With our small armada of boats, kayaks and a canoe, we have quite a selection of synthetic fabric, webbing, and line that needs to be cut. Many of the synthetic fabrics used for boating and camping will unravel if the ends are not sealed as they are cut or afterward. In the past, we used the open flame of a pocket lighter to sear the ends of the various materials to keep them from fraying, but when we needed to neatly cut several strips of nylon webbing for a boat cover we decided to try the Edge Hotknife sold by Sailrite. The Edge Hotknife will reach its maximum temperature of 752 degrees Fahrenheit within 6 seconds of pressing the trigger.
Kent and Audrey Lewis
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These are really useful making neat cuts in kayak-covering material. I picked up a really inexpensive one at Harbor Freight. A simple blade for cutting rope in a soldering gun lives in my home shop rigging bag and gets a lot of use.
This sounds good. I have a short blade for use with my Weller pistol soldering iron. Are any of these units UL approved?
None of the four hot knives mentioned carry the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) mark, certifying independent testing. The all bear the CE (Conformité Européenne) mark, indicating a manufacturer-certified compliance with European standards. There exists a similar CE mark, with the two letters closer together—the ends of the C even with the far-left side of the rounded E—that stands for China Export, which is used, without regulation, by Chinese companies taking advantage of its similarity to the European mark. None of the hot knives appear to have the Chinese Export mark.
I’m not sure why you would worry about a UL listing. It’s not like you would be leaving it unattended. I used to work for the UW – Center for Limnology where I bought one of the Sail Rite models for use in the shop. I have used it for cutting everything from nets to heavy duty tarps and line. Basically it will cut anything that’s synthetic. I really liked the foot for cutting flat material. It can actually be used on fabric that is not on a table. It was money well spent.
After reading this article I bought an Amazon version for $65 – fabulous. I’m building a SOF Whitehall and the hot knife does a great job of giving a nice, even cut. I never leave it unattended and don’t need to, since it heats so fast.
A worthwhile $65.