Quick tip: if you don't have a secure way to dispose of the knife break-off, I usually get a piece of tape or something like that to tape around the broken piece when I throw it away. Wrapping a small piece in electrical tape or anything like that will reduce the risk of accidentally cutting something/someone later on.
Even a piece of paper works well, just fold it around a few times. I also don't like the idea of an exposed sharp blade kicking around in my garbage bag.
Yeah…got a tiny sliver of steel right in the eye at work one time. It went just to the side of my safety glasses, and entered my eye. Believe me….no fun. Scratching the inside of my eyelid also every time I blinked. What the hell? And the time in the hospital with them working to get it out was no fun either. Yeah..protect your eyes from flying tiny sharp metal slivers .
@@feynthefallen I sincerely hope you NEVER get a steel sliver in your eyeball. It’s truly horrible to go through. Thankfully there are great doctors and hospitals these days. Once for me was one time too many. But I sure learned my lesson.
One of the most useful techniques I picked up along the way was to hold the knife like a pencil. I teach this to all of my students as it dramatically reduces the chance of slips and slides. When you hold it like that you can't apply too much pressure, so when the blade slips, there won't be too much force behind it as opposed to holding it like in the video. You can also get a cleaner cut by not applying too much pressure, just gently slide the blade a few times and the cut will come out nice and squared. Of course it doesn't work with every application, but for art and architecture, this one little tips has saved so many fingers.
if you hold it like a pencil wouldnt more of your hand be in the direction of the sharp part of the knife? while holding it only at like the top is safer cause if you slip you just drop the knife and not cut yourself?
@@Rvc546 That is the point, the grip is not good for strength so it forces you to keep your blade sharp and not put excessive force on the blade, this is also impoirtant in model making as it makes the cut cleaner.
@@notavailable637 It's for when you are using it with a metal ruler, this way your other hand are at risk if the blade caught the ruler and ran away into your other hand. The grip limits the force applied to the knife so it will not accidentally run up the ruler.
NT Cutter is a Japanese brand that is excellent. It's party trick is that when you get to the end of the blade, just push it all the way out, and when you slide the thumb pusher all the way back it will automatically catch the next blade!
I’ve heard these were invented/ inspired by Japanese cobblers after WW2. Resources were real tight so pieces of glass were used to cut leather and when the glass got dull, they would snap off a portion of the shard to get a fresh sharp edge.
The origin story shared by OLFA talks about something similar. They don't share the exact details but you're exactly right - it came from re-breaking glass to keep a sharp edge, and the concept of segmented chocolate bars.
I like the idea of using glass, are there any jobs where glass blades might be an improvement, possibly a glass blade might need to be chunkier and so only good for cutting leather. Best if they consistently broke into regular shapes, might be a problem if the blade to be broken off shattered into many pieces and fall to the ground.
Beavers have something similar in their teeth. The front layer of their big teeth is harder than the rest of the tooth, meaning that when they bite, the rest of the tooth wears down faster than the front, which makes up the cutting edge. Their teeth are essentially self sharpening like that.
@@MonkeyJedi99 This is indeed more accurate. Many animals with claws actually do 'shed' them in this way naturally and only need them cut if they don't have an opportunity to use them properly. Or if they just get really old and lazy like my cat Findus, who at the end of his life had to have his claws cut because he didn't want to deal with it himself
Can you explain why? I dont care much about brands. I prefer to stand by how it was made. The heat treat, the edge retention from the protocols they used. The quality of the handles etc. Can you quantify it?
+1 olfas are the best value. Their full stainless steel model and the models that come with the black coated blades are my favorite. They sell a cheap plastic case you can snap pieces off with and they get automatically collected in the plastic case. When it's full you throw it away
@@tacticalcenter8658made in Japan. Quality & robust designs. Fully stainless one available is great for industrial applications with solvents/oil. The speed & smoothess of their mechanism that moves the blade is just totally dialed in & is perfect amount of force. Never comes out in your pocket, but effortless to use.
@@tacticalcenter8658 OLFA knives and blades are made in Japan, and made damn well. I've got a couple that I've used for 3 or 4 years, total metal body, all the paint has been worn off and they're pretty much worn to a polished metal finish. Their replacement blades also come with a little container for the broken off sections which is really nice.
80% people in my country didn't know that snapblade can be snapped if the tip is nolonger sharp . They will change the entire blade , or even buying a new whole one not just buying the replacement blade .
@@dandcc9192 To be fair, if you've only ever bought these from dollar stores, there are almost never instructions that mention snapping off the blade ends.
As a youth, I worked in warehouses and loved the disposable snap knives. Problems from dirty cardboard, gunky adhesives, and staples would be snapped away. The ones I had could be locked in the fully retracted position. All while being cheap enough to give away. It was part of my EDC for years too. On the occasion of going to security, no need to return the nicer knife to the car or hope it gets past. Just slip into a trashcan.
One thing I could add. At least on olfas or generic ones that often copies olfa, the first click on the thumb slide where the point of the blade start sticking out, its always the perfect size to open boxes through the tape. Its handy to avoid scoring or cutting whats inside of the box.
You can get these types of knives that can hold five blades or more in a magazine in the handle. Some even have a quick change system where you push the slide all the way forward and remove the old blade, pull it all the way back and a new blade snaps into it.
Most people don't have blades in the handle. I just checked mine, and there is indeed room to store blades, but there were none inside when I bought either knife.
Focus... out of focus... focus.... out of focus.... focus.... out of focus.... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus
I still have an all-metal snap-knife made by Olfa, the original snap-blade manufacturer, that I've been using since the early 70s. My initial use of those devices was not exactly safe, as not knowing any better I'd often stroke the blade toward me instead of away from me. On one of those occasions I managed to cut a slice through my thigh, leaving a large pool of blood on the floor in a matter of seconds. My mom rushed me to the ER, as I kept pressure on the wound. Lessons learned were to never cut toward myself while using force, and never expose more blade segments than necessary for the job. Since then I've had utmost respect for those (as well as all other cutting) tools, with zero accidents since, over the last 5 decades. An I still have, and use regularly, that very same Olfa cutter.
Had a cut earlier this year, sometimes you only learn from experience. Same with soldering. Not a full metal one, but it does have a metal rail around the blade. Never again those all plastic ones.
I'm a professional sculptor and I use fully extended snap blades all the time. It takes some dexterity to know how to use them that way without snapping the blades by accident. I wish they made some without the snap lines. But, I'm glad they exist
Ive got a smaller Fiskar one and when you run out of blade segments you push it all the way out and it loads a new blade stored behind it. It also came with like 7-8 blades ready to replace when needed and it was like 8.99. Definitely a good buy
Used these for decades as a structural aircraft tech and always had the ALWAYS useful, small(9mm) version in my belt holster(along with a 6" scale, scribe, pen and 0.4mm permanent marker). The company supplied both sizes of cutters and an unending supply of blades. Also indispensable in the composite repair shops, where that fresh, sharp 25mm blade came in extremely handy when cutting multiple fibreglass or carbon fibre prepreg layup pieces on the self-healing mats in the cleanroom. Since retired, a 25mm blade lasts FOREVER, mostly opening various Amazon packages, lol.
