Box cutter type folding utility knife

Q

Quy4n8

Joined
Nov 27, 2002
Messages
659
Does anyone have any suggestions as to a good one? I am considering either a Klein 44131 or the Milwaukee “flip knife”, but am open to any others. For what I do at work, the “box cutter” type utility knife works great, but I would like one that is easier to carry in my pocket than the standard slide open versions, but still decent quality. The only reason I picked these two so far is that their other tools are usually good quality, especially Klein. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Q
 
I have a whole collection of them, but I don't have a Klein. The Milwaukee is not too bad, but Dewalt makes my favorite. It both retracts and folds, so when it's open you have a full size handle and depth of cut control just like the classic Stanley retractable box cutter. The blade is retracted before you fold the knife, so even if it comes open in your pocket, the edge and point are not exposed. It also has a compartment to store a few extra blades. It is a bit thicker than most of the folding utility knives, but it's not too bad.

Edit to add: I believe I've also seen the same knife with a Stanley FatMax brand.
 
I am a electrician so i mostly use Klein. Cant go wrong with them. I aint a fan of the folding utility tools. I find a normal retractable tool to be quick and easy when my tool belt covers up my pocket so i cant get to the knife in my pocket.
 
Ive had the Milwaukee flipper in my pocket or clipped in my tool pouch for 9 months now. And its been used every work day. I am also an electrician(apprentice lol) but its never had a hitch not once and is still going strong.
 
I am a apprentice too lol. But when it comes down to it i usually use the knife that i carry on me that day.
 
When I worked construction, I carried a Craftsman.

This one as a matter of fact:
32_6938039_3.jpg


I beat the hell out of it for close to a couple of years, and never had any issues other than one of the pins/rivets coming out of one of the handle inserts. I still have it in one of my tool boxes and use it from time to time.

IIRC, it also has a lifetime replacement warranty. Cost me about $15 bucks way back when.
 
knife to a gunfight said:
When I worked construction, I carried a Craftsman.

This one as a matter of fact:
32_6938039_3.jpg


I beat the hell out of it for close to a couple of years, and never had any issues other than one of the pins/rivets coming out of one of the handle inserts. I still have it in one of my tool boxes and use it from time to time.

IIRC, it also has a lifetime replacement warranty. Cost me about $15 bucks way back when.
Click to expand...
Have you ever had a problem with the blade locking mechanism? You know, the little metal flap you push up to unlock it so you can open it up to get the blade out? I have a feeling the little 'pin' on it that holds it closed will wear out after so much use
 
Oh yea and I also have the Milwaukee FastBack flip knife, great utility knife!! But make sure you put blue Loctite on ALL the screws, they have a reputation for falling out, I carried mine for about 5 months, worked flawlessly, it was my favorite one, when I first got it I thought it would be too bulky to EDC but after carrying for a while I would forget I have it on me. Unfortunately I was grocery shopping a few days ago, I had the flip knife in my back pocket, my jeans were a little small on me (Forgot to do the laundry) so the knife was a little tight, when I got home I went to reach for it and it was gone. After thinking back I realized how I lost it, I was crouching down at the store to pick bread of the floor, I guess the knife pushed its way out of my pocket when I crouched. It was a great knife, I will get a replacement (Hopefully the quality is still good) asap, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone
 
I have the Irwin folding utility knife. I keep it in my tool box for cutting jobs that I don't want to use my pocket knife on.
Haven't had any problems with it yet.
 
Kershaws said:
Have you ever had a problem with the blade locking mechanism? You know, the little metal flap you push up to unlock it so you can open it up to get the blade out? I have a feeling the little 'pin' on it that holds it closed will wear out after so much use
Click to expand...

Honestly, I really never did to my recollection. If it got a little loose (which I don't think the craftsman I had ever did) you could easily pinch the sides together a little bit to tighten it up. As for wearing the pivot pin out, I'm sure you will have changed thousands of blades by the time that happens, and then craftsman will replace it for free.

If you think about it, very little stress is put on the top metal flap, as the main holding power is in the body of the holder itself, with the rest of the pressure put on the hinged tab that says "patented" on it. The top metal flap is just a place holder for that.

