After hearing my company was switching to these for safety reasons, I figured I'd buy one myself. It's definitely a different experience than using a classic metal utility knife and takes a bit of getting used to. For starters, you can't stab the way you could before, meaning your cuts have to actually be slashes that start just a little before where you want to cut. Consequently, this is not a good precision tool, but if you're opening cardboard boxes, it works totally fine (my personal use case as I moved recently).
I haven't had it long enough to comment on durability, but the plastic frame has me a bit concerned about a heavier long-term use of this. I'd be happier with a metal shell, but it still seems to be a solid item.
I'd also appreciate if it has some lock mechanism to keep it in. Yes, it has the automatic disengage, but I would like something to keep the blade in until I wanted it out.
Love this box knife, and whatever else you might need it for. There is no "leaving the blade out" and no "oh, @#$p, I cut my finger". It is safe, strong, long lasting and easily portable.
A very safe knife for many purposes.
The only thing preventing me from giving this 5-Stars is that its safety makes it slightly less convenient. The ceramic blade works brilliantly, making short work of very heavy cardboard. I like that the blade retracts as soon as the user releases the slide or even lightens up the pressure slightly (this keeps the knife from skewering your toes if you drop an open blade). However, the blade also retracts at the end of every single slice, requiring the user to release the slide and re-engage. I'm sure that this is meant to prevent people from stabbing themselves in the thigh (which I did once with a traditional curved blade box cutter), but if you have a stack of boxes to break down, it feels very inefficient. I feel a little guilty about giving it 4-Stars--really it deserves 4.5 at least, maybe 4.75... BUT I reserve perfect reviews for perfect products, and I feel like this takes its precautions one tiny step too far. It is so safe, in fact, that I'm letting my 7yo practice using it so that if she wants to build a rocketship or box car or playhouse out of the next big box we get, she'll be able to do it on her own.
As a woman you would think I would not need a product like this but that is not true. The many things that I get in the mail are often in need to have a Utility Knife available to get them open. It can be frustrating if you can't. The product is perfect for opening packages or the like without a lot of trouble. Easy to use, good gripping and saves a lot of suffering ...Its just a good product to have on hand as you will find many times you will pick it up to use it. A big help for sure. Really a handy device to use something that you don't need until you need. Good product. A real help to have around for use.
Feature Product
- Easy, No-Tool Blade Change = Less Blade Changes = Less Money = Less Downtime = Less Injuries
- Smart-retract technology = self-retracts for safety even if your finger is still on the slider button
- Stays sharp up to 10x longer than steel + single ceramic blade Equivalent up to 20 single sided metal blades
- Ergo-pull side slider button + durable gfn (glass filled nylon) handle
- Ceramic blades never rust, they are non-conductive, non-magnetic, non-sparking , chemically inert and have an oil-free finish (perfect for clean rooms)
Description
The Slice Smart Blade Cutter features Ergo-Pull Smart-Retract technology. This retracts the blade when it loses contact with cutting surface, even if finger is still on the slider-button. Patent-pending pull vs. push ergonomic slider action reduces finger strain and helps prevent injury from extra force at the end of the cutting movement.
i like the ceramic blade - it's a bit thicker than metal blades, but cuts very nicely through packing tape to open boxes.
i will have to see how much replacement blades cost, as it only comes with the one blade already installed in the knife.
the one thing i am not too pleased with (which is the reason for the 1-star deduction) is the "safety" lever.
you have to hold the lever to extend the blade, but if the blade decides it doesn't like the tension applied, it retracts all by itself without removing my finger from the lever.
otherwise, i like this utility knife.
This is a pretty simple utility knife with high safety features. It seems that if it meets too much resistance, the blade will automatically retract. This is a nice idea, but it's a bit frustrating because the blade usually retracts multiple times when trying to use it. Because it's ceramic, it stays sharp and is easy to use. I like it, but I do find it frustrating at times. It's supposed to be only for paper and cardboard, and you'll notice that it doesn't work quite as well on things like plastic tape, etc. But otherwise it's a nice, safe knife.
This knife works great except that you can never tell when the blade will pop back into the case. It's supposed to retract when the "cut" is over bu I found that sometimes it just released and retracted unexpectedly. I have to say it did not retract mid cut when I was opening boxes. If you buy one of these knives, I suggest buying one with the point on the end of the blade. A few times I had trouble getting the knife to start the cut into the tape.
I used this as recommended, for paper (envelopes and artwork) and nothing stronger than cardboard boxes (I would not use it to slice a matte board for mounting drawings). Used as directed, I found it quite sharp and a very convenient tool. It is unusual to have to hold down the slider while cutting, but that is a necessary safety feature and wasn't hard to get used to. Not a heavy-duty tool (nor claiming to be one), but I found it useful and easy to work with.
While I think this product accomplishes what it sets out to be, I find that it is too frustrating to use. Its safety features end up compromising too much of its functionality.
Here's how it works. When you pull the lever down, it extends the blade. You have to hold the lever to keep the blade extended. As you make a cut by pulling the blade across the cardboard, the blade extends out slightly further, which disengages it from some locking mechanism. As you finish the cut, the blade retracts because both the lock has been disengaged and the pressure from the cut is no longer holding the blade extended. The blade will retract regardless of whether you are still holding the lever. So you can effectively release the lever after you have begun a cut.
This mechanism is very finicky actually. If you pull the lever down too fast, the blade pops out and never engages its lock so it snaps right back into the handle. I suppose this might be to train you to be more deliberate when extending the blade, but I think it just makes for a frustrating user experience. Also, if you don't have a constant pressure while cutting, the blade can retract and cause you to have to go through the whole lever action again.
This all sort of makes this tool a one-trick pony for cutting corrugated cardboard. You need either the friction from the cardboard or sufficient back pressure to hold the blade extended. There's no switch or option for "expert mode" or anything that would let you use this product as a typical utility knife (and thus take advantage of the ceramic blade).
The ceramic blade is sufficiently sharp, and ceramic does tend to hold an edge better because of its hardness. But ceramic also cannot be sharpened without a special sharpener.
The handle of the product is large and very comfortable to use. You can use your fingernail to open the blade compartment in order to swap the direction of the blade or to change to the other end.
In the end, the safety features make for a frustrating user experience so I tend to prefer to use a standard utility knife that is more versatile. Maybe I'm just not the target demographic. But I also think this product would be great if it had different levels of safety settings based on the user's proficiency with a knife.
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