I am surprised that more modelers do not add scapels to their knife collection. They are sharpder and thinner than hobby knife blades. There is a believe that they are expensive. This is not true. In many medical uses the blades are replaced after each use, so there is a mass market keeping blade prices low. I just purchased a box of fifty for eight bucks- if you do a thorough search you can often find a hundred for about the same price.
The knives themselves are in same price range, seven to 11 bucks. They are simpler, smaller and lighter than hobby knives.
I’m using Swann&Morton blades for years now, and in comparison those so called hobby knives feel like a ripoff - worse quality for a lot more money. But tradition is a very hard thing to change!
Meh…tried a scalpel a couple of times and I’m not sold on them. Too flexible and sloppy on objects harder than skin. Also not crazy about changing the blade on a scalpel. They do have their uses here and there in modeling with delicate items, such as decals that need to be sliced after having been applied. But for everything else, I’ll stick with the old #11, #12, and #25 hobby blades. [2cnts]