X-ACTO Compression Basic Knife Set, 3 Knives, 13 Blades, Soft Carry Case, 17 Count Review (2026)

What is in the set

This is X-ACTO's Compression Basic Knife Set, listed as 17 pieces total: three knife handles (the #1, #2 and #5 styles), thirteen replacement blades covering shapes like #1, #5, #7, #10, #11, #16, #17, #18, #19, #22 and #24, a nylon zippered soft carry case, and an instruction guide. Each handle uses X-ACTO's standard easy-change blade system, so swapping a dull or wrong-shaped blade for another one in the case takes only a few seconds without tools. For 3D printing use, that range of blade shapes covers everything from scraping flat support material off a base plate to picking fine strings out of tight corners.

Handle variety and why it matters

Having three separate handles rather than one handle with swappable blades means a print-finishing session does not stop every time a different blade shape is needed. The #1 style is a slim precision handle suited to detail trimming, the #2 is a mid-weight all-purpose handle, and the #5 is a heavier handle built for pushing through thicker material. Keeping several loaded at once lets someone switch between fine detail work on a small print and heavier scraping on a large flat base without constantly reloading a single handle, which matters most for anyone finishing several prints in one sitting rather than an occasional single cleanup.

Case and portability

The set ships in a nylon zippered compression case rather than a rigid box, which keeps the whole kit compact enough to toss in a drawer, toolbox or bag. A soft case is lighter and takes up less bench space than a hard storage chest, and the zipper keeps loose blades from spilling out during transport. The trade-off is that a nylon case offers less protection against a knife handle pressing into a blade edge or the case being crushed under heavier items, so anyone who wants a hobby knife set primarily for stationary desk storage may prefer a set that ships in a wooden or hard plastic chest instead.

Everyday print finishing use

For 3D printing, a set like this covers the common post-print tasks: slicing away support structures, cutting stray strings and stringing artifacts, and trimming rough edges on brims or rafts before sanding. The range of thirteen blades means there is almost always a shape suited to the job at hand, from a narrow pointed blade for picking at fine detail to a wider curved blade for scraping a flat surface. Because the blades are replaceable, a worn or chipped edge is a low-cost swap rather than a reason to replace the whole tool, which keeps ongoing costs down over repeated use.

Safety and handling

Hobby knives with exposed blades and easy-change mechanisms are sharp by design, and this set does not include locking blade covers on each individual blade beyond what the soft case provides while stored. Anyone using this set around children or pets should store the case somewhere it cannot be easily opened, and users should always change blades with the knife pointed away from themselves and cap or retract blades between uses when the handle allows it. These are standard precautions for any hobby knife set with interchangeable blades and are not unique to this particular kit, but they are worth keeping in mind given how many loose blades this set includes.

Frequently asked questions