# Blue tip or Red tip blade/holder



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

I tried looking this up but could not find a definite answer.

I will be doing rhinestones very soon. My question is about the blade red tip/blue tip and the holder. I understand i need a 60 degree blade but I have the stock blade holder on my Ce5000-60 which has a blue tip.. So does that mean i buy the blue tip blade? I have read that the red tip blade is more durable.. Can i use the red tip blade on the stock blade holder? Or do i need to buy a red tip blade holder to use it with a red tip blade. 

Thanks

-Aj


----------



## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

You'll need to find out which tip color goes with your 45 and 60 degree blades. To cut thicker material like the green Hartco 425 material you will need a 60 degree blade. The 45 degree blade is good for cutting thin material like vinyl. I believe the Sticky Flock material also needs to be cut with the 60 degree blade but if I'm wrong I'm sure that someone will chime in and let you know.


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

Well my Ce5000-60 came stock with a blade holder that has a blue tip..so my common sense is telling me that it is a blue tip holder which requires a blue tip blade, right?

What type of blade are you using, red tip/blue tip?

Have you used both? if so, any real difference between the two?

Thank you

-Aj


----------



## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

My cutter is a KNK MAXX and the blade holder will accommodate both the red and the blue tip blades. My red tip is a 45 degree and the blue is the 60 degree. I did however purchase a second blade holder so that it makes it easier to switch out when I go from cutting my Hartco 425 to cutting vinyl. I just pop in the blade holder that has the blade that I need and the blade depth is already set. All I have to do is readjust my cutter settings.

If your cutter came with the blue tip only I'm assuming the blue is your 45 degree which is standard and cuts thin material such as vinyl. When you are looking at both the 45 and 60 degree blades you will see that the 60 degree has a longer blade surface for cutting thicker materials and the 45 is very short for the thinner stuff. 

I'm sure that someone that has your same cutter will chime in to verify the blade degree for the red and blue tip colors.


----------



## BML Builder (Jul 8, 2008)

Yes, AJ. I think BlingItOn is absolutely correct. I don't own your cutter either but I do know that on the couple of cutters that I have the holder will accomodate either the 45 degree or the 60 degree blade. And the blade that usually comes with the machines are the 45 degree blades. Usually you have to buy the additional 60 degree blade. I have also done the same thing as BlingItOn has done and bought additional blade holders so that I can keep the 45 degree blade in one holder and the 60 degree holder in the other and just have to switch out the holders, blade, and all in one fell swoop. The best thing for you to do is call the dealer that you bought your cutter from or the dealer that you buy your blades from and verify for sure that that is how it is for your cutter, but I am pretty sure that is the case with most cutters.


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

I'm very curious about this, too, because we have blades for Graphtec cutters and I thought the 60* blades were the red tip according to the guy who makes our blades. However, I have a customer who bought a blade from me and said that her cutter only had the holder for a blue tip blade. Does that make sense?


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

Hey guys,

I just talked to Ross from CleanCut Blades and told him about my situation and he said since i have the blue tip blade holder (Graphtec's CE5000-60 stock blade holder) that it will only hold blue tip blades. In order for me to cut with a red tip blade i will need the correct blade holder. He quoted me 95 bucks for the red tip holder.
I wish i had the blade holder that accommodates both blades.
For now, i am going to order the 60 degree blue tip and see how it cuts (when i get my rhinestone package)


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

tee09 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I just talked to Ross from CleanCut Blades and told him about my situation and he said since i have the blue tip blade holder (Graphtec's CE5000-60 stock blade holder) that it will only hold blue tip blades. In order for me to cut with a red tip blade i will need the correct blade holder. He quoted me 95 bucks for the red tip holder.
> I wish i had the blade holder that accommodates both blades.
> For now, i am going to order the 60 degree blue tip and see how it cuts (when i get my rhinestone package)


Ross is who makes our blades. He told me most people have a red tip holder. Is that true?


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

DivineBling said:


> Ross is who makes our blades. He told me most people have a red tip holder. Is that true?


I know i don't. LoL


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

tee09 said:


> I know i don't. LoL


Hmmm... Thanks Aj! You totally helped me out!! I'm going to give Ross a call myself!


