Mold parting seams are a fact of life for modelers. It matters not if you have the latest new tool styrene kit, a cast resin kit, or a “vintage” kit from the bottom of the stash, you have mold-parting seams to deal with. Most of us use a trusty number 11 hobby blade to scrape off the offending seam line. We have all used our expanded vocabulary when our hobby blade has gouged the part. There is a better way.

In addition to a wide variety of kits, aftermarket, and potions, Squadron produces a selection of specialist modeling tools. Their number 10203 Seam Scraper is one of these. This is a well-made two-blade steel tool with a knurled handle. To use it, simply drag the blade down the seam line. Although very sharp, it won’t dig into or gouge the plastic like a hobby blade. The corners can scratch the part if not held perpendicular to the part. I used it on a new styrene armor kit, a cast resin armor kit with two-part molds, a 30-year old styrene kit, and a styrene figure. It worked well on all these materials. It peels the seam line off cleanly and usually in a single pass. On the figure, it would not reach into tight spots like the inside of the legs. I also tried it on ejector pin marks. It was effective at removing the lip around recessed marks.

I build a lot of 3D printed kits of obscure armor and artillery subjects. So, I broke one of these kits out to see if the Squadron Seam Scraper would be useful in dealing with raised print artifacts. I was pleased to find out that it is effective at eliminating raised print lines. It requires multiple passes, and the hard resin will probably dull the tool over time. Although the handle of the seam scraper is well knurled, my arthritic hand was tired after about an hour of use. As I get older, I prefer fatter handles on tools and paint brushes to help with the arthritis.

Bottom-line, the Squadron Seam Scraper is a high-quality, well-made tool at a good price. It is better at removing seams than a hobby blade and belongs on your work bench. The Squadron Seam Scraper is available directly from Squadron on their web store.

Thanks to Squadron and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for providing the review sample.