I use the original (Olfa) every day, a tad more expensive but honestly couldn't go without. Cuts and strips wires, cuts ropes, strip plastic/cardboard packaging etc, have even sliced up sandwiches at lunchtime, clean excess glue, sharpen pencils etc etc. Has a blunt plate at the rear that works for opening paint cans/unscrew flathead screws/bolts/general undo things that the sharp end doesnt do. And it's high quality, neigh on indestructible. You can get by a whole day never noticing you have one, but you'll instantly recognize when you forgot to bring one.
Thanks for the vid, informative for sure. I’m a bit over protective so I appreciated mentioning that big scar. As just a homeowner and crafter that often uses these I want to mention two things for safety. 1. Never leave the blade exposed when not using them. Very easy to close it and reopen. 2. Without having a storage unit I will wrap an inch of tape over the broken off blade and it’s good for the garbage. Overkill? Maybe but I’m old and afraid of the big bad world.
An empty beer can works well for projects that generate a lot of blade snaps(put a bend in the can and turf it into the recycling bin or garbage when done), but like you, I'm overly concerned about that tiny sharpish edge cutting through the garbage bag and then severing a limb or my head in a freak accident, lol, so out comes the tape.
I've also shoved the snapped off bits into a chunk of corrugated cardboard between the two flat layers. Often, my concern is to not have sharps in a trash bag that can poke through and injure me or someone else.
@@CarbonTech19 A virus is far to small to make off with an entire leg! Wait. wrong skit. A blade snap-off would need a lot of help to sever anything, but a dirty cut is a bad way to get off a jobsite.
I have a few: 1) Always a couple 9mm blade simple models for fine detailed cuts. These are close to Xacto like usage. 2) 18mm version in the kitchen utility drawer. Mostly for packaging. 3) the Lenox model like mentioned. This is used specifically for tasks where I’m ditching blade segments fast for a new shape tip point. 4) knifed model because it has an extendable spine. This is used for cutting think things like hose and foam. The spine strengthens the blade when fully extended and helps limit unexpected premature snapping. 5) Stanley FatMax 25mm is my daily use untility knife around the shop/yard/house. It has the knob for locking the blade down, large comfortable handle, strong structure for using the tip of the blade holder as a scraper/prybar/screwdriver. The blade holder has a spring loaded magazine for rapid reload of spare blades, just pull thumb slider all the way back and another blade engages. This thing just is a beast in hand feel. ****But all my knives get Black carbon steel Olfa blades. I don’t buy the normal shiny steel ones. ****
Perfect for a kitchen installer, you can cut silicone and glue between countertops, frames and wall tiles and open the boxes for appliances etc I always have in my pocket a HD mechanical pencil, a snap knife and a tape measure, those get you so far
I'm not even joking when I say I strop my snap and box cutters. I know they are cheap. But there is just something about not needing to replace them daily. I pack hundreds of boxes every week.
I use the olfa HD and the blades are stupid expensive but rarely break, so I tune mine up with a little diamond pocket hone. You can also break the yellow plastic off of the HD model and it's very sleek.
@@MrKotBonifacy So you did learn something! lol But yeah, I know what you mean. Nothing that isn't common sense here. And the title of the video - what did he not know about snap blades? Cause this is all first day stuff
Knipex makes a really nice version of this with an extendable spine to stabilize the blade when you extend it out. Also an easy tool free way to snap off blades is to put the blade down on a hard surface at an angle, place your thumb over it and push down, so the blade doesn’t go flying.
A cheap medical sharps container makes a great addition to the shop. All the used blades and snapped-off portions go in there so they won't poke someone in the trash. It takes years to fill up the container, then it's accepted for disposal at any waste transfer station.
Thanks for making this interesting video. I use snap-off blade knives at work and at home. 9:45 I actually have that exact model sitting next to me, now. I've been using it to help me remove silicone sealant from around the bath tub.
I used one regularly years ago. There is a Japanese brand that sells heat-treated blades. I was cutting 8 foot gator board all day at the time. Made a big difference.
@@lennart637 I went back and checked. The ones I used were OLFA, made in Japan. They are dark blue/black metal. Cutting 8 foot gator board all day is no fun. You're using 2 or 3 blade segments at a time with quick action so you don't get bogged down during the cut. An extra hard blade was essential.
Dude. I did the EXACT same thing with a box cutter as a kid! I thought I was the only one! Yours looked a little less severe than mine though. I actually sliced clean through the tendon on the back of my thumb. Also, I never realized that OLFA was the originator of snap blades! No wonder I've found those to be the most reliable!
I have almost the exact same scar from the video, also from cutting cardboard when i was young. I guess an accident like that in your youth is the perfect opportunity to learn.
I found one in an old storage room, apparently an Olfa XH-1. Heavy duty one with 25mm blades. It was dirty, grimey and with a very rusty blade but with some TLC (and cleaning), it's in great condition once again and i bought a few packs of new blades aswell. Snap knives are awesome! Been using them most of my life, as they are super common here. Regarding the blade notch, i use it for cutting acrylic. Using the notch to scratch in a straight line a bunch of times, then snap the acrylic. Similar to cutting glass, i suppose.
There are also the much larger variations, almost the size of katanas. It’s said that those were used to slice the nape of a giant’s neck which then causes them to evaporate. Be careful with the steam, it’s a little toasty! What’s great is that replacement blades are always available on your hip, which is really handy. For maximum efficiency, always pair it with a multidirectional transportation hip unit. Much easier for much upward diagonal manoeuvring.
Something i like about snap knives, is not fully extending them, lockong then with just ~5mm can allow me to score halfway through thicker cardboard, if im aiming to fold it, without fully cutting through it. Just a short cutting edge, and you rely on the plastic housing to prevent your knife going too deep.
They're your eyes, do what you like. But I always have Rx glasses on and always "break away" from myself so if there are any steel bits flying they aren't going towards my eyes.
If I have no safety glasses than I usually put the knife low and close my eyes/turn my head away for the moment of snapping. It's scary to imagine one of those shards landing in my eye.
The built in blade cutter is a great discovery! Thanks! I recently used a snap blade knife for cutting rockwool insulation due to its ability to have that longer blade extension, worked awesome.
Their kitchen knives are not great. The handle of most of mine are melted or deformed and disgusting. It is made of some inappropriate plastic. Even fingerprints from hot or greasy fingers are impressed permanently in the plastic.
I have their snap blade knife. It's disappointing. The slide gets stuck frequently and I need two hands to move it. It also doesn't lock the blade securely and it will often pull right out of the handle when I'm cutting something particularly tough. Wouldn't buy another one.
Excellent info!!! People who designed these utility knives should be in Congress, rather than crooks being in Congress now! Believe me that small, but yet smart, thinking like this is what really needed in this country!
Good info, I think I threw away one that probably had a spare blade still inside. I got into building R/C airplanes with Styrofoam few years ago and learned that, at lest for hobby use, you can tune up the razors edge with a standard kitchen knife steel rod to get some more life out of the blade.