The other thing that I really liked about the Craftsman shown in the picture was the weight. Apart from the wood inserts, it was solid stainless steel. Had a nice solid and hefty feel to it. Has a nice strong pivot and lock too, and overall it was much more comfortable and ergonomic than other folding UKs I had used with stamped or pot metal handles.

Keep in mind, I haven't purchased any of their latest iterations of this one, so I can't speak to the current quality, but the one I had was great. Overall, Craftsman's quality has been greatly diminishing over the years, so Caveat Emptor applies.
 
Thanks for all the ideas. I went to Sears earlier today and found one I hadn't seen before, a Craftsman, but instead of opening like a liner lock is the blade slide out like most utility knives, but not just the blade, a larger portion of the knife so that when closed the whole thing was maybe 4" long. This one:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-slid...p-00994877000P?prdNo=7&blockNo=7&blockType=G7

I might consider that too, but I still would like to see the Klein, they might have one at the local electrical store. Thanks again for the ideas.

Q
 
Thanks for all the ideas. I went to Sears earlier today and found one I hadn't seen before, a Craftsman, but instead of opening like a liner lock is the blade slide out like most utility knives, but not just the blade, a larger portion of the knife so that when closed the whole thing was maybe 4" long. This one:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-slide...7&blockType=G7
Click to expand...
I used to have that one, it felt a little cheap compared to the craftsman mentioned above, also after a day of heavy work it got a bunch of dust, sand, dry paint and wood chips in it, and I couldn't take it apart to clean it, so I just threw it away
 
I have a Meyerco assisted opening boxcutter that I've been using for about 10 years. I think it cost about $15 and has lasted far beyond my
expectations. Don't know if they are still making them but it has stood the test of time.
 
Thanks for the update Kershaw. I guess I'll pass on that one then. I'll check on the Meyerco too.
 
I have tried a couple from Stanley, the model 10-016 and the 10-812. The 10-016 is thin (~1/2"), shorter than full size models (5") and fairly easy to open and close as it is a junior version of a standard retractable utility knife. Its drawback is that you have to unscrew it to change blades, but it does hold a few spares. The 10-812, on the other hand, is even shorter at around 4 1/4", it does have a clip and a quick change blade feature, but doesn't hold any spares. For me, it is also awkward to slide opened and closed as being so short, the button to open and close is at the far rear of the handle. They do seem well built enough for most normal uses, but I haven't used them extensively.

I do think I found my ideal utility knife today though. It is a Husky model from my local big box store called the "Autoload Turboslide with Blade Storage". It's about 5" long and 5/8" thick, made from some sort of synthetic with aluminum inserts. The used blade is easy to remove with a metal rotating button; once removed you slide the blade back and a fresh blade loads automatically, hence the name. Very handy feature. It holds 5 spare blades and also has a pocket/belt clip. Large enough for a good hold, but I hope small enough for pocket carry in dungerees/work pants. If it holds up to daily use, it may just be the ideal model for my needs.

Q
 
[video=youtube;VtB830XOS64]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtB830XOS64[/video]

Stanley folding utility knife. I've carried one for a while for work.
 
After further review, I like the Stanley 10-812 better than the Husky I mentioned above. The Husky is a good knife, but will only take Husky brand replacement blades; the notches on the back of their blades are about 0.007" closer together than standard utility blades. That's a problem for me as I need to be able to use whatever blades are on the job sight. I cleaned up the internals of the 10-812 which made it easier to open and have gotten used to where the button is. Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.
 
I second the Gerber E.A.B.
They have a regular and a light version, I like the lite version better it offers a little choil for your finger.
All stainless construction, liner lock
I also have a g10 handled one not pictured, it's at work in my box. It's the same thing as the bottom one but with g10 ontop of the stainless. I've also seen an all black version floating around.
DSCN0955_zps29d98106.jpg
DSCN0954_zpsc00949ab.jpg

Overall Length: 5.10"
Blade Length: 1.50"
Blade Thickness: 0.04"
Blade Style: Utility
Blade Finish: Satin
Edge Type: Plain
Handle Length: 2.85"
Handle Material: Stainless Steel
Weight: 2.5 oz

Thanks to BladeHQ for the specifications.

By my measuring it's .25 thick and .375 (3/8) thick including the pocket clip.
 
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