Break-off Knives:

As with most hand tools, these come in a variety of styles, shapes and sizes. Get the smaller kind: we're only wallpapering, not cutting drywall.

The black one has a steel body while the two yellow ones are of plastic. Soft and smooth, plastic is preferred over steel, being less likely to mar a surface should it slip in the course of work.

Most of these knives have a lockable blade feature, which secures the blade from collapsing or pulling out. The ends pop off to facilitate blade-change, and also have a slot for breaking off dulled blade segments.

Keep two knives in your apron...

• one for cutting strips
• the other for precision trimming.

Use the blade's length for cutting your strips, and the sharp tip for precision trimming. These disposable blades quickly dull, so to use one knife for both tasks is not a great idea. You need a new sharp tip for every double-cut - not a blade that has already been dulled through previous use. Making a precision cut with a dull blade will snag and tear the paper, and quickly turn your thoughts to a big fat rum.

While coercing your neighbour into lending you more tools, encourage him to keep a good supply of spare blades on hand. Point out that they tend to be cheap, just like neighbours without their own tools. He'll understand perfectly.

Notice that the blades in a pack have a light film of oil on them, which prevents rusting. A toolbox brought indoors on a cold winter day will gather condensation, which will tarnish un-oiled older blades.

Pop a drop of oil into your blade-pack every once in awhile. Don't say that you don't have a drop of oil. There is always one on the end of your car engine's dipstick.

Put a fresh blade in both knives at the start of each job.


Who has time for a cutting table?

My stripcuts are made freehand, using my left knee as a cutting table. Don't try this at home. Save your body parts. Hire me. My sustained low-pitch voice serves as a testament to my skills and prowess.

Thumb and last two fingers of my right hand balance the roll on left knee, while first and second fingers hold the free edge of the new cut.

It helps to be dextrous.

Thanks so far to Claudette for the modelling and motivating.