A few months ago I wrote about how hard it often is for me to use an X-acto knife. Motor dysgraphia apparently involves poor muscle tone in the fingers, making small precision work very difficult. What’s worse than the clumsiness is the shooting, cramping pain that comes with it.
Turns out I just didn’t have the right tools for the job. One day before class I noticed that my X-acto knife was covered in gel medium. This meant it was effectively ruined. I was annoyed with myself for being so careless with it, because now I would have to go to an art supply store before class and get replacement blades. I would also have to figure out what sort of knife I had and what sort of blades it would take. The knife was easy enough; it’s the X-acto Gripster, and it hasn’t changed any since I bought it several years ago.
Then I needed to determine what size blades it takes, and which one I needed for my task, which was cutting stencils. I spent some time on Dick Blick’s web site and discovered that there are several kinds of blade that fit my knife. The blurb for #16 said it was good for stencils.
I prepared myself for an evening of pain and fatigue, but my hands were fine! I think the blade my knife came with was just bad, or it had dulled significantly over time, or it was just the wrong tool for my material. I’ve been using the #16 blade all term, for stencils and for magazine images, and it’s great. I was expecting my new blade to be an improvement, but never would I have expected that using it would be pain-free. I can’t describe how nice it is to feel like I have fine motor control.
So I’m passing along my discovery. If you’re in the market for an x-acto knife or replacement blades, click below.
I’m dysgraphic too and I totally get what you mean. I’m a costume designer and sometimes I get frustrated by what I can and can’t do (for example, it’s quite hard to be a costume designer when you are incapable of drawing) but I’ve noticed that with things like handstitching, x-acto knives and whatnot I seem to be fine (provided I have a good blade and can take brakes). I’m not sure what constitutes the difference between the two actions. Maybe writing and drawing are so very fine, and xacto kniving (is that a word?) is a little more broad. Beats me.
Have fun with your little project and discovery.
Cheers.
That’s interesting that you find hand-stitching easier. It hurts me like hell. For some reason, drawing and painting are the areas where I seem to be able to use larger muscles, and do much better, but my success is still really contingent on having the right brush and the right painting surface.
[...] and writing: the right tools A fellow dysgraphic named Hannah recently commented on my post about dysgraphia and X-Acto knives. She’s a costume designer who struggles with drawing, but manages hand-stitching and [...]
Been following your blog for 2 days now and i should say i am starting to like your post. and now how do i subscribe to nike dunks?