Box Cutters & Utility Knives

When you’re working with items that need to be broken down or scored it’s oftentimes more efficient to use a utility knife to get the job done. Utility knives are everyday hand tools that allow you to easily work with a number of different materials. Learn more about utility blade knives below.

What Is a Utility Knife Used For?

Utility knives are used for a wide variety of tasks ranging from opening shipping, packing and mailing supplies, to cutting thin materials. They are durable tools that are designed for tasks that might be damaging to a more expensive knife. They also usually feature replaceable blades.

What Different Types of Utility Knives Are Available?

There are a few different types of utility knives available, which you can read about below.

Foldable

Foldable utility knives are usually utilitarian versions of traditional pocket knives. They often feature functionality that allows users to lock the blade in an open or closed position for additional security.

Retractable

Retractable utility knives allow users to extend or retract the blade to a specific length. Depending on the cutting task the blade is being used for, users can lock the blade at different lengths so they can accomplish any cutting job in the most efficient way. This is also a very important safety measure to take advantage of when the knife is not in use. This locking functionality even allows you to lock the blade from retracting or extending while in use, to prevent slipping.

Safety

Similar to box cutters, safety utility knives generally have limited functionality and are most commonly intended for opening packages and boxes. They are designed to be very safe, and use small blades that are strategically positioned to cut tape and boxes, while protecting the user from potential injury. Even though they are meant to be very safe, users should still use caution and protective equipment, like work gloves and safety glasses, when working with them.

What Type of Blade Does a Utility Knife Use?

Most utility knives have replaceable blades that can be purchased separately in large packs, and replaced anytime they become worn or damaged. These disposable blades are supposed to be replaced instead of sharpened. This saves the user from having to sharpen a knife regularly and allows the blades to be subjected to much more intense wear and tear than those of an ordinary knife.

What Are the Best Brands of Utility Blade Knives?

Staples carries a number of the top utility knife brands, including Stanley, Klein Tools, Workpro and Irwin.