Buying a Woodworker’s Knife

When buying a woodworker’s knife you should look for a thin, strong, flat blade. Don’t be put off by the disposable blade options as some of these can be sharpened and last up to 2 years. Paul recommends the Stanley Folding Pocket Knife model 0 10 598 and the Swann-Morton model SMO-R, which is available in the UK and the Stanley folding knife 10-049 which is available in the USA. These should be easily found if you search for these models, they should cost under £10 for a new one. Paul advises to stay away from the diamond-point knives as the meeting point of the two bevels wears away so you don’t get the type of tip that he suggests is ideal for woodworking.

🇬🇧 We purchased this Stanley knife for £7.78)* and these spare blades for £2.75* from Amazon in November 2017.

🇺🇸 We have found a different model of Stanley on Amazon.com which can be ordered from the US. Please note Paul has not purchased this, however it seems to fit his recommended criteria.

*Price checked October 2022


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2 Comments

  1. I have just received one of these from Amazon. It is badly made and dangerous. Surely the blade is supposed to lock when closed as well as when open? Due to poor design/manufacture it does not lock when closed. I am a retired surgeon so know about sharp blades and the horrendous hand injuries they can cause. I will be returning mine to Amazon unused.

  2. I purchased the Stanley from Amazon.com and have been using it for several months.

    Out of curiosity I ordered the Stanly from Amazon UK and had it shipped to me in Canada (both cost the same to my front door). The handle is the identical outside shape (ignoring the knurling), that is where the similarities end, the locking mechanism is different and the blade is much thinner. I find this thinner blade much easier to get the lines accurate as it severs the wood fibres much easier (especially cross grain) than the North American available knives.

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