Several readers have written to me asking if I knew how to save money on supplies they use daily – like their Silhouette Cameo blades which wear out fast. Here are two ways to save money on your blades.
CB09 Blades
Use a third party blade and blade holder like the CB09 blades by Graphtec. I personally use CB09 blades in my Silhouette Cameo because they are cheaper and last longer. I pay about $2 per blade for replacement blades. You’ll also need to buy the blade holder once, it should be between $15 and $18 via Amazon or Ebay. CB09 blades come in three different angles: 30, 45, and 60 degrees. The idea is that you should choose a different angle blade depending on the material you are cutting. These are the general guidelines that I follow: 30 degree blade: Good for fabric and heavy duty materials like thin cardboard and leather. More of the blade is in contact with the material than the other blade angles. 45 degree blade: Good everyday blade. This is what I use for most of my cuts including paper and vinyl. 60 degree blade: Cuts the most intricate designs and delicate cuts. I use the 60 degree blade for vellum and freezer paper. The smallest portion of the blade is in contact with the material being cut compared to the other blade angles.
You can find the CB09 blade holder and blades on Amazon, but they are usually cheaper on Ebay. (See this link for current listings.) Most sellers are located overseas, so plan about 2-3 weeks to receive your purchase.
CB09 Blade Assembly
The CB09 blades need to be put inside the blade holder before you use them. Here are instructions on how to do so:
- Take your CB09 blade and place it inside the spring.
- Unscrew the black tip and place the blade with the spring inside the black portion. Screw the black portion back onto the blade holder.
- Adjust the blade depth by turning the silver knob at the top of the blade holder.
- Place the blade in your Silhouette Cameo and you are ready to go.
Quick Tip: To figure out the blade depth when you are first starting with the CB09 blades, you can look up the recommended setting in Silhouette Studio for the material you are cutting. Then, adjust the Cameo blade to that blade depth by setting the blade to the corresponding number. Lastly, holding your CB09 blade holder next to your Cameo blade, set the blade to the same height as the Cameo blade. Use the Silhouette Studio test cut feature to make sure that your CB09 blade cuts well before using it on your project.
WARNING: There are a few types of CB09 blades on the market. You’ll want to purchase the blades with colorful caps and springs with them, not the larger ones. As an aside, the caps are not color coded to the blades angle. I’ve ordered from a few different vendors and they do not seem to be standardized (Example: From one seller, the 30 degree blade may have a yellow cap, while another seller may ship the 30 degree blade with the red cap). The blades that you want to order are tiny. Here they are in the palm of my hand to show you a size reference. (I don’t have giant man hands – just average female hands!)
Using a Price Watch App on Amazon
If you are not willing to void your Silhouette Cameo warranty, I totally understand. You should try to stock up on Silhouette Cameo blades when they are on sale at Amazon.com which is often. My favorite way to watch sales on Amazon is to use a price tracking app such as CamelCamelCamel. Basically, you find the product you are interested in buying on Amazon, then you copy the product URL to CamelCamelCamel. You tell CamelCamelCamel what price you want to pay, and they notify you when the product drops to or below that price. The website also offers historical pricing for the product which will help you decide what price to set your alert at. (If you are interested, the highest price on the Silhouette replacement blade on Amazon has been $12.99 and the lowest has been $6.49.) Pricing is currently $7.45, so head to Amazon now if you want to pick up a few extra blades. If you subscribe on Amazon for blades to automatically be sent to you, they are currently priced at $7.08.
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is the KNK Zing & Maxx Air Blade Holder the same as the CB09 Graphtec blade holder?
Hello! I do not own either of those machines, so I can’t say for sure.
I read your blog a few months ago and tried the CB09 blades with my Cameo. I am having a problem…….the blade grazes along the medium I am cutting as it moves to a different position and leaves a scratch on the material. I am not sure how to resolve this scratching without raising the blade height, which would make ineffective cuts. Any suggestions??
Hi Maureen! Your blade is set too low. Raise it slightly. It will still cut fine as the blade moves down when cutting. Hope that helps!
Hello, i use the bladeholder CB09 for a year now.
And i`am very happy with them, i mark the position with a permanent marker
I buy it on aliexpress, i think it is cheaper as amazon.
In the week before i buy a extra set, bladeholder with 15 blades 30 degrees/45 degrees and 60 degrees together for €20,50
When you will know witch store, ask me
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the great article. I’ll be ordering a CB09 shortly.
For what it’s worth, using 3rd party blades *does not* void the manufacturer’s warranty. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 specifically addresses this:
“Warrantors cannot require that only branded parts be used with the product in order to retain the warranty.”
Many manufacturers will claim otherwise (and do so in print), hoping to avoid a legitimate warranty claim, but they have no legal basis. They may void a warranty only if they can prove that the non-branded parts were the direct cause of a specific product failure. Note that the burden of proof is on the manufacturer, not the consumer!
Thanks for sharing! While the statement above is true, and you’d likely legally win – you aren’t going to want to go through a legal process to get a machine replacement or repair.
try as I might I can’t get the cb09 blades to work properly in my silhouette cameo, they either score along the cardstock making marks where there shouldn’t be any or they just don’t cut through. I’ve tried 30/45/60 degree blades and just can’t get a good cut. what am I doing wrong?
Hi Elisa! It sounds like your blade isn’t the right height: too low will drag while too high will not cut. Hope that helps!
turns out I was putting it all the way into the holder when I should have left a small gap as the metal housing for the cb09 blade is longer than the plastic housing for my silhouette blade. all sorted now and cutting like a dream 🙂
Thanks for updating me! That’s great! Enjoy cutting!
Hi, I love my CB09 but was wondering if you change your baled setting to the fixed blade rather that the ratchet? And why or why not…I have been having a scoring issue like mentioned above and was wondering if this might make a difference. Thanks for your help.
I do not, because I have never had to. Some crafters do.
Thank you for this post! The blades are wonderful! I have had no issue and I even think my cuts are better!
Awesome! So glad to hear, Deb!
How to remove the cutter from the Cameo 3 autoblade? Once the tip is removed, the cutter doesn’t just drop out. It seems to be held in.
So, how to remove the Silhouette Cameo 3 autoblade cutter?
Hello! I don’t believe the autoblade is meant to be taken apart.
I just want to say thanks so much for the tips on using the Graphtec CB09 blade in the Silhouette Cameo!
I had been having the worst time with it until I read the tip to not insert it all the way. I put a little rubber band (a kid’s clear hair elastic) around the blade holder as a spacer between the top of the Cameo blade holder and the ridge of the Graphtec housing that was sitting on the holder. Now that it is raised up a bit, it’s cutting like a dream!
I can’t wait to try out the super-thin, super-fragile adhesive gold foil that I have been having such an impossible time with!
Awesome! Have fun!
Any idea if there are blades available for the CB09 holders that will work for etching or engraving? Thanks for the information- I love mine!
Hi Tara, Not that I know of. I’d recommend the Chomas tool though: http://amzn.to/2BTB0oE
Thanks for the great information. do you know what position the angle should be relative to the silhouette. Should the tip of the blade be in the front, or the tip in the back nest to the housing? thanks!
Hello! It doesn’t matter.
If you can’t tell by cap color how do you tell which angle blade is which?
By the angle of the blade.