Work knife

C

ChrisFarms

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I need a knife to carry around with me at work, i do produce in a grocery store (before you ask no they dont supply a blade of any sort but aslong as its legal you can carry whatever you want)

Im mostly cutting boxes and plastic all day (everything comes in cardboard) and i need something good to cut with.
Before everyone jumps on and says a box cutter, yea ik a box cutter but im looking for a better then ur old school stanly box cutter (its a great design tho) but i carry it in my left back pocket and its too bulky and heavy and frankly uncomfortable. (right pocket is a regular knife usually my buck (dont always carry it) a chapstick (lips get chapped in the freezer) some tissues and some over the counter medicine (advil tums asprin stuff you could need anytime) my left pocket is my phone back right pocket is my wallet and left pocket goes my utility knife)

Now i have 1 of those quick change folding utility knives but its junk, the blades dont stay in secure enough under heavier use they fall right out.

So if anyone does a similar job what is a good box cutter (or some other type of blade to be used the same) Ill probablly get it from like walmart or a hardware store so nothing too crazy and im just carrying for work so try to keep it cheaper (aslong as it is safe and carryable for 5-8 hours a day itll do)
 
Still haven't found a knife huh? Well, look at Pacific Handy Cutter. They make a leather belt sheath for their cutters. Don't you use an apron of some sort? That should have a decent pocket for something like that. The leather sheath works good as it hands off the belt and keeps your pockets clear.
 
RevDevil said:
Still haven't found a knife huh? Well, look at Pacific Handy Cutter. They make a leather belt sheath for their cutters. Don't you use an apron of some sort? That should have a decent pocket for something like that. The leather sheath works good as it hands off the belt and keeps your pockets clear.
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well i found a good edc for cutting the tape up but regular knives all dull quickly doing other stuff (yea ik lol i was told and didnt listen) so ima carry a box cutter and a regular knife, and the store i work at doesnt have a apron, i wear a green shirt with the store name and a pair of black dickies with a brown leather belt
 
Get a Buck or Kershaw folder. They last forever and can be purchased for fairly cheap at most large retail and sporting goods stores. I'd personally get something that has a liner lock or similar one-handed closing lock.
 
Easy Open Utility Knife w/ Lock Blade - 5.75 Inches Box Cutter

i had something like this folding utility knife once and it was great. can't say if it's a good one or not but go to you're local hardware store or home depot and they'll probably have a few, get the one that fits your pocket best and feels like the highest quality. it's pretty handy to be able to switch a blade out for a few quarters.

also, don't know what your pocket knife is but consider investing in a decent (or at least better than average) steel. spydercos VG 10 can be found for not much money and has good retention. a kershaw knife with 14C28N is even cheaper and IMO holds a pretty good edge (though i always get spots of rust on their bead blasted blades grrr). That and a sharpmaker or some other system would be a good combo. I'm betting you won't dull a blade in less than a day and you could probably touch it up for just a few minutes every night and keep it shaving sharp. or maybe some kind of pocket steel?
 
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I'd edit that out before a mod dings you for deal spotting.
Stick with the PHC, they are good quality and last a really long time, et the sheath too, trust me. I know a couple people that work at auto parts stores and electrical supply stores thwt use them, they would be lost without them.
 
BMLooker said:
Just get a folding box cutter... they're practically all the same for what they are...
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i have a folding box cutter and they are all almost the same, with that stupid quick change lever on the top and there useless because the blade can slip right out
 
Harbor Freight has a few cheap folding box cutters that take standard blades, probably a decent bet for what you are doing. I carry one for work (Geek Squad) because we are constantly opening boxes of parts and stuff. Much nicer to have a crap razor to throw away as opposed to cleaning gunk off of one of my nicer knives. It means I don't really have to worry about dulling the blade on cardboard either.
 
RevDevil said:
I'd edit that out before a mod dings you for deal spotting.
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I thought you could put a link up if it was just an example of a knife? or can you not put any links to sites that don't advertise with the forum? took it out, better safe than sorry. thx revdevil.
 
I would recommend a Japanese Kiridashi design. These things are quick and easy to touch up, stay sharp for a long time, and particular usefulness with wood and gardening.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/897388-Show-off-your-custom-Kiridashi-s!
 
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fatherhudson said:
I thought you could put a link up if it was just an example of a knife? or can you not put any links to sites that don't advertise with the forum? took it out, better safe than sorry. thx revdevil.
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I'd recommend a picture, a link can be construed as a sales attempt for a non supporting member, especially if there is a price attached. Your second statement is accurate. Just helping people dodge the lemon and cinnamon chiclets, they nasty!
 
Check out some Utica knives. They have a pretty solid selection of hard-working, inexpensive, public view friendly knives. A Spyderco Tenacious or byrd cara cara 2 are pretty solid, too. Ive used them quite a bit for plastic, wiring, cardboard... Good thing is that when you're breaking down boxes, you can just do a quick strop on the remnants to keep the edge groomed.
 
I like the Superknife folding box cutter with Irwin bimetal blades. Craftsman and Snap On also make decent folding box cutters. All of these companies should fix or replace a tool that won't retain the blade.
 
I carry a Dewalt folding utility knife with Irwin blades, on my tool belt- for carpentry. Retractable blade with spares and it holds the blades securely. Cut through the wrong side of roofing shingles and blades stayed in place. Now it is folding, so it might be a bit thick. I imagine it would work fine in a grocery store.

Good luck, hope you find what you are looking for.
 
Walmart used to sell a Stanley retracting utility knife. I know, I know... But this was not the classic model 99. It was model 10-016, which looked like the ubiquitous and widely copied model 99. Except it was thinner and about an inch shorter. Much more pocketable, same reliability and construction, uses the same trapezoid blades. I've plugged them several times before on bladeforums. Unfortunately Walmart seems to have stopped carrying them, and they are now available mostly from online vendors for more than the <$2 they used to go for. Just do a google search for that model number, and you'll find places to buy, should you want one. For someone who will be using it a lot, the Stanley type knife, fixed or retracting, really is a better choice than just about anything else. The thin blades are ideal. The handles are comfortable.

The biggest problem with most pocket knives for cutting cardboard all day is that the blades are just too thick. And you'll have to sharpen them very often, since the blade thickness will make a sharp edge critical to performing well, in contrast to the paper thin Stanley blade which has to displace much less material.

An alternative to the Stanley retracting knife is... a Stanley folding knife. Model 10-049 is a bit of an unusual model, a folding knife with a small-ish, thin replaceable blade with a nail nick. I've seen them many a time in stores, but have never used one. Replacement blades seem available enough, though not nearly as common as the trapezoid shaped kind, and kind of pricey.

There is also model 10-810. This is a somewhat novel Stanley retracting knife with a pocket clip, very much unlike the classic 99. While it isn't as long as the 99, it's still a bit girthy. Though the convenience of the pocket clip might compensate.
 
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When doing overnight stocking at walmart they give everybody an EasyCut2000, it's actually pretty nifty and I think you could get one online. Takes barely a second to take it from the sheath, cut, and put it back since slightly squeezing the handle makes the blade come out. Can go a month without changing the blade doing 7-10 pallets of crap per night.

It's an option, good luck, and definitely tell a manager there that it's ridiculous for them not to supply needed tools to people.
 
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