I never considered or even really knew about these knives. They seem super cool! I just bought a bunch of regular box cutters with spring-retractable blade that's not out if I'm not holding it with the option to have it stay out too. Great because my kids won't get shanked when I'm working on something or opening boxes. If I had a snap blade like that, I'd buy those instead.
there are serrated blades available on amazon. i find they work way better for doing stuff like cutting through hoses or ropes. they come 10 in a pack and are sharper
I always keep an Olfa in my pocket everywhere I go. So far it's the most versatile knife for everything I do. Unfortunately the feature where you can always get a fresh tip is also a problem if you use the blade fully extended for cutting drywall or carpet or something, it isn't as strong as some others so if you're not careful the blade will break at the base however long it's extended. Besides that I don't need any of the extra stuff I just toss the sections immediately after snapping them. If you don't you will find them later when you aren't looking... if you know what I mean.
Fun fact: in the anime Attack on Titan, the reason they used snap swords was so they could just advance the front section to cut the titans with, and whenever it got dull they could stop in the street and just snap off the tip with their hands, so they can advance it to the next sharp segment, letting them save vital metal.
at 4:40 how to get cut lol , blade up , more than one section out and working sidways ... perfect for a blade brake and blood coming out most of these knife are prohobited in the work place over here ... but i still have a bunch
1:41 You can remove the black, back end of the cutter and use that to snap off the blade. There should be a slot in the back piece that slides onto the blade
Absolutely. I covered that around 2:30 in the video and some more at later points too. I used a wrench early on to show how a lot of people are snapping the blade.
The small blue-handled knife where you used a pliers to snap off the blade actually has a tool just for this purpose located at the opposite end. Remove the end and there's a slot made to go over the blade and snap off the blade end. Put the snap tool back on the knife when you're done.
I have several snap blades and my favorite is the OLFA SVR art/graphic knife. Small (9 mm) with a stainless steel body. Unlike the polymer bodied knives this one doesn't dissolve and get gummy when exposed to solvents.
My first rotary knife was an OLFA. Excellent tools. I buy one of two of these at HF and keep them on all my work surfaces and in all tool bags. I even found these snap segments are a great replacement cutter in my wife’s embroidery machine. After so much thread the OEM blade gets dull. I opened it up to find one of these segments placed in a holding slot oriented to cut the thread when activated.
You can also cut a slit in between the studs and drop your used blade into the wall. What I found when we renovated our bathroom…hundreds of razor blades in the wall. 1955 medicine cabinets were the best.
Hah. Brings to mind a funny story. I was once remodeling an old house. We removed the medicine cabinet and demo’d the plaster. In the wall cavity we found a whole bunch of coins. Apparently the owner was using it as a bank, saving for retirement.
Don't remove insulation from wires like this, it'll make cut around the wire which makes it easily break when bent. Cut insulation as if you sharpening pencil instead
put them in a clearly marked sharps container and then u can take them to metal recycle center, but they may not take it cause those containers are also used for used needles. if u have weekly city recycle service just put the container in the there.
I have a heavy-duty uline snap blade knife and it has an auto-loading feature. Really handy. Also, if you find yourself using a snap blade fully extended all the time, olfa makes solid non-scored blades that fit 9mm and 18mm handles.
I am using snap blades since I was in high school in the eighties. And I never understood why the notch only was in the first blade. Now I know it is an indicator, not a tool to remove the plastic from wire, and that people only use it for that. Now I understand why it isn't in all pieces 🙂
I wonder how many of us have similar childhood scars from the same cause? I also suspect, if we looked at how those scars related to age and gender, we'd find some predictable trends.
There's got to be something to that. I did a lot of unsafe things with knives and fire growing up, despite (or maybe partially because of?) being in cub scouts and boy scouts where they taught how to use these tools safely. A lot of kids, like myself, are a bit gung ho about everything and scars are often the result.
I uhh, have a pretty solid scar from one from just last year. I thought I took my kuckle clean off when it happened, was looking all over for the chink of skin that I thought was missing...
@@LRN2DIY i am kind of disappointed you didn't mention the "autoloading" snap Knifes, despite them having a bad rap about slipping, if you get a Good quality auto loader it is just as strong as the rest.
I first started using these in 1972 for layout and design. The first brand I ever used was made by DICO, like the small blue one in the video. There have been scores of manufacturers since then. New? Where have you been?
I have the Fiskars Pro utility folding knife, it's similar to your Milwaukee Fastback in functionality but probably doesn't have some of the features. I have another folding utility knife under Canadian Tire's Mastercraft brand that has the ability to store five extra blades in a small covered compartment inside the handle. It's pretty rough around the edges as it's years and years old but it still works for the most part.
Very informative! I'd suggest using a fixed focus, though. Your autofocus left a lot of shots frustratingly blurry. Also, it looks like you're pretty good at editing, so if you need a more zoomed in shot on something thats not in the fixed focus range, you can just zoom in in post, or of course alter the gocus manually in real time. Personally, I've never minded a creator taking a moment to adjust their focus, which can always be cut out, too; but when you're trying to show me something that's blurry, it gives me a bit of a 😕🙄😮💨 feeling.
That nodge on the end of the blade is an indicator for the machine that makes the blade so it can break the blades apart from the blank that they are made out of, a role of steel with the dimensions of the blade. If you look at the end of the blade you can see that the blade has been snapped there too.
2:48 It's safer to snap outwards to avoid the blade projecting towards you. Some breakers have wider or shallower slots that can't hold the blade properly.
That scar looks just like mine from a Utility knife that had a shelf above the blade, which I think is for cutting the tops off of closed boxes by resting the shelf on it. Even as I was technically cutting away from myself as I tried to cut a panel off an open box, that shelf pulled it right out of the crease and sent it up to my wrist that was holding the box panel in place. It didn't change in tension or even give me a little bump warning, so it was similar to just swinging a blade at my wrist. It didn't hurt surprisingly, but I did surprise the doctors when I said I was about to faint 1 second before I did
1:44 This is funny, because all those knives - even the disposable ones - have a plastic back with a slot in it that is intended to be used to snap off the blunt section of the blade. That was a standard feature back in the 70s.
I got three snap knives, two of which are Stanley Fatmax 25 mm knives that I use for automotive work (one at work, one at home), and one red 9 mm (possibly KS Tools, can't find info on it anymore) that I use at home for miscellaneous stuff. They're great, and have spring loaded blade storage and the auto locking slider, so if I want a new blade, I just drive the slider all the way to the end, pull out the blade and slide the slider back to the start, and then I have a new blade ready to use. Also, the Stanley Fatmax knives has a locking screw that goes into a metal plate that clamps the blade that is much better than the KS Tools 907.2158 snap knife I had before, which has a spring loaded locking screw that went into a plactic housing where the screw locked the blade, resulting in the plastic breaking after a few months of light use. Also that the blade snapping tool is separate from the blade holder (that can hold 5 blades in both cases, including the one in use) is much better than the blade snapping tool on the KS Tools knife that is attached to the blade holder. I can strongly recommend the Stanley Fatmax 25 mm knife, as it's very sturdy and really quite good quality, especially at about €15, moreso than the KS Tools knife at €16 that breaks after a few months of regular use. The 9 mm knife is nice with the same neat features as the two 25mm knives, except it doesn't have a snap off tool and blade lock. I honestly don't know what it costs, as I got it from a previous place of work, simply because I forgot to take it out of my work trousers after my contract expired. Both my dad and my uncle uses 18 mm cheap knives, as my uncle burns through at a rate of at least 2 per job and my dad rarely uses any, whereas I've kept my 9 mm for about 5 years and my two 25 mm for about a year at this point, and I use them on a regular basis.
