What is a Utility Knife?

@SZapper - Utility knives are an art students best friend. I was a photography major, and I used utility knives all the time in various classes.

I think I used my utility knife for cutting mat board the most though. It's a lot cheaper to buy plain mat board instead of the pre-cut kind. You know college students are on a budget. Also, sometimes I made photos that weren't a traditional size, so I had no choice but to cut my own mat board!

When I took three dimensional design in college, the utility knife was my best friend. I had one with the replaceable blade and I used it pretty much all the time.

We built a lot of sculptures out of foam board. And guess what's pretty much perfect for cutting foam board? If you guess a utility knife, you would be right! I was able to cut straight lines, beveled edges, very small cuts, you name it! The utility knife is just so versatile.

And yes, I did cut myself a few times. I'm fairly clumsy, so it wasn't a big surprise. I never seriously injured myself, luckily.

@Emilski - Interesting, we always called them pen knives instead of X-Acto like the brand name. As for a folding knife, I can't say I have ever seen one. If you're wanting something you can keep in your pocket, though, they definitely make retractable pen knives. I have one. It is very handy, and mine even has a locking mechanism, so it wouldn't be able to come out even if the retracting mechanism got pushed up.

Does anyone know if there is any difference in normal utility knife blades? I was at the store looking at them the other day, and there was a pretty big difference in the price per blade depending on the brand. I didn't know if they were all basically the same and brand was the only thing driving up price, or if some blades just aren't made as sharp as others.

I ended up choosing the kind priced in the middle, but am just curious for when I shop for them next time.

Does anyone know if they make a utility pocket knife with an X-Acto type blade?

At my job, sometimes I need to shave small pieces of wood and plastic off of different things. Utility knives are okay for the job, but sometimes they can be too big. I would like something that is a little smaller and more precise.

I used to use X-Acto knives all the time when I built model cars and planes and stuff, but I never remember seeing folding knives. X-Acto knives always come with covers, but I'm not sure I would trust it to stay on in my pocket, and that could end badly.

I used to have a retractable utility knife set with the segmented blade, but I ditched them after I about cut my arm open using one of them.

It was always handy to be able to just snap the dull blade off after you had used it a while. If you have a knife like this the trick is to get a hand towel and fold it up, put the blade on a hard surface with the towel over the top (to stop the blade from shooting off and cutting you), and then press down until it separates.

The problem I had was that sometimes you need a longer blade than what the knife can safely handle. I put the blade out a couple extra notches one time, and the blade broke while I was cutting something and put a small cut in my arm. Luckily it was minor, but it could have easily been worse.

I always think of the types of utility knives mentioned in the article as having different specialty uses.

The X-Acto knife usually has a small, very sharp blade for making precision cuts, hence the name. The one I have can be fitted with a bunch of different blades for different purposes.

Carpet knives use a completely different blade that is straight on both sides and rounded on the edges. I've used one to cut carpet before. I guess the shape makes the blade less likely to snap, since sometimes it can take a lot of pressure to cut carpet.

As for box cutters, I usually think of these as folding knives where the whole razor blade is held outside of the knife handle.

I have a folding utility knife that I keep close by in what I call my kitchen junk drawer. This way I always know where it is when I need to use it.

This is the best tool I have found to open boxes and packages that are shipped. I spent too many times fumbling around with a regular knife or looking for a pair of scissors in the past.

A utility knife makes a quick, clean cut so you can open the package without struggling. I also like that this utility knife folds in half so the blade is covered when not in use.

I work in a grocery store stocking shelves and I carry a multi tool on my hip at all times. It is absolutely necessary because in any given day I have to open up upwards of one hundred boxes. You can cut through the packing tape that holds them closed with just about any kind of knife, but there is no knife that is as quick and easy as a utility knife. It is mandatory for anyone who has to open boxes all day.

I have an awesome utility tool that a friend of mine brought me back from Japan. It has everything you would expect in a normal multi-tool, blades, scissors, screw drivers and a saw, but it also include a retractable razor blade that gives it the function of a utility knife.

This is great because it combines literally all the tool that you might need in any given work day. I wear the multi-tool on my hip and it comes in handy at least a dozen times a day. I have never seen another multi-tool like this one but I hope some intrepid knife makes will introduce a line of them here in the states. They could sell a ton of these if they tried.