Stanley…

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I’ve not long put MEW 339 to bed. Without giving too much away, in Ed’s Bench I mention my habit of acquiring Stanley knives. I don’t know how many I have, but I just had a quick sweep of the living room where I’m doing some diy and the workshop. No looking in drawers, storage bins or toolboxes!

I only turned up four, one no-name, two 99E knives and a 99A that is possibly 1960s vintage. I know I have further no-names with less sophisticated castings that don’t interlock and at least two non-retracting models, a blue one and a bare metal one of some age.

I’m now determined to try and gather them all together!

So, how many do you have and how many can you find?

Neil

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

I’ve only three Stanley knives but I just counted nine Swan Morton

Roy

[MichaelRParticipant @michaelr]

I have two, and one is a H&S inspector’s nightmare

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I’ve got both of those in Michael’s picture – somewhere.
I once bought a pack of 5 plastic ones at an ME show I think. Plus others but still can never find one.

Same problem with tape measures.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Reckon the 199 is the only model that holds a blade properly firm enough for good work. Until the casting starts to wear. Then, like mine, it needs a resilient shim to help hold the blade.

Talking of blades I need a carpet hook blade but these seem to have disappeared.

I’m with Roy. 3 Stanley and stanley style (I think!) and loads of Swann Morton.

Maybe 6 or 8 tape measures and I still misplace them on a regular basis. Although I’m pretty good withy the one that lives on the kitchen windowsill.

Clive

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

I have 2 genuine ones & a stack of various fold out pocket knife types Plus quite a few with the snap off blades. I actually used one tonight in the workshop. Where the rest are only the Fairies know.

It used to be something a family member would buy you for a present & you would say oh wow thank you . Really thinking oh no not another .

Steve.

[Clive Foster]

On Clive Foster Said:

…………………………..

Talking of blades I need a carpet hook blade but these seem to have disappeared.

……………………………

Clive

Toolstation (amongst others) do at least four different makes
https://www.toolstation.com/hand-tools/knives-blades/c28?page=2

Bill

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Neil, I have three Stanley ones to hand, a 10-550 Titan fixed blade with the yellow scabbard, a 99E retractable, and a 199 fixed blade one, which currently holds a Stanley metal saw blade. I also have a Wilko Titan look-a-like with a blue scabbard, a foreign one, which also currently holds a Stanley metal saw blade, a rolson fold-up one, and a cheap plastic retractable one, these all take the same blades as the Stanley’s do.

I might have one or two other Stanley one’s hiding away in my garage, but I do have a Stanley FatMax retractable snap off, and a similar Magnusson, both of which have a screw pushing a pressure plate, which locks the blade in position when in use, but will also stop the blade being accidently pushed out, when not being used, plus another similar one from Aldi’s, but it doesn’t have the screw and pressure plate locking feature, instead it just relies on a pin on the blade slide, dropping into cut outs in the lower part of the frame to lock it into position both ways.

Regards Nick.

[paul raynerParticipant @paulrayner36054]

probably got 5 or 6 without rooting, i’ve 2 of the Rolson ones (the one with the clip at the top and the swing out bottom) which I use all the time.

Paul

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Here’s a couple more to add to the collection

I don’t know if you can still get the blades

Rod

 

Edit:  blades seem to be readily available.  I’ll order some and clean the knives up.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Is that a picture of two knives, or the same knife back and front?

I ask because I have one somewhere but dont recall it having the a screw on both sides.

Ian P

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

😀

Two knives

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It would seem our esteemed editor has not been telling us the whole story. This may explain why he found himself having to replace the blade in his Stanley knife mentioned in the editorial in 339.🙊

 

[peak4]

On peak4 Said:

On Clive Foster Said:

…………………………..

Talking of blades I need a carpet hook blade but these seem to have disappeared.

……………………………

Clive

Toolstation (amongst others) do at least four different makes
https://www.toolstation.com/hand-tools/knives-blades/c28?page=2

Bill

Thanks Bill. I’ll get a couple to try out. Hardly expensive. But the hook blades I found last time don’t actually work well as carpet hook blades. Look very similar but there must be some sort of subtle difference in shape or edge geometry as they won’t sustain a clean sweeping cut. Cut a bit then have to haggle before they go a bit more. Remember the real thing that came in the set umpteen years ago was almost scary effective.

