HOZO Hobby Knife on Kickstarter: Craft Knife Set With One-Press Blade Changes
The blade wobbles halfway through a cut on a Gunpla part. You stop, twist the collet tighter, and wonder whether this is the turn that strips the thread. The hobby knife has worked the same way for decades: a round handle, a twist lock, a blade tightened by feel. The HOZO Hobby Knife throws that formula out.
It is HOZO's tenth product launch on Kickstarter, after nine successfully delivered projects. Yanko Design writes that its press mechanism "feels more deliberate than the twist collet on any comparable knife in this category." The HOZO Hobby Knife price on Kickstarter is $59.
📈 Campaign: $325,253 raised from 2,315 backers, goal $3,822, 21 days left
💰 Set Pro: $59 (302 of 1,000 left); Premium Combo: 166 of 1,500 left
🎯 Stretch goals: $300,000 unlocked (open-source files on MakerWorld); next at $500,000 (more colorways)
🎄 Christmas: a $15 priority shipping add-on in the post-campaign survey, for pledges dispatched by December
📦 Delivery: estimated January 2027
Updated October 21, 2026
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Quick Verdict
Our verdict: 8.4/10
Who Is It For?
It is for scale modelers, diorama builders and papercrafters who change blades often, including those who cut away from their usual bench. Leatherworkers and cosplay prop builders, both on the campaign's list of uses, fit as well.
Main Strengths
One press swaps and locks the blade, with no collet to turn.
The case doubles as a cutting surface, so the desk underneath is protected wherever you set up.
Ten tools share one craft knife handle, from six flat blades to two gouges, a saw and a metal file, covering cutting, carving and finishing.
Compatible blades from other brands fit, snap-off segments included, so replacements can be bought locally.
Blades come oil-free from an auto-feed case and go into a built-in disposal slot once spent.
Main Limitations
X-Acto blades and others with a different mounting format do not fit, so an existing stock of them will not carry over.
HOZO demonstrates blade retention with a pulling test but publishes no retention force figure.
Product certification is scheduled for November 2026, a month before mass production.
Is the HOZO Hobby Knife Worth Backing?
Back it if you are the modeler or papercrafter described above and blade changes are a routine part of your sessions. Skip it if you rely on a drawer of X-Acto blades and see no reason to switch formats. The press-to-lock blade change is the reason to back the HOZO Hobby Knife on Kickstarter.
HOZO Hobby Knife Price on Kickstarter
The HOZO Hobby Knife price on Kickstarter is $59, against a $79 MSRP. The Hobby Knife Set Pro is the tier to take: it holds the knife, its case, the 10-in-1 blade refill set and 20 standard blades, so all ten tool types are in the box, and it is limited to 1,000 units. The Hobby Knife Premium Combo, at $129 against a $219 MSRP and limited to 1,500 units, adds packs of the seven other blade and gouge types, while the Maker's Essentials Combo pairs the hobby knife set with a NeoSander detail sander for $189.
The knife alone is a $12.90 add-on, so most of the price pays for the case with its mat, the refill set and the blades: good value if you will use the case at the bench and away from it, less so if you only need a handle. The Premium Combo's extra $70 buys the seven other packs, $9 under the full-set add-on, which also adds a second 20-pack of standard blades. Shipping is charged after the campaign, $12 for the Set Pro to the US, Canada and the EU with taxes and VAT included, and India, Brazil and Russia are among the regions it does not ship to. Single blade and gouge packs cost $9.90 as add-ons, and the 1-year warranty covers manufacturing defects. It is $59 on Kickstarter.
What Is the HOZO Hobby Knife and What Problem Does It Solve?
HOZO Hobby Knife: A 23.6-Gram Craft Knife in Steel, Aluminum and Glass-Fiber Nylon
The HOZO Hobby Knife is a manual precision craft knife, sold as a hobby knife set, for cutting, carving and detail work. The body pairs stainless steel and aluminum alloy with nylon and glass fiber, and with the standard blade fitted it weighs 23.6 g.
The knife measures 147.5 mm with that blade, or 160 mm and 26 g with its blade cap on. The boxed set measures 210 × 90 × 28 mm and weighs 376 g. HOZO reports more than 100,000 active users in over 65 countries and regions, for tools that run from measuring instruments to ultrasonic cutters.
Why the Twist-Lock Collet Became the Problem Worth Solving
Every hobby knife user knows the ritual. The twist lock is either too loose, and the blade creeps in the collet mid-cut, or too tight, and the threads wear out. Set the knife down and the round handle rolls away, and without a cutting mat underneath, one slip marks the desk.
Picture the same session when changing a dull blade stops being a chore. Nico Suratos, a scale modeler, found that HOZO's approach makes the process "feel a little more convenient and cool," and the cut picks up where it stopped, on a surface that was there all along.