Architecture student tip : you can definitely get your fresh blade without a plier nor the annoying black cap at the end, juste fold the blade, following the score as you would close a book on a hard surface with your hand slightly over it, fast and perfect every time ! Pro tip : get the sliding system as close as the score as you can before doing it for getting a clean snap, and don’t bend the blade, just do it quick and precise. Never got a blade in my hand after doing it hundreds of times so don’t worry! Enjoy
i have a fancier version of the small one and it served me really well as just a knife on my work desk if i need to cut something, but when i had to replace the blade the new blades i got were complete trash and any moisture that gets on the blade part somehow dulls it completely
Howdy, last week I educated myself on these and found they are pretty cool tools, I had no idea the snap blades were that old, a year older than me. I sharpen mine as they need it.
NHK has a show were they look at Japanese inventions. One of them was on the creation of the snap bleeds. Very interesting the inventor talks about the discovery and improving it. Definitely worth watching if you can find it I have it recorded somewhere in my archives that I have to go through.
you should have included ceramic hobby knife like Slice Ceramic Micro-Blade, best for safety and flush cuts. and thank for all the information from all your videos 🙏
I use these break off blades exclusivly at work, and while I dont recommend it, I break them off with my thumb or press them on the ground. Also I like that it is way more flexible if you have to cut in a corner
Knipex CutiX, it has the best feature imo which is stabilization bar - it makes cutting with long exposed blade more durable and stable, plus you can more comfortably use your thumb on the back. Also the magnesium housing is more durable.
I have the same fastback. I upgraded after keeping an aluminum body basic fastback for the last number of years. I still have it but I really like the 1505 because of the bit driver. I’m a handyman and it is forever in use at my day job.
I usually keep an empty soda can at my workstation for disposing the snapped-off pieces! It does a pretty good job of keeping them safely, and then I just put a little tape over the opening when it gets full and recycle it!
Thanks for sharing I also was close to lose a finger when I was grafting fig tree but Alhamdulillah And now with that video I am excited to buy one again 😂
Great video! I thought for a bit you were going to give some tips on how to reuse/recycle/dispose the little snapped parts, but great insights nevertheless.
You don't need the blade snappers. Just put your thumb on the dull section as you snap it on the edge of a bench. Then slide it off to grip it with a finger too, and toss in the bin. This really bothered a machinist-boss I had, but it is foolproof. Also, the left over butt end makes a great scraper, but you have to make your own holder, because companies are not very smart.
I know it goes against the logic of the tool... But these things are ridiculously easy to sharpen. For the most part, and for safety, the blades are pretty soft. If they were really hard, the snapping would be more dangerous. And the blades are at a razor angle which means sharpening can proceed with it being easy to find the angle and to remove material. I can sharpen one faster than I can snap it. And it is safer, and better for the environment. These also get used for tasks, like cutting leather, where the normal procedure with real knives, even harder knives, is to strop the edge every few feet of cutting, and that works just as well with these knives.
Quick tip: if you don't have a secure way to dispose of the knife break-off, I usually get a piece of tape or something like that to tape around the broken piece when I throw it away. Wrapping a small piece in electrical tape or anything like that will reduce the risk of accidentally cutting something/someone later on.
Thats what I do too, usually with a piece of masking tape
Excellent safety tip, especially if kids are around.
Even a piece of paper works well, just fold it around a few times. I also don't like the idea of an exposed sharp blade kicking around in my garbage bag.
0.0．０
I usually drop them in an empty bottle before throwing them away. I use tape otherwise.
Important safety tip: Close your eyes the moment you snap them, because every now and then, some metal pieces may go flying off.
who's gonna tell em
Just use your safety squints
Yeah…got a tiny sliver of steel right in the eye at work one time. It went just to the side of my safety glasses, and entered my eye.
Believe me….no fun. Scratching the inside of my eyelid also every time I blinked. What the hell?
And the time in the hospital with them working to get it out was no fun either.
Yeah..protect your eyes from flying tiny sharp metal slivers .
@@robertwilliamson922 I actually never got one IN my eye, but bouncing off uncomfortably close...
@@feynthefallen I sincerely hope you NEVER get a steel sliver in your eyeball. It’s truly horrible to go through. Thankfully there are great doctors and hospitals these days.
Once for me was one time too many. But I sure learned my lesson.
One of the most useful techniques I picked up along the way was to hold the knife like a pencil.
I teach this to all of my students as it dramatically reduces the chance of slips and slides.
When you hold it like that you can't apply too much pressure, so when the blade slips, there won't be too much force behind it as opposed to holding it like in the video. You can also get a cleaner cut by not applying too much pressure, just gently slide the blade a few times and the cut will come out nice and squared.
Of course it doesn't work with every application, but for art and architecture, this one little tips has saved so many fingers.
if you hold it like a pencil wouldnt more of your hand be in the direction of the sharp part of the knife? while holding it only at like the top is safer cause if you slip you just drop the knife and not cut yourself?
@@notavailable637 Yes and no... That grip is not good for heavy duty works but only for art and craft... Where you need more control over power.
Amen.
@@Rvc546 That is the point, the grip is not good for strength so it forces you to keep your blade sharp and not put excessive force on the blade, this is also impoirtant in model making as it makes the cut cleaner.
@@notavailable637 It's for when you are using it with a metal ruler, this way your other hand are at risk if the blade caught the ruler and ran away into your other hand. The grip limits the force applied to the knife so it will not accidentally run up the ruler.
NT Cutter is a Japanese brand that is excellent. It's party trick is that when you get to the end of the blade, just push it all the way out, and when you slide the thumb pusher all the way back it will automatically catch the next blade!
NT Cutter from Japan is actually the company that invented this kind of knives and introduced it to the market in 1959. Great products indeed.
Wow!
I bought two NT Cutters because I saw Adam Savage using them. I love the weightiness of the handle.
@@failswithtails I'm pretty sure that's where I saw them as well!
Way u break blades makes me crindge.
I’ve heard these were invented/ inspired by Japanese cobblers after WW2. Resources were real tight so pieces of glass were used to cut leather and when the glass got dull, they would snap off a portion of the shard to get a fresh sharp edge.
The origin story shared by OLFA talks about something similar. They don't share the exact details but you're exactly right - it came from re-breaking glass to keep a sharp edge, and the concept of segmented chocolate bars.
So *that's* why this kind of knife is called a "Japanese knife" in the country I've moved to! Thank you for clearing up a question for me.