Clive

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Re post #725790.

The comment about the blades being readily available for this small stanley kife. I would like to know where. (I could not find them on ebay.)
This is the one I use mostly but I have not seen new blades for it for many years. I just keep sharpening the blades

Les.

[Les Jones 1]

On Les Jones 1 Said:

Re post #725790.

The comment about the blades being readily available for this small stanley kife. I would like to know where. (I could not find them on ebay.)
This is the one I use mostly but I have not seen new blades for it for many years. I just keep sharpening the blades

Les.

This should give you a start an what to search for; eBay might be problematic due to their knife sales rules.
https://www.macblair.com/stanley-5901-slim-knife-blades.html

Not sure of the difference between a 5901 & a 5901B, might be the hole shape to allow for a bolt ficing
https://www.toolchimp.co.uk/stanley-5901b-knife-blades-straight-pack-of-3-0-11-221

 

Bill

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

I am going to assume it is possible Neil was not well earthed when his knife blade made contact with a powered up conductor. That would account for no tickle, tingle or other noticeable sensation from the 240V RMS AC apart from the visible and audible signs of what had happened.

I have two types of Stanley knife that are not featured in the photos so far, one is marked 10-127 the others are 10-598 and they both use 0-11-221 blades.

Martin C

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Having read the editorial I’d posit that the reason for the very thin bllades may be as much about using the same strip stock as the plastic snap-off blade knives as saving cost of steel.

On cutting mains lead the blade probably touched the neutral conductor first.

Robert.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, the cutting of the mains lead, reminds me of when I hacksawed through a armoured cable, the cable in question was to an outside Bulkhead light, this was on a building that was due to be demolished, where I used to work years ago. The head of the electrical department had told me, that if there was any electrical items that I wanted, I could remove them at any time, as the electric supply to the whole building had been disconnected. So there I was, up a aluminium step ladder, hacksawing through the cable, when a small bang and flash, burnt a few teeth out of the blade. When I reported the incident to the head electrician, he directed one of the guys to investigate why it was still live, it turned out that this light alone was fed from the lighting circuit that was on the lamps along the road that ran parallel to the building. I didn’t get any kind of electrical shock, but I was somewhat startled, but had it not been an armoured cable, the situation may have been different, and after being assured that the cable had been finally disconnected, I got the light off.

Regards Nick.

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Thanks Bill for the links to the blade suppliers. They only seem to stock the straight blades. I use the curved end type.

Les.

[Les Jones 1]

On Les Jones 1 Said:

Thanks Bill for the links to the blade suppliers. They only seem to stock the straight blades. I use the curved end type.

Les.

No.4 maybe??  a photo of yours would help

https://www.artisanleather.co.uk/lightweight-knives-blades.html

 

Bill

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

1 X No199, which is in the carpentry kit under the bench.  2 X No 5900, one on the shelf above the bench and the other in the emergency toolbox in the house.

Regards

Gray.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Yes, I had a close call there. I thought the extension lead I was shortening was unplugged… two similar plug leads close by. I should know better. Still, my Facebook post has over 570 hits, at this rate I will become an influencer.

Incidentally, that was only a few days ago, and that’s a fifth knife that’s turned up. I have a 199 somewhere and at least one cheap copy of it.

And a few Swann Morton handles, several X-actos and clones, and cheap snap blade knives.

In all honesty, one Stanley knife, one Swann Morton and an X-acto (for the specialist blades) is probably all anyone would ever need.

If anyone is happy to have their knife photo used in the next MEW please post a note here, thanks.

Neil

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

No problem using my photo.

Rod

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I think its time for an amnesty in my house.

The Stanley top right gets a lot of use as that is the main toolbox one for work. Blade can be swapped end for end with the yellow button and changing to a new one does not need a screwdriver.

The large Stanley snap off also sees a fair bit of use as that is the one on the bench so gets use das a marking knife (did not include the marking knives) as well as general box opener etc.

The smaller craft and scalpel handles are mostly from my model figure building but don’t see as much use now.

 

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