HOZO Hobby Knife Key Features and Specs: Blade Lock, Tools, Case and Blade Storage
One-Press Blade Lock and Magnetic Collet: Blade Changes Without the Twist
Push, release, and the blade is locked. The one-press mechanism secures it directly in the collet, with no way to overtighten it and no sweet spot to search for.
Two magnets inside the collet catch the blade the moment it releases, so it does not slip away when the collet opens. HOZO shows the hold in a pulling test against a high-torque RC truck.
10-in-1 Blades, Gouges, Saw and File: Plus Third-Party 4 mm and 9 mm Blades
The blade range began with the six flat blades HOZO developed for the NeoBlade (standard, long, chisel, mini chisel, curved and double edge), since refined with maker feedback and made in quenched 420 stainless steel with a 30° edge. A V-gouge carves crisp lines and fine detail, and a U-gouge cuts smooth grooves and textures. A saw and a metal file take on tougher materials and edges, and both come only in the 10-in-1 Hobby Knife Blade Refill Set.
The handle also accepts compatible 4 mm, 30° flat blades from other brands, and segments from standard 9 mm, 30° snap-off blades such as OLFA and NT Cutter.
A Case With a Built-In Cutting Mat: Four Modes, Twice the Surface Unfolded
Packed up, the case holds the knife and its blades. Flip the cover back and it stands on the desk; open it further and the built-in mat is ready to cut on. JunkDrawer Studio, a diorama artist, liked that it means "you always have a way to cut things on the go."
The PVC cutting mat is listed at 133 × 192 mm (5.2 × 7.5 in), and sliding and unfolding it doubles the cutting surface. The knife pouch and mat attach magnetically, so a worn mat or a new color is a $15.90 add-on, in metric or imperial markings.
Auto-Feed Blade Cases and a Disposal Slot: Oil-Free, Round-End Blades
Magnetic slots in the knife case hold each blade in place. Spares live in auto-feed blade dispensers: pull one blade out and the next pops up, and the translucent housing shows how many are left. On the desk, several dispensers connect into a blade station, and a built-in slot takes spent blades for disposal.
HOZO says its quenched steel resists rust without the oil coating most other blades carry, so a blade change leaves no greasy residue on the fingers. The blade end is rounded, which HOZO presents as safer to grab than a sharp end. Itoshige Studio, a cardboard DIY artist, found that rounded tip ideal for the half-cut technique, saying it noticeably raised their success rate.
Should You Back the HOZO Hobby Knife on Kickstarter?
The HOZO Hobby Knife is a craft knife for makers who move between paper, cardboard and leather. The campaign's makers used it to build a mini shelf from cardboard and to cut a handcrafted leather bifold wallet.
HOZO's previous campaign was the NeoSander detail sander, which ended in March 2026. At $59 against a $79 MSRP, with the Set Pro the tier to take, the HOZO Hobby Knife is on Kickstarter.
FAQ about the HOZO Hobby Knife on Kickstarter
Does the HOZO Hobby Knife take X-Acto blades?
No. X-Acto blades use a different mounting format and do not fit. The knife is designed for narrow 4 mm, 30° flat blades, so HOZO's own blades and compatible blades from other brands work, as do segments of standard 9 mm, 30° snap-off blades such as OLFA and NT Cutter.
Should you choose the HOZO Hobby Knife or the NeoBlade ultrasonic cutter?
The NeoBlade is HOZO's wireless ultrasonic cutter, at 40kHz with 40W auto power adjustment, for deeper cuts in tougher materials. The V-gouge and U-gouge fit both tools; the saw and metal file are Hobby Knife only. Choose the Hobby Knife for hand work and finishing, the NeoBlade when tougher materials need powered cutting.
What can you cut with the HOZO Hobby Knife?
HOZO lists card making, scrapbooking, sticker making, leathercraft, Gundam and military models, dioramas, 3D printing, woodcraft, polymer clay, cosplay props and jewelry making among its uses.
What does the HOZO Hobby Knife warranty cover?
A 1-year warranty covers manufacturing defects, and any such defect qualifies for free replacement within the first 30 days. Support runs through kickstarter@hozodesign.com.
Is HOZO legit?
HOZO is a maker-tool brand based in Kowloon, Hong Kong, with a Kickstarter account since 2018. Its earlier campaigns include ROLLOVA, MEAZOR, MEAZOR 3D, NeoRuler, M-Cube, NeoRulerGO, M-Cube 02, NeoBlade and NeoSander, and the Hobby Knife is its tenth product launch on the platform.
About the Author
Jonathan
Co-Founder & Reviewer at GizmoCrowd
Jonathan is Co-Founder of GizmoCrowd and a crowdfunding strategist with over 15 years of hands-on campaign experience on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
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