That explains why there's such a wide selection of these at DAISO
Cobblers using glass shards and snapping them for new sharp edges is a lot older than WW2
I like the idea of using glass, are there any jobs where glass blades might be an improvement, possibly a glass blade might need to be chunkier and so only good for cutting leather. Best if they consistently broke into regular shapes, might be a problem if the blade to be broken off shattered into many pieces and fall to the ground.
Side note: cats claws work similar to these. When a cat scratches a post, its actually snapping off old claw pieces to reveal new sharp ones.
I always compared cat claws to a tight stack of road cones.
Beavers have something similar in their teeth.
The front layer of their big teeth is harder than the rest of the tooth, meaning that when they bite, the rest of the tooth wears down faster than the front, which makes up the cutting edge.
Their teeth are essentially self sharpening like that.
I’ve pulled three claw shedding out of my leg over the years.
@@MonkeyJedi99 This is indeed more accurate. Many animals with claws actually do 'shed' them in this way naturally and only need them cut if they don't have an opportunity to use them properly.
Or if they just get really old and lazy like my cat Findus, who at the end of his life had to have his claws cut because he didn't want to deal with it himself
If it doesn't say OLFA, don't bother.
100% agree. I don't do carpentry or any form of building, I work in the print trade. It's OLFA all the way. Quality.
Can you explain why? I dont care much about brands. I prefer to stand by how it was made. The heat treat, the edge retention from the protocols they used. The quality of the handles etc.
Can you quantify it?
+1 olfas are the best value. Their full stainless steel model and the models that come with the black coated blades are my favorite. They sell a cheap plastic case you can snap pieces off with and they get automatically collected in the plastic case. When it's full you throw it away
@@tacticalcenter8658made in Japan. Quality & robust designs. Fully stainless one available is great for industrial applications with solvents/oil.
The speed & smoothess of their mechanism that moves the blade is just totally dialed in & is perfect amount of force. Never comes out in your pocket, but effortless to use.
@@tacticalcenter8658 OLFA knives and blades are made in Japan, and made damn well. I've got a couple that I've used for 3 or 4 years, total metal body, all the paint has been worn off and they're pretty much worn to a polished metal finish. Their replacement blades also come with a little container for the broken off sections which is really nice.
80% people in my country didn't know that snapblade can be snapped if the tip is nolonger sharp . They will change the entire blade , or even buying a new whole one not just buying the replacement blade .
What country? So I can avoid going there
@@dandcc9192 absolutely , it been called "konoha" these day . be careful , the people are savage, especially on the net ..
@@dandcc9192 To be fair, if you've only ever bought these from dollar stores, there are almost never instructions that mention snapping off the blade ends.
America?
Russia?
I have no idea why TH-cam placed that in my recommendation list; but your video taught me a lot about snap knives. Thanks for the course.
Same here, I didn't know about the removable blade snapper on the end of those disposable snap knives. Very handy!
us moment
As a youth, I worked in warehouses and loved the disposable snap knives. Problems from dirty cardboard, gunky adhesives, and staples would be snapped away. The ones I had could be locked in the fully retracted position. All while being cheap enough to give away. It was part of my EDC for years too. On the occasion of going to security, no need to return the nicer knife to the car or hope it gets past. Just slip into a trashcan.
One thing I could add. At least on olfas or generic ones that often copies olfa, the first click on the thumb slide where the point of the blade start sticking out, its always the perfect size to open boxes through the tape. Its handy to avoid scoring or cutting whats inside of the box.
Who knew a video on a snap knife could be so interesting. I learned some new things about them.
Most people don't realize that there's blades in the handle.
Depends on the brand/model/style of your knife.
You can get these types of knives that can hold five blades or more in a magazine in the handle. Some even have a quick change system where you push the slide all the way forward and remove the old blade, pull it all the way back and a new blade snaps into it.
Most people don't have blades in the handle.
I just checked mine, and there is indeed room to store blades, but there were none inside when I bought either knife.
Focus... out of focus... focus.... out of focus.... focus.... out of focus.... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus... focus... out of focus
You must be fun at parties.
At least until after the first few drinks - then everything's out of focus...like this video
Sounds like it's time for glasses.😁
@@glitch9211 Sounds like it's time for this channel that has 1mln subs to learn how his camera works.
ADHD camera.
I still have an all-metal snap-knife made by Olfa, the original snap-blade manufacturer, that I've been using since the early 70s. My initial use of those devices was not exactly safe, as not knowing any better I'd often stroke the blade toward me instead of away from me. On one of those occasions I managed to cut a slice through my thigh, leaving a large pool of blood on the floor in a matter of seconds. My mom rushed me to the ER, as I kept pressure on the wound. Lessons learned were to never cut toward myself while using force, and never expose more blade segments than necessary for the job.
Since then I've had utmost respect for those (as well as all other cutting) tools, with zero accidents since, over the last 5 decades. An I still have, and use regularly, that very same Olfa cutter.
My lesson was a Buck knife into the thigh cutting hotdog sticks, fixed the almost 2" slice with duct tape though, have a nice scar to remind me.😂
@@bobjones8372 Ouch. 🙂
Amen.
I have a stainless steel very thin with a pocket clip, I think it's an OLFA I bought in the 80s. But I can't find it recently. Sad
Had a cut earlier this year, sometimes you only learn from experience. Same with soldering.
Not a full metal one, but it does have a metal rail around the blade. Never again those all plastic ones.
I'm a professional sculptor and I use fully extended snap blades all the time. It takes some dexterity to know how to use them that way without snapping the blades by accident. I wish they made some without the snap lines. But, I'm glad they exist
Ive got a smaller Fiskar one and when you run out of blade segments you push it all the way out and it loads a new blade stored behind it. It also came with like 7-8 blades ready to replace when needed and it was like 8.99. Definitely a good buy
Used these for decades as a structural aircraft tech and always had the ALWAYS useful, small(9mm) version in my belt holster(along with a 6" scale, scribe, pen and 0.4mm permanent marker). The company supplied both sizes of cutters and an unending supply of blades. Also indispensable in the composite repair shops, where that fresh, sharp 25mm blade came in extremely handy when cutting multiple fibreglass or carbon fibre prepreg layup pieces on the self-healing mats in the cleanroom.
Since retired, a 25mm blade lasts FOREVER, mostly opening various Amazon packages, lol.
I use the original (Olfa) every day, a tad more expensive but honestly couldn't go without.
Cuts and strips wires, cuts ropes, strip plastic/cardboard packaging etc, have even sliced up sandwiches at lunchtime, clean excess glue, sharpen pencils etc etc.
Has a blunt plate at the rear that works for opening paint cans/unscrew flathead screws/bolts/general undo things that the sharp end doesnt do.
And it's high quality, neigh on indestructible.
You can get by a whole day never noticing you have one, but you'll instantly recognize when you forgot to bring one.
0:33 The idea to snap off a piece of your dull blade is way, way older. Before metal was a thing, flint knapping was the rage!
Thanks for the vid, informative for sure. I’m a bit over protective so I appreciated mentioning that big scar. As just a homeowner and crafter that often uses these I want to mention two things for safety. 1. Never leave the blade exposed when not using them. Very easy to close it and reopen. 2. Without having a storage unit I will wrap an inch of tape over the broken off blade and it’s good for the garbage. Overkill? Maybe but I’m old and afraid of the big bad world.
