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Considered by some to be one of the most useful tools of all time, knives were among the earliest types of tools created by early humans its origins date as far back as two-and-a-half million years ago and even though they are most frequently regard as weapons they are still utilize as tools.

One of them is the utility knife which is a widespread tool used in a variety of trades and crafts for a range of purposes. It is generally make up of a simple and cheap holder typically flat roughly one inch (25 mm) wide and three to four inches (75 to 100 mm) long, and usually made from either metal or plastic.

We are going to take a look at the two types of utility knives available in the market.

Retractable Blade Utility Knife

A retractable blade utility knife normally has a plastic handle which appears in bright colors like orange, blue and yellow. The handle has a long, segmented blade that extends from it. This is commonly used to cut materials such as cardboard boxes, drywall, laminates and plastic. You can manually change how much the blade extends, so that you cut the sealing on a package without spoiling the package contents.

The blade retracts into its body for safer usage and storage. And some of them incorporated a spring-loaded blade that retracts automatically when you release the knife. When the cutting edge is blunt, you can break it away from the remaining blade, revealing the subsequent segments which are sharp and ready for cutting. When all the individual sections are blunt, it is discarded or replaced with a replacement blade.

The handle usually unscrews or twists open to allow the changing of blade. Several knives have spare blades which are normally kept in the hollow knife handle, which can be used by unscrewing a screw and opening the handle. Higher-end knives come with rubber grips which are ergonomically designed for improved gripping. Continue Reading

A utility knife — also called a box cutter, a razor blade knife, a carpet knife, or a stationery knife — is a common tool used in various trades and crafts for a variety of purposes. In case you are wondering how to best handle utility knives, here is a brief guide their use.

A utility knife is usually has a simple and inexpensive holder, typically flat, approximately one inch (25 mm) wide and three to four inches (75 to 100 mm) long, and typically made of either metal or plastic. Some knives use standard razor blades while others have specialized double-ended blade.

The user can manually adjust how far the blade extends from the handle, so that the knife can be used to cut the tape sealing a box or package without damaging the contents of the box or package. When the blade becomes dull, it can be quickly reversed or switched for a new one.

Spare blades are often stored in the hollow knife handle, and can be accessed by removing a screw and opening the handle.

The Stanley Knife

This type of tool is known in British English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Dutch as a Stanley knife. Named after one of the first manufacturers of the utility knife, the genuine Stanley knife has a cast-metal body. It comes both in retractable versions and in fixed blade versions which allow no depth adjustment. There have been a number of versions of the classic retractable Stanley No. 99. The current model is the 99E.

Fixed blade versions of the Stanley knife are widely used for handcrafts.

The blades for utility knives come in both double and single ended versions, and are interchangeable with many but not all of the latest knives. Specialized blades also exist for cutting string, linoleum and other purposes. Spare or used blades may be stored in the handle. Continue Reading

There are several utility knives available on the market today which could be used by people in the kitchen. All these must be used with the necessary care they deserve. This is because since knives are used for cutting their edges could prove dangerous to the skin if not handled with care. Whenever you are using any utility knife, you should never leave it unattended especially with the blade exposed. In order to prevent slippage, ensure that the blades are properly seated in the knife. Make sure you have done a number of passes when cutting the thick materials. Always uses sharp blades as dull blades are a safety hazard which would require more effort to make the cut.

The precision knife is one utility knife that could be used in cutting. This kind is very popular with the hobbyists and graphic artists. It is used for the precision cutting materials that are lightweight like the poster or paper board. Sometimes it is known as the hobby knife. Some of these knives feature a handle with a blade storage while some come in a number of shapes. Some of these shapes are the curved and triangle shape that contain a built-in chuck to hold and secure the blades.

Another utility knife is the carpet knife. It is designed for the trimming and cutting of carpet and other kinds of floor materials just like its name implies. It comes in an angular design the offers easy access to hard-to-reach places and a variety of models are made of retractable blades and blade storage in the handle.

There is also the snap blade utility knife which has the blade sections that would usually be snapped off. Under normal circumstances, in order to change the blades, there is no need to open the tool. With products like the leather, vinyl, rubber and wallpaper you could cut them easily since they are medium and light duty materials. Continue Reading