeling red plastic handle. I was a little disappointed when I picked it up. However, it's not like this is a hammer that will be put to a lot of physical abuse. Even though it feels a bit shoddy, it seems to put together well. It should hold up, and the lightness can of course be a benefit.The wide variety of blades are great. I didn't realize it before ordering, but rather than being held into the plastic molded part of the case by friction they're held by a magnetic strip! This is a good thing, because the plastic into which they're set is pretty flimsy. It's a step above what you'd get in a tray of cookies, but it's by no means robust.In fact, as I'm writing this review I opened the box to give it another look. The magnetic strip had fallen out of the plastic carrier (bringing the blades with it). It'll take a couple of dabs of glue to set it back in there. So no big deal, but it's just an unfortunate bit of shoddiness. I gladly would have spent a couple of bucks more for better plastic inserts.The case itself is marvelous on an item at this price point. It's very lightweight, but sturdy. The metal latch has a satisfying closing action, and it's perfectly set where it will open and close effortlessly, but there's no play at all in the lid when it's secured.I saw another review that stated their box was MDF with a vaneer. Mine is plywood and has finger jointed corners on both the base and lid. While the pictures on here show the box to be a caramel (?) color with perhaps a finish on it, my box is a very light birch and is unfinished. The pictures also show a brass-colored latchset, whereas mine looks like nickel.I don't mind the discrepancies because I prefer the appearance of the one I received. But your mileage may vary of course.Overall this is a 5-star item. It's a great value, despite my gripe with the cheap plastics. I've seen X-ACTO "A" handle knives sans extra blades being sold in stores for a third the cost of this kit. You can't beat 3 handles, 13 blades, and a sweet box for just over sixteen bucks (at this time).

Had one of these X-Acto Knives when I was a kit to build model cars. Now that I have a kit again, I use it for various guitar repair, and also using to shave down a violin bridge to the proper dimensions. Lots of blades to choose from, to meet you needs. Nice wooden case too, very classic! Great little tool set! Thanks. Kem. 10/21/24

PERFECT for crafts, including the MOST DELICATE fabrics. Better than a seam ripper for satins and laces. The box it comes in makes it safe and handy to store, too. I love this very handy product and will use it for years to come. I have continued to use this and the knives hold up very, very well and are perfect for close work, like ripping seams in very delicate fabrics where a seam ripper would probably wreck it. I am happy with this versatile set of tools, packaged in its nice wooden box with a secure clasp.

I am mirroring what another reviewer had to say about this knife set, but am going to do something about it. The issue with this set is that the knife section is encased in a cheap plastic insert rather than a secure boxed section that should stay in place. I am going to use modeling clay to pack into the plastic insert to give the plastic insert some backing and add a hefty weight to the case as well. I will also be adding a small stick of some sort to help gently lift the knife handles out since the current setup is, to put it bluntly, not safe. Xacto needs to do something like this to make the knife set a little less inclined to slip and pop the knives out in an uncontrolled manner.The other huge flaw is that the blades on the top, which are held in by a magnetic strip, come out as a whole when the box is closed and then opened again. This is because the glue used to hold the magnetic strip in is cheap and doesn't adhere to the backing. A little Elmers glue fixed that on mine.Otherwise, the blades and knife holders are top notch. I just think some bean counter at Xacto got a little too zealous and took a beautiful knife set and pinched pennies when they could have left well enough alone.Further Update - Feb 2019: I bought "Sargent Art Plastilina Modeling Clay, 5-Pound, White " and used it to fill in the space in the cheap plastic base under the knife set. It worked beautifully. The box, which is really a nice wooden box, really has this nice weighty feel and the knives can now be easily pulled out with no chance of slippage or the entire plastic piece coming out and possibly stabbing you. Between the Elmer's glue for the magnetic strip and the modeling clay, this makes this knife set much safer. Xacto, I hope you are listening because here is the deal: We PAY for quality. Not for cheap junk. The knives are great, but we expect quality in EVERY aspect of your products, including the packaging and holders/boxes that come with the product. Quality never goes out of fashion and is remembered, but cheap and lousy products get remembered even more so. Be the Quality player and not the bean counter cheapness kings looking to save a buck. Just my 2-cents.