An empty beer can works well for projects that generate a lot of blade snaps(put a bend in the can and turf it into the recycling bin or garbage when done), but like you, I'm overly concerned about that tiny sharpish edge cutting through the garbage bag and then severing a limb or my head in a freak accident, lol, so out comes the tape.
The bin men /garbage collectors will appreciate that.
Ounce of prevention pays out big the one time you need it too.
I've also shoved the snapped off bits into a chunk of corrugated cardboard between the two flat layers.
Often, my concern is to not have sharps in a trash bag that can poke through and injure me or someone else.
@@CarbonTech19 A virus is far to small to make off with an entire leg!
Wait. wrong skit.
A blade snap-off would need a lot of help to sever anything, but a dirty cut is a bad way to get off a jobsite.
I swear, im coming down there if you don’t get your focus issues fixed
Lol...just do it! Thank you..made me chuckle😊
I have a few:
1) Always a couple 9mm blade simple models for fine detailed cuts. These are close to Xacto like usage.
2) 18mm version in the kitchen utility drawer. Mostly for packaging.
3) the Lenox model like mentioned. This is used specifically for tasks where I’m ditching blade segments fast for a new shape tip point.
4) knifed model because it has an extendable spine. This is used for cutting think things like hose and foam. The spine strengthens the blade when fully extended and helps limit unexpected premature snapping.
5) Stanley FatMax 25mm is my daily use untility knife around the shop/yard/house. It has the knob for locking the blade down, large comfortable handle, strong structure for using the tip of the blade holder as a scraper/prybar/screwdriver. The blade holder has a spring loaded magazine for rapid reload of spare blades, just pull thumb slider all the way back and another blade engages. This thing just is a beast in hand feel.
****But all my knives get Black carbon steel Olfa blades. I don’t buy the normal shiny steel ones. ****
Perfect for a kitchen installer, you can cut silicone and glue between countertops, frames and wall tiles and open the boxes for appliances etc
I always have in my pocket a HD mechanical pencil, a snap knife and a tape measure, those get you so far
I'm not even joking when I say I strop my snap and box cutters. I know they are cheap. But there is just something about not needing to replace them daily. I pack hundreds of boxes every week.
I run my utility knife blade through a pull through sharpener until it's a hook shaped nub before I'll flip it to the good side :)
Same, just feels wasteful to snap them off, I use a honing rod before each shift at work and they last until I lose them
Kinda do the same. Use a Ikea knifesharpener every or every other day to keep it razor sharp. Keeps the effort down when you cut box after box
I use the olfa HD and the blades are stupid expensive but rarely break, so I tune mine up with a little diamond pocket hone. You can also break the yellow plastic off of the HD model and it's very sleek.
i think you ARE joking
I came here knowing there was nothing for me to learn about snap-knives. Now I know a lot more about snap knives.
I came here hoping to learn something new about snap-off blades (!) and knives. Now I know watching this channel is pure waste of time...
@@MrKotBonifacy So you did learn something! lol
But yeah, I know what you mean. Nothing that isn't common sense here. And the title of the video - what did he not know about snap blades? Cause this is all first day stuff
@@TheDarkSkorpion Precisamente, amigo.
Knipex makes a really nice version of this with an extendable spine to stabilize the blade when you extend it out. Also an easy tool free way to snap off blades is to put the blade down on a hard surface at an angle, place your thumb over it and push down, so the blade doesn’t go flying.
that's how I snap mine.
This is The Way, lol.
AVE just released a very high quality snap blade utility knife that is very nice, it’s not cheap but nothing high quality is generally
3:22 I have the same one as this yellow one and literally just found out about the spare when watching this video!!
1:40 for those who dodnt know, the back of the knife is actually made to be able to snap the blade to get the fresh one. its a built in function :)
no need to use a plyer :)
guess what, he shows that less than a minute later in the video.
A cheap medical sharps container makes a great addition to the shop. All the used blades and snapped-off portions go in there so they won't poke someone in the trash. It takes years to fill up the container, then it's accepted for disposal at any waste transfer station.
3:45. You’re welcome.
Hero
Thanks for making this interesting video. I use snap-off blade knives at work and at home. 9:45 I actually have that exact model sitting next to me, now. I've been using it to help me remove silicone sealant from around the bath tub.
I used one regularly years ago. There is a Japanese brand that sells heat-treated blades. I was cutting 8 foot gator board all day at the time. Made a big difference.
All of theses blades are heat treated.
@@lennart637 I went back and checked. The ones I used were OLFA, made in Japan. They are dark blue/black metal. Cutting 8 foot gator board all day is no fun. You're using 2 or 3 blade segments at a time with quick action so you don't get bogged down during the cut. An extra hard blade was essential.
It feels nice to know all the techniques about the friend that worked with me for 3 years of firearm-crafting during my middle school years.
4:39 ...That's a stretch... You could use ANY part of the tool to hold that piece of plastic...
I never knew there was a build-in snapping mechanism! I always had to find pliers to do that! Thank you for the enlightenment!!!
Dude. I did the EXACT same thing with a box cutter as a kid! I thought I was the only one!
Yours looked a little less severe than mine though. I actually sliced clean through the tendon on the back of my thumb.
Also, I never realized that OLFA was the originator of snap blades! No wonder I've found those to be the most reliable!
I have almost the exact same scar from the video, also from cutting cardboard when i was young. I guess an accident like that in your youth is the perfect opportunity to learn.
I found one in an old storage room, apparently an Olfa XH-1. Heavy duty one with 25mm blades. It was dirty, grimey and with a very rusty blade but with some TLC (and cleaning), it's in great condition once again and i bought a few packs of new blades aswell. Snap knives are awesome! Been using them most of my life, as they are super common here.
Regarding the blade notch, i use it for cutting acrylic. Using the notch to scratch in a straight line a bunch of times, then snap the acrylic. Similar to cutting glass, i suppose.
There are also the much larger variations, almost the size of katanas. It’s said that those were used to slice the nape of a giant’s neck which then causes them to evaporate. Be careful with the steam, it’s a little toasty! What’s great is that replacement blades are always available on your hip, which is really handy. For maximum efficiency, always pair it with a multidirectional transportation hip unit. Much easier for much upward diagonal manoeuvring.
I understood that reference!
Wounds are the best teachers, scars are the best reminders.
Carpet knives teach that in spades with no guard.
Something i like about snap knives, is not fully extending them, lockong then with just ~5mm can allow me to score halfway through thicker cardboard, if im aiming to fold it, without fully cutting through it.
Just a short cutting edge, and you rely on the plastic housing to prevent your knife going too deep.
They're your eyes, do what you like. But I always have Rx glasses on and always "break away" from myself so if there are any steel bits flying they aren't going towards my eyes.
Great point - I should have shown broken the blade the other direction.
Yep! I mentioned this too! I've had a close call with flying blade shrapnel!
If I have no safety glasses than I usually put the knife low and close my eyes/turn my head away for the moment of snapping. It's scary to imagine one of those shards landing in my eye.