----------



## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

tee09 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I just talked to Ross from CleanCut Blades and told him about my situation and he said since i have the blue tip blade holder (Graphtec's CE5000-60 stock blade holder) that it will only hold blue tip blades. In order for me to cut with a red tip blade i will need the correct blade holder. He quoted me 95 bucks for the red tip holder.
> I wish i had the blade holder that accommodates both blades.
> For now, i am going to order the 60 degree blue tip and see how it cuts (when i get my rhinestone package)


AJ - Are you saying that the standard blade that comes with the cutter is a blue tip 60 degree blade?


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

BlingItOn said:


> AJ - Are you saying that the standard blade that comes with the cutter is a blue tip 60 degree blade?


No, the factory blade (CB09UA-1) that came with the cutter is 45 degree blue tip.
I am going to purchase the 60 degree blade (blue tip) because i have a blue tip holder.

Make sense?


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

DivineBling said:


> Hmmm... Thanks Aj! You totally helped me out!! I'm going to give Ross a call myself!


LoL, your welcome Stephanie.


----------



## BlingItOn (May 29, 2008)

tee09 said:


> No, the factory blade (CB09UA-1) that came with the cutter is 45 degree blue tip.
> I am going to purchase the 60 degree blade (blue tip) because i have a blue tip holder.
> 
> Make sense?


Got it now...thanks for the explanation.


----------



## BML Builder (Jul 8, 2008)

Aj, yours may the only cutter I have heard of that had a blue tip holder and blue tip 45 and 60 degree blades. Most cutters have a blue tip which is 45 degree and a red tip which is 60 degree blade like Stephanie had said. I'm glad to know that there is a difference!! That is where calling the dealer definitely is helpful!! They know what the differences are and which ones work and which ones don't. Thanks for the info!!


----------



## SandyMcC (Jul 23, 2009)

The cap color is only an indicator of the blade angle IF the blade supplier chooses to make it so. I've seen 30 degree blades shipped with blue caps. I've seen 60 degree blades shipped with red caps. And I've seen 45 degree blades shipped with yellow caps!


----------



## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

I have the graphtec ce5000-120 and I have and use both the red top blade holder with the 60 degree blade and the blue top blade holder with the 45 degree blade. The blue top holder uses blades that are .9 mm thick and the red top holder uses blades that are 1.5 mm thick. You can not get the 60 degree blade in the blue top holder to cut as deep as the 60 degree blade in the red top holder. Its simple math to figure this out. The wider an object is, the longer any line will will be when cut at any angle and going all the way across from one side to the other. This means the cutting surface which is the angle will be longer for the wider/thicker blade. The red top 1.5 mm blade is stronger also due to its thickness over the .9 mm thickness of the blue top blades. Also, some people call the "blades" "knives".


----------



## SandyMcC (Jul 23, 2009)

DTFuqua said:


> Also, some people call the "blades" "knives".


Yes... I've noticed that from time to time and it always makes me thing of Crocodile Dundee in that scene in NYC where the gang member pulls a knife on him and he says "That's not a knife. This is a knife!" and pull out the huge one he has. 

When I see someone refer to a blade as a knife, I want to go pull out my butcher knife and take a photo and post it and say the same thing!


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

Thank you all for your input. I understand now. It really was "simple math."


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

SandyMcC said:


> Yes... I've noticed that from time to time and it always makes me thing of Crocodile Dundee in that scene in NYC where the gang member pulls a knife on him and he says "That's not a knife. This is a knife!" and pull out the huge one he has.
> 
> When I see someone refer to a blade as a knife, I want to go pull out my butcher knife and take a photo and post it and say the same thing!


That was one of my favorite movies! LOL! 
I would LOVE to see you post a photo and say that! 

Aj, you started a great topic that will help a ton of people! Thank you!!


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

DivineBling said:


> Aj, you started a great topic that will help a ton of people! Thank you!!


Hopefully it will help out the next newbie.


----------



## BML Builder (Jul 8, 2008)

I think it has helped more than just the newbies. I think several of us who have been doing this for a while have learned something from this thread!! Thanks to everyone for the very helpful and informative tips. 

Sandy, I really like your analogy of the knife and a blade!! I agree with Stephanie, that would make a good picture to post!!!


----------



## SandyMcC (Jul 23, 2009)

DivineBling said:


> That was one of my favorite movies! LOL!
> I would LOVE to see you post a photo and say that!
> 
> Aj, you started a great topic that will help a ton of people! Thank you!!


