X-acto
Encyclopedia
X-Acto is a brand name for a variety of cutting tools and office products owned by Elmer's Products, Inc.
Cutting tools include hobby and utility knives, saws, carving tools and many small-scale precision knives used for crafts and other applications.
, but it is actually a short, sharp blade
mounted on a pen
-like aluminum body, used for crafting
and hobbies
, such as modelmaking
. Before the availability of digital image and text processing tools, preparing camera
-ready art for use in printing
(literal cut and paste or paste up
) depended heavily on the use of knives like the X-Acto for trimming and manipulating slips of paper.
The knife shown is the most common type, fitted with a "Number 2" blade. It is inches (145 mm) overall. The knurled
collar loosens and tightens an aluminium
collet
, which holds the replaceable blade.
There are numerous other knives on the market with very similar designs, and blades are typically interchangeable between different brands.
The original knife was invented in the 1930s by Sundel Doniger, a Polish immigrant to the United States
. He had planned to sell it to surgeons as a scalpel
but it was not acceptable, because it could not be cleaned. His brother-in-law, Daniel Glück (father of poet Louise Glück
), suggested that it might be a good craft tool.
, paper trimmers
, staplers
and hole punches. X-acto sharpeners are electric, battery or manual. X-Acto has three types of trimmers: razor, rotary, and guillotine.
and fans under the Boston brand name.
Elmer's Products, Inc.
Elmer's Products, Inc. is the manufacturer of Elmer's Glue-All and other crafts and home repair products, including Krazy Glue, Ross Glue, ProBond adhesives, and X-Acto craft knives. Elmer's also produces foamboard and presentation board. It has its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.The brand was...
Cutting tools include hobby and utility knives, saws, carving tools and many small-scale precision knives used for crafts and other applications.
X-Acto knife
The X-Acto knife may be called a utility knifeUtility knife
A utility knife is a knife used for general or utility purposes. The utility knife was originally a fixed blade knife with a cutting edge suitable for general work such as cutting hides and cordage, scraping hides, butchering animals, cleaning fish, and other tasks.Today, the term "utility knife"...
, but it is actually a short, sharp blade
Blade
A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...
mounted on a pen
Pen
A pen is a device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used, with a nib of some sort to be dipped in the ink. Ruling pens allow precise adjustment of line width, and still find a few specialized uses, but...
-like aluminum body, used for crafting
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
and hobbies
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
, such as modelmaking
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
. Before the availability of digital image and text processing tools, preparing camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
-ready art for use in printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
(literal cut and paste or paste up
Paste up
Paste up refers to a method of creating or laying out publication pages that predates the use of the now-standard computerized page design desktop publishing programs. Completed, or camera-ready, pages are known as mechanicals or mechanical art...
) depended heavily on the use of knives like the X-Acto for trimming and manipulating slips of paper.
The knife shown is the most common type, fitted with a "Number 2" blade. It is inches (145 mm) overall. The knurled
Knurling
Knurling is a manufacturing process, typically conducted on a lathe, whereby a visually attractive diamond-shaped pattern is cut or rolled into metal.- Uses :...
collar loosens and tightens an aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
collet
Collet
A collet is a holding device—specifically, a subtype of chuck—that forms a collar around the object to be held and exerts a strong clamping force on the object when it is tightened, usually via a tapered outer collar. It may be used to hold a workpiece or a tool.A collet is a sleeve with a ...
, which holds the replaceable blade.
There are numerous other knives on the market with very similar designs, and blades are typically interchangeable between different brands.
The original knife was invented in the 1930s by Sundel Doniger, a Polish immigrant to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He had planned to sell it to surgeons as a scalpel
Scalpel
A scalpel, or lancet, is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery, anatomical dissection, and various arts and crafts . Scalpels may be single-use disposable or re-usable. Re-usable scalpels can have attached, resharpenable blades or, more commonly, non-attached, replaceable...
but it was not acceptable, because it could not be cleaned. His brother-in-law, Daniel Glück (father of poet Louise Glück
Louise Glück
Louise Elisabeth Glück is an American poet of Hungarian Jewish heritage. She was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2003, after serving as a Special Bicentennial Consultant three years prior in 2000....
), suggested that it might be a good craft tool.
X-Acto Office Products
In addition to knives, blades and tools, X-acto produces office supplies including pencil sharpenersPencil sharpener
A pencil sharpener is a device for sharpening a pencil's writing point by shaving away its worn surface. Pencil sharpeners may be operated manually or by an electric motor.-History:...
, paper trimmers
Paper cutter
A paper cutter is a tool often found in offices and classrooms, designed to cut a large set of paper at once with a perfectly straight edge.-Description:...
, staplers
Staplers
Staplers is a suburb of Newport, Isle of Wight, England, on the east side of the River Medina.It houses the Crown Offices which discharge the principal functions of national government on the Isle of Wight such as the Department for Work and Pensions...
and hole punches. X-acto sharpeners are electric, battery or manual. X-Acto has three types of trimmers: razor, rotary, and guillotine.
Boston Brand
X-acto sells ceramic and convection space heatersHeater
A heater is an object that emits heat or causes another body to achieve a higher temperature. In a household or domestic setting, heaters are usually appliances whose purpose is to generate heating...
and fans under the Boston brand name.
External links
- Official website of the X-acto brand cutting tools
- Official website of Elmer's Products