[Illustration]
_Paper cutter:_ No article on a desk is more useful than a good paper
cutter. It may be one with a plain flat blade, no marked handle and
without decoration aside from that of the metal itself with its hammer
marks left upon it. Again we may have one with blade and handle, the
blade either pointed (sharp edged or blunt), the handle plain or with
sawed-out design. Those with pointed blades are serviceable as letter
openers too. Then some designs have handles made long enough to turn
the end over, forming a raised handle.
_Material:_ Piece of No. 20 copper, 7/8 × 9 ins.
[Illustration: Paper knife. Cut on dotted lines]
_Directions:_ If the blade is to be pointed, take your strip of copper
and draw a line right through the centre. Mark a point 1/8 in. on the
end, either side of the centre line. Draw lines from these points to
the extreme ends of the other side. See dotted lines in the sketch.
File up the edges rounding, and polish the whole. Select a piece of
copper free from scratches and marks of any kind for this work. This
paper cutter can be left smooth, or it can be decorated by the marks
left by the planishing hammer. These marks give a good finish and look
well.