AT-DK02 Narrow Blade Hobby Knife

The DSPIAE AT-DK02 modeling knife with a narrow blade

A knife with a body of aluminum alloy and an interchangeable narrow blade. A narrow blade has a smaller point angle, so it reaches into corners and between details where a wide one would run into the surrounding plastic. It is used for cutting small parts off the sprue, cleaning up gate remains, cutting masks out of tape and for scribing lost lines.

The workmanship

The metal body gives the knife weight and with it a steady hand. On a tool used to guide a precise cut that matters more than it would seem: a light plastic body rolls in the hand and the cut runs away. The blade is clamped in a collet and is changed once blunt; there is no point in sharpening it.

How to work with it

• Cut with a drawing movement, not with pressure from above, or the plastic breaks.
• Change the blade at the first sign that the cut needs force.
• Always guide the knife away from yourself and away from the hand holding the part.
• When putting it down, make sure the knife cannot roll; a round body is therefore best laid in a groove.

Who it is for

The knife is for modelers who work with small parts and in intricate places. For long straight cuts in thicker material a form with a wide blade is the better fit. Spare narrow blades are sold separately.

If you use the knife mainly for separating parts from the sprue, it pays to have sprue cutters alongside it. The knife then serves only to clean up the remaining stub and its blade lasts considerably longer. The blade is very sharp; keep the knife out of the reach of children and always with the cap on.