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.
PAPER CUTTER WITH TURNED HANDLE
Material: Piece of No. 20 copper, 7⁄8 × 16 ins.
Directions: Mark off lines on the copper strip as you did to make the plain paper cutter. Carry the tapering lines back 7 ins. Cut off these side pieces with shears. File the edges for the whole length smooth. If any decorating is to be done, do it while the copper is in the straight piece, as it can't be done easily after the handle is turned. All filing, too, must be done before the handle is turned. When filed and smoothed up or decorated as you wish, bend half the remaining 9 inches of the copper over and on to the blade, in this way forming the handle. The size of the handle will depend upon one's feeling of comfort or discomfort about it. If the edges still feel a little rough a piece of emery cloth will smooth them down.
LETTER OPENERS
Letter openers are really small paper cutters and are made in exactly the same way. They are shorter and narrower than the paper cutter, but almost always have a sharp pointed blade. Many scraps of copper left over after the making of large pieces can be used to make letter openers.