The built in blade cutter is a great discovery! Thanks! I recently used a snap blade knife for cutting rockwool insulation due to its ability to have that longer blade extension, worked awesome.
All Fiskers products are great. I didn’t know they offered a pro snap blade. Very cool
Their kitchen knives are not great. The handle of most of mine are melted or deformed and disgusting. It is made of some inappropriate plastic. Even fingerprints from hot or greasy fingers are impressed permanently in the plastic.
I have their snap blade knife. It's disappointing. The slide gets stuck frequently and I need two hands to move it. It also doesn't lock the blade securely and it will often pull right out of the handle when I'm cutting something particularly tough. Wouldn't buy another one.
Their machetes are junk.
@@curt2742 At least the newer ones. There was an old version with much better steel quality.
Excellent info!!! People who designed these utility knives should be in Congress, rather than crooks being in Congress now! Believe me that small, but yet smart, thinking like this is what really needed in this country!
Sounds good until you end up with patent trolls in a position of power.
The inventors of these things deserve better than being in congress
great tips.here's another tip , when break of a piece bend it outwarts not towarts your face .
Good info, I think I threw away one that probably had a spare blade still inside. I got into building R/C airplanes with Styrofoam few years ago and learned that, at lest for hobby use, you can tune up the razors edge with a standard kitchen knife steel rod to get some more life out of the blade.
YOu can also buy replacement blades
I absolutly love the roofers 'work boots' with the huge hole and wearing no socks! 😂
I thought that was hilarious too. Our editor put that clip in and I didn't catch the hole in the shoe the first time.
Was gonna say the same thing!
It’s an ergonomic feature so your feet can breathe better 😅
Nice safetyboots
@@cermisan "safety" ... "boots"... lol.
I never considered or even really knew about these knives. They seem super cool!
I just bought a bunch of regular box cutters with spring-retractable blade that's not out if I'm not holding it with the option to have it stay out too.
Great because my kids won't get shanked when I'm working on something or opening boxes. If I had a snap blade like that, I'd buy those instead.
there are serrated blades available on amazon. i find they work way better for doing stuff like cutting through hoses or ropes. they come 10 in a pack and are sharper
I always keep an Olfa in my pocket everywhere I go. So far it's the most versatile knife for everything I do. Unfortunately the feature where you can always get a fresh tip is also a problem if you use the blade fully extended for cutting drywall or carpet or something, it isn't as strong as some others so if you're not careful the blade will break at the base however long it's extended. Besides that I don't need any of the extra stuff I just toss the sections immediately after snapping them. If you don't you will find them later when you aren't looking... if you know what I mean.
Fun fact: in the anime Attack on Titan, the reason they used snap swords was so they could just advance the front section to cut the titans with, and whenever it got dull they could stop in the street and just snap off the tip with their hands, so they can advance it to the next sharp segment, letting them save vital metal.
at 4:40 how to get cut lol , blade up , more than one section out and working sidways ... perfect for a blade brake and blood coming out
most of these knife are prohobited in the work place over here ... but i still have a bunch
1:41 You can remove the black, back end of the cutter and use that to snap off the blade. There should be a slot in the back piece that slides onto the blade
Absolutely. I covered that around 2:30 in the video and some more at later points too. I used a wrench early on to show how a lot of people are snapping the blade.
The small blue-handled knife where you used a pliers to snap off the blade actually has a tool just for this purpose located at the opposite end. Remove the end and there's a slot made to go over the blade and snap off the blade end. Put the snap tool back on the knife when you're done.
Honestly, my favorite is those $1.00 "box cutters." 📦 🔪 They are small cheap, and the form factor is perfect for your pocket or wallet.
after cutting tape or boxes I tend to use a white pencil rubber, a semi hard one, to clean the glue off the blade. it saved me almost 4 blade tips
I use acetone, but I have it on hand for crafting already.
Gustavo Fring Approves
I have several snap blades and my favorite is the OLFA SVR art/graphic knife. Small (9 mm) with a stainless steel body. Unlike the polymer bodied knives this one doesn't dissolve and get gummy when exposed to solvents.
I had no idea there was a blade snapper feature built in! I checked and sure enough, mine had it too. Thank you.
My first rotary knife was an OLFA. Excellent tools. I buy one of two of these at HF and keep them on all my work surfaces and in all tool bags.
I even found these snap segments are a great replacement cutter in my wife’s embroidery machine. After so much thread the OEM blade gets dull. I opened it up to find one of these segments placed in a holding slot oriented to cut the thread when activated.
You can also cut a slit in between the studs and drop your used blade into the wall. What I found when we renovated our bathroom…hundreds of razor blades in the wall. 1955 medicine cabinets were the best.
Hah. Brings to mind a funny story. I was once remodeling an old house. We removed the medicine cabinet and demo’d the plaster. In the wall cavity we found a whole bunch of coins. Apparently the owner was using it as a bank, saving for retirement.
Tetanus farm.
I have been frustrated by these from the beginning! I guess I need to read the instructions. Thanks!
Don't remove insulation from wires like this, it'll make cut around the wire which makes it easily break when bent. Cut insulation as if you sharpening pencil instead
Any suggestions on the best way to dispose of used blades?
Not just these but X-acto blades, etc. as well.)
put them in a clearly marked sharps container and then u can take them to metal recycle center, but they may not take it cause those containers are also used for used needles. if u have weekly city recycle service just put the container in the there.
Cant belive you didnt feature the OG - Olfa cutter
Olfa Silver rules them all
believe
I have a heavy-duty uline snap blade knife and it has an auto-loading feature. Really handy. Also, if you find yourself using a snap blade fully extended all the time, olfa makes solid non-scored blades that fit 9mm and 18mm handles.
I been using these, NEVER KNEW YOU CAN JUST SNAP IT.
Good run-down 👍 i also like Olfa a lot but I recently got the Knipex Cutix and I'm lovin it
I am using snap blades since I was in high school in the eighties. And I never understood why the notch only was in the first blade. Now I know it is an indicator, not a tool to remove the plastic from wire, and that people only use it for that. Now I understand why it isn't in all pieces 🙂
I wonder how many of us have similar childhood scars from the same cause? I also suspect, if we looked at how those scars related to age and gender, we'd find some predictable trends.
There's got to be something to that. I did a lot of unsafe things with knives and fire growing up, despite (or maybe partially because of?) being in cub scouts and boy scouts where they taught how to use these tools safely. A lot of kids, like myself, are a bit gung ho about everything and scars are often the result.
I uhh, have a pretty solid scar from one from just last year. I thought I took my kuckle clean off when it happened, was looking all over for the chink of skin that I thought was missing...
J-marks. In the MBTI model of personality you'll find it's the J's with most of the scars lol
@@LRN2DIY i am kind of disappointed you didn't mention the "autoloading" snap Knifes, despite them having a bad rap about slipping, if you get a Good quality auto loader it is just as strong as the rest.
Wait what!?! HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY🎉🎉🎉🎉🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂
I first started using these in 1972 for layout and design. The first brand I ever used was made by DICO, like the small blue one in the video. There have been scores of manufacturers since then. New? Where have you been?
