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).

I remember wanting this kit as a kid, but for whatever reasons I've never picked one up until now; since I'm finally revisiting some hobbies I haven't had time, space, or money for previously. I was pleased to see the same quality I've always expected from X-Acto is still in place! I was surprised to see all the varying reviews, supported by pictures of some really terrible quality stuff. I suppose it's the same across Amazon, you really have to pay attention to who the item is coming from. If anything, the quality of this set surpasses how they were made back when. If memory serves me, the handles were heavier and not so highly polished in older sets; I like these! Addressing some of the quality issues others seem to have encountered; the unit I bought was listed as from X-Acto, shipped and sold by Amazon. 1. The handles and locking collars are all metal, except for the red bakelite/plastic handle of the large knife. 2. It's true that the molded plastic insert in the box does hold the handles quite firmly in place, so they may require using a tool of some sort to pry out. I find this a good feature. 3. In the unit I received, there IS a magnetic strip in the blade storage portion to hold the blades in place. The only problem I had with the set at all is the magnetic strip was not securely glued to the plastic insert, so the blades and the magnetic strip would all fall out of the plastic insert. I used some isopropyl alcohol to clean off what appeared to be oil from the plastic insert and from the back of the magnetic strip, then applied a strip of double-backed sticky tape to re-affix the magnetic strip; all is well after a month or so, I can turn the box upside down while open, and nothing falls out. 4. The wooden box is just as nice as ever, smoothly finished and the clasp closes firmly. 5. The blades were all of good quality, with X-Acto and the blade number etched into each one. Unfortunately, the etched label on most of the blades is on the wrong side of the blade; so the label can't be seen when the blade is in it's individual spot of the top storage section. It's a minor quibble, but something X-Acto could improve. More importantly, as another reviewer mentioned; the handles will only fit in the plastic insert if the original blades are on the handle. So you'll have to swap blades out to put the handles away if you use anything but the original blade. Remolding the plastic insert to accept the handles with every blade the handle takes would work. Just pay attention to who the set is coming from and you should be pleased with it!

This is truly an excellent set and a great value but several of the blades are not marked at all. Also, the back of the package (not the box, but the package the whole thing comes in) is just a tiny bit misleading. Let me see if I can explain this. On the back, there is an illustration explaining what each blade and handle does. As you can see in the product photo, there is a blade attached to each handle. On the back, it tells you what blades those are on each handle (which are #1, #2 and #5 blades). To the right of that, there is a list of the additional blades in the top portion of the product photo. There it lists the #2 blade again, but not #1 nor #5. At first glance, this makes you think that there are two #2 blades to be found, but instead there are two #11 blades, which it doesn't mention at all. That's a minor thing, but for newbs may be slightly confusing. One thing I wish it had, was a "map" insert of what each blade is. You know, kind of like what a box of Valentine's Day chocolates has, that describes what each chocolate is. If the blade and knife holders had been white, it would have been easy to simply write it somewhere, but it's black. Only paint can be used on black. I ended up writing the blade number on the wood on the inside of the box, along the edge, just below each blade and to the left of the knives. I used a fine point Sharpie. The box is fantastic! It's wood and quite durable looking. It has a closure that is way tight. It took me a few tries to get it to close fully. That bad boy is NOT going to open accidentally... EVER. lol! All in all I'm very pleased with it and expect them to last for many years.

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.

Great X-acto knife kit! Extra blade holder is magnetic which holds them securely. All around needs a little bit of love before you first use it. The wooden box is made of partical board with wood laminate on the outsides. It's pretty difficult to get a box made out of solid wood these days for the price you pay. To keep it looking great for years to come, I've applied boiled linseed oil to the outside and inside. The plastic molds which hold al the components and a little flimsy so I suggest they should modified. On my my plastic molds, I've filled the top completely with resin and let it dry/harden. (Note: make sure resin is plastic safe) On the bottom mold I've first filled it with a silicon, so that the tools can be removed and placed back. Then I filled with with resin as well. After everything was dry/hardened, I glued in the plastic molds permanently. The magnetic strip in the top tray, if it should ever come off, can be easily glued back. That is if it no longer sticks to the plastic. After completing my modifications to the box, it now has a descent weight and should last a lifetime! *Pros - Solid construction - Multiple blades - Ease-of-use *Cons - Partical board box - Flimsy plastic molds - Blade holders must have the correct blade to sit in the bottom tray

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

I was so happy to find this set in a wooden box, like the original box I inherited from a family member. It reminds me of the original and I prefer the wood box to plastic. I like the large selection of blades. Something for every use.

After reading many conflicting reviews, I decided to go ahead and try out the products. Unfortunately to those who apparently received plastic boxes made in china, I actually received a very nicely made wooden box. Nicely sanded the box itself is sanded and looks very nice. I received the product that was exactly like in the photo. The blades are very sharp, and doesn't break even when cutting through hard materials like a bookboard. The magnet on the blade section is a wonderful touch that prevents me from losing my blade. The only thing is the largest blade holder (the one with the red handle in the photo) is a little too tightly snugged into the case, which makes it difficult to pull it out. I was afraid of cutting myself because the thing might pop out after great efforts of pulling it out. All and all, it is a wonderful product with such a lovely wooden box I was not expecting.