I have 7 friends coming over tomorrow for a crop. I'll have to see what I can make happen! lol


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

SandyMcC said:


> I have 7 friends coming over tomorrow for a crop. I'll have to see what I can make happen! lol


Okay, that's the second time I've seen the word crop. What in the world is a crop?? I just made a bunch of shirts for a scrapbooking club and the woman who sends me all of the orders said they have a crop and she wanted to know if I could get the shirts done beforehand.


----------



## SandyMcC (Jul 23, 2009)

DivineBling said:


> Okay, that's the second time I've seen the word crop. What in the world is a crop?? I just made a bunch of shirts for a scrapbooking club and the woman who sends me all of the orders said they have a crop and she wanted to know if I could get the shirts done beforehand.


It's when friends get together to scrapbook or do other crafts... sewing, card making, rhinestoning, etc! Originally, a crop was just about scrapbooking and the word "crop" comes from cropping photos before putting them on the scrapbook pages. But since a lot of scrapbookers do other crafts now, the term includes more.


----------



## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

SandyMcC said:


> It's when friends get together to scrapbook or do other crafts... sewing, card making, rhinestoning, etc! Originally, a crop was just about scrapbooking and the word "crop" comes from cropping photos before putting them on the scrapbook pages. But since a lot of scrapbookers do other crafts now, the term includes more.


Good to know! I was never into scrapbooking so I guess that explains my lack of knowledge. I got into this business mostly because I liked the techie stuff. I don't consider myself creative and the one time I tried to scrapbook, I nearly had an anxiety attack trying to make decisions!  LOL


----------



## SandyMcC (Jul 23, 2009)

DivineBling said:


> Good to know! I was never into scrapbooking so I guess that explains my lack of knowledge. I got into this business mostly because I liked the techie stuff. I don't consider myself creative and the one time I tried to scrapbook, I nearly had an anxiety attack trying to make decisions!  LOL


That wouldn't make it a very fun hobby at all, then! lol I mostly do greeting cards myself... or I sit at the crops with my laptop and answer customer emails!  But at least I'm with my friends and that's a good thing.


----------



## lizziemaxine (Nov 14, 2007)

DivineBling said:


> the one time I tried to scrapbook, I nearly had an anxiety attack trying to make decisions!  LOL


That's why I don't quilt. I love quilts but the anxiety is too great trying to decide which fabric to use. Too many choices.


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

For the Graphtec users, incase you do not want to buy the $95+ red tip blade holders there is an alternative from specialty-graphics for 40 bucks. It was also suggested by Ross from CleanCut Blades.

Here is the link


----------



## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

Wish it would have been there a couple of yeads ago but glad I didn't wiat till now to get one.


----------



## tee09 (Oct 30, 2009)

Just a quick update on the $ 40 dollar red tip blade holder i purchased not too long ago. Its ok. It does the job. But i am comparing it to the original factory blue tip blade holder and personally i like the originally factory one better ( assuming that the factory red tip blade holder and the factory blue tip blade holder is made the same)..simply because its made better. Factory blade holder is better quality (as far as blade holders go). Although the 40 dollar blade holder looks nice with it "stainless steel like" finish but its poorly made. If you have the money i would suggest getting the factory blade holder.


----------



## DTFuqua (Jun 26, 2008)

Thanks for the update. I was thinking about getting one for a second 1.5 mm blade setup so I wouldn't have to keep changing the depth of the blade for different materials. And I can attest that the factory red top holder is as good quality as the blue one.


----------



## vadan (Mar 9, 2010)

This was a huge help thanks!

Just got my 5000-60 and tried the initial test cuts on card today. 45 degree cut 160gsm card easy, the 300gsm only cut mid way. 

Had a look on eBay there's a seller sellin blades and holders. But it's confusing. He has 2 holder. 0.9 which is for 45 deg and 15 for 60 deg, they both look exactly the same no coloured caps @ £20. The blades are 5 for £12. Obviously none are original at that price, I've Messaged the seller for clarification and will also give MDP a call for advice tomorrow. 

Thanks for this info.


----------



## vadan (Mar 9, 2010)

The update is, the blade holder is universal. No colour code and holds both 30, 45 and 60 degree in stock and copy.

For the 45, 60 and 1 holder it's working out to £44. And that's 5 blades of each.


----------

