Mont Marte Precision Knife Scalpel - 3 piece

A precision craft knife is the tool you reach for to cut and carve wax away in the finishing stages of a wax model. Where a wax pen melts and builds up wax, this knife does the opposite job: shaving back excess and truing up the surface of a ring or pendant model before it goes anywhere near a flask. It's included in most of our wax kits, and it's worth having a spare set on the bench even if you already own one.

The set includes an aluminium knife body, three interchangeable precision blades, a safety cap and a small carry case, so you can swap in a fresh blade the moment one starts dragging instead of tearing at the wax. The blades are SK5 heat-treated steel, which holds a fine edge through a lot of carving before it needs replacing. That matters more with wax carving tools than most other craft knives, since a blunt blade doesn't just slow you down, it drags and cracks the wax instead of slicing cleanly through it.

For jewellery wax work specifically, the knife is what you reach for to cut wax to shape and carve away excess, whether you're roughing out a model or refining the finer details. Hold it like a pencil for control on detail work, always cut away from your body and keep your fingers clear of the blade path, and cap it whenever it's not in your hand.

Worth knowing:

• The same blades work on soft carving wax and harder ring waxes, so one knife covers most of what you'll model in wax before casting
• Blades are replaceable individually, so you're not rebuying the whole handle when one dulls