I have the Fiskars Pro utility folding knife, it's similar to your Milwaukee Fastback in functionality but probably doesn't have some of the features. I have another folding utility knife under Canadian Tire's Mastercraft brand that has the ability to store five extra blades in a small covered compartment inside the handle. It's pretty rough around the edges as it's years and years old but it still works for the most part.
I've got the Knipex knife and I love it.
1:41 there's a snap tool already on the other end of the knife.
Why look for pliers? Use the tool provided
Less than a minute later you use the correct tool on a softener knife. 🤡😂
Very informative! I'd suggest using a fixed focus, though. Your autofocus left a lot of shots frustratingly blurry. Also, it looks like you're pretty good at editing, so if you need a more zoomed in shot on something thats not in the fixed focus range, you can just zoom in in post, or of course alter the gocus manually in real time. Personally, I've never minded a creator taking a moment to adjust their focus, which can always be cut out, too; but when you're trying to show me something that's blurry, it gives me a bit of a 😕🙄😮💨 feeling.
That nodge on the end of the blade is an indicator for the machine that makes the blade so it can break the blades apart from the blank that they are made out of, a role of steel with the dimensions of the blade. If you look at the end of the blade you can see that the blade has been snapped there too.
2:48 It's safer to snap outwards to avoid the blade projecting towards you. Some breakers have wider or shallower slots that can't hold the blade properly.
That scar looks just like mine from a Utility knife that had a shelf above the blade, which I think is for cutting the tops off of closed boxes by resting the shelf on it. Even as I was technically cutting away from myself as I tried to cut a panel off an open box, that shelf pulled it right out of the crease and sent it up to my wrist that was holding the box panel in place. It didn't change in tension or even give me a little bump warning, so it was similar to just swinging a blade at my wrist.
It didn't hurt surprisingly, but I did surprise the doctors when I said I was about to faint 1 second before I did
1:44 This is funny, because all those knives - even the disposable ones - have a plastic back with a slot in it that is intended to be used to snap off the blunt section of the blade. That was a standard feature back in the 70s.
he clearly covered that like a dozen times in this video lol you obviously didnt actually watch it before commenting
This is the video we never knew we needed!
I got three snap knives, two of which are Stanley Fatmax 25 mm knives that I use for automotive work (one at work, one at home), and one red 9 mm (possibly KS Tools, can't find info on it anymore) that I use at home for miscellaneous stuff.
They're great, and have spring loaded blade storage and the auto locking slider, so if I want a new blade, I just drive the slider all the way to the end, pull out the blade and slide the slider back to the start, and then I have a new blade ready to use.
Also, the Stanley Fatmax knives has a locking screw that goes into a metal plate that clamps the blade that is much better than the KS Tools 907.2158 snap knife I had before, which has a spring loaded locking screw that went into a plactic housing where the screw locked the blade, resulting in the plastic breaking after a few months of light use. Also that the blade snapping tool is separate from the blade holder (that can hold 5 blades in both cases, including the one in use) is much better than the blade snapping tool on the KS Tools knife that is attached to the blade holder.
I can strongly recommend the Stanley Fatmax 25 mm knife, as it's very sturdy and really quite good quality, especially at about €15, moreso than the KS Tools knife at €16 that breaks after a few months of regular use.
The 9 mm knife is nice with the same neat features as the two 25mm knives, except it doesn't have a snap off tool and blade lock. I honestly don't know what it costs, as I got it from a previous place of work, simply because I forgot to take it out of my work trousers after my contract expired.
Both my dad and my uncle uses 18 mm cheap knives, as my uncle burns through at a rate of at least 2 per job and my dad rarely uses any, whereas I've kept my 9 mm for about 5 years and my two 25 mm for about a year at this point, and I use them on a regular basis.
Architecture student tip : you can definitely get your fresh blade without a plier nor the annoying black cap at the end, juste fold the blade, following the score as you would close a book on a hard surface with your hand slightly over it, fast and perfect every time ! Pro tip : get the sliding system as close as the score as you can before doing it for getting a clean snap, and don’t bend the blade, just do it quick and precise. Never got a blade in my hand after doing it hundreds of times so don’t worry! Enjoy
thanks for mentioning OLFA. i really enjoy using their knives
i have a fancier version of the small one and it served me really well as just a knife on my work desk if i need to cut something, but when i had to replace the blade the new blades i got were complete trash and any moisture that gets on the blade part somehow dulls it completely
Howdy, last week I educated myself on these and found they are pretty cool tools, I had no idea the snap blades were that old, a year older than me. I sharpen mine as they need it.
NHK has a show were they look at Japanese inventions. One of them was on the creation of the snap bleeds. Very interesting the inventor talks about the discovery and improving it. Definitely worth watching if you can find it I have it recorded somewhere in my archives that I have to go through.
The box cutter with a single safety razor is my favorite one at work, but I use snap knives at home 'cause they're easier to change out in the moment.
you should have included ceramic hobby knife like Slice Ceramic Micro-Blade, best for safety and flush cuts. and thank for all the information from all your videos 🙏
I use these break off blades exclusivly at work, and while I dont recommend it, I break them off with my thumb or press them on the ground. Also I like that it is way more flexible if you have to cut in a corner
as a signwritter who does a lot of stickers, I generally do the same thing, and I have a small plastic sharps container in my belt all the time
Knipex CutiX, it has the best feature imo which is stabilization bar - it makes cutting with long exposed blade more durable and stable, plus you can more comfortably use your thumb on the back. Also the magnesium housing is more durable.
I have the same fastback. I upgraded after keeping an aluminum body basic fastback for the last number of years. I still have it but I really like the 1505 because of the bit driver. I’m a handyman and it is forever in use at my day job.
I usually keep an empty soda can at my workstation for disposing the snapped-off pieces! It does a pretty good job of keeping them safely, and then I just put a little tape over the opening when it gets full and recycle it!
Thanks for sharing
I also was close to lose a finger when I was grafting fig tree but Alhamdulillah
And now with that video I am excited to buy one again 😂
Olfa knife is by far the best
Great video! I thought for a bit you were going to give some tips on how to reuse/recycle/dispose the little snapped parts, but great insights nevertheless.
You don't need the blade snappers. Just put your thumb on the dull section as you snap it on the edge of a bench. Then slide it off to grip it with a finger too, and toss in the bin. This really bothered a machinist-boss I had, but it is foolproof. Also, the left over butt end makes a great scraper, but you have to make your own holder, because companies are not very smart.
I know it goes against the logic of the tool... But these things are ridiculously easy to sharpen. For the most part, and for safety, the blades are pretty soft. If they were really hard, the snapping would be more dangerous. And the blades are at a razor angle which means sharpening can proceed with it being easy to find the angle and to remove material. I can sharpen one faster than I can snap it. And it is safer, and better for the environment.
These also get used for tasks, like cutting leather, where the normal procedure with real knives, even harder knives, is to strop the edge every few feet of cutting, and that works just as well with these knives.
7:36 I have the same scarvon my left hand. I took 5 stitches at the er after cutting a cabletie with a knife like this