Living on the Edge (of a Razor Blade)

They go by many names: Utility Knifes, Razor Blade Knife, Box Cutters, Carpet Knifes, Pen Knife, Stationary Knife, Drywall Knife and I am sure there are some names we don't know about as well, but these little knives are some of the handiest tools that a DIY/Contractor can have. Why you ask? Simple, because of their Utility. These knifes come with different offering of blades and with the easy change systems you can have a standard razor blade in and within seconds you can have a hook blade ready for some carpet trimming. There are so many different knife choices that sometimes it gets overwhelming to choose one that is correct for your application. Let's look at some of the types of knifes before we talk about the blades.

1. Fixed Blade Utility Knife - These were the very first form of the utility knife. Made out of a cast body that splits in half, you would have to take a screw loose in order to replace the blade in this type of knife. Since the blade is fixed you cannot retract it inside itself to prevent blade from cutting things. These knifes are a little more dangerous but provide better blade stability for jobs.
   
2. Retractable Blade Utility Knife - Next to appear was the fixed versions body but now with retractable blade. This knife still had to be split in half to change the blade but now the danger of the exposed blade is eliminated from being an issue. The accuracy is lost some if you don't have the proper width blade because of the wiggle created by the retracting mechanism.
   
3. Folding Utility Knife - Blending the styling of a pocket knife and the usefulness of a utility knife you get a hybrid that not only works well but looks good, too. These knifes come in a array of styles and colors. Some even feature on board storage to keep up to five blades on your knife at all times. This is my knife of choice daily and I currently have almost ten knifes. 
   
4. Disposable Blade Utility Knife (Snap Knife) - These economy model utility knifes are made in a way that allows you to snap the blade (along a crease in the blade) to expose a fresh cutting edge on the blade. These knifes are made for DIYers and those that don't use a box knife enough to validate having one. My experiences with these has been varied, depending on brand, I never had much luck with them and have chosen to go a different route. But for those who need them to open up plastic packages from the store and boxes this would be the way to go.
   
5. Razor Blade Knife - These knifes are used with the disposable razor blades and are used for cutting and scrapping. They aren't really used as knifes anymore but as scrappers on windows they are really helpful.
   

Now lets take a look at some of the different blade that are offered and what they are used for in Utility Knifes today.

1. Standard Blade - The standard blade most likely comes with your knife when you buy if from the store. This is a standard sharp edge to cut things from boxes to plastic. These are what most people use to do DIY projects and work with on a daily basis. You can't go wrong with this blade but there are some blades that are made to make other tasks easier.
   
2. Hooked Blade - This blade was originally designed to help with the cutting of carpet but has found use in many other applications. One notably is cutting shingles for roofing and cutting the edge off to butt up to the drip edge. This blade is very useful for many projects.
   
3. Safety Blade - This blade is a special take on the standard blade but the elimination of the sharp corners of the blade make this blade safer to use be cause you are less likely to jab yourself during operation. This blade does have it's limitations and is really more suitable for situations where safety is the most important things: children, senior adults and the disabled.
   
4. Serrated Blade - This blade here gives you the extra bite that you need to saw through things. Mostly used by outdoors-men and hunters these blades allow you to cut rope and small limbs from trees making your knife even more capable than it was before. This blade could also be used in DIY applications where sawing would be needed, but mind you that no knife can provide the effectiveness of a hand saw.
   
5. Rhino Hook Blade - I haven't seen one of these in use but it is said that they are used to skin animals. Using your Utility knife to hunt and field dress your animal and then go and cut some drywall, what a life.
   
6. Carpet Blade - This blade is specially designed to cut carpet and cut the mesh on the bottom that gives it rigidity. These also don't pull the carpet fibers out that leave a mess for later. These are used by carpet installation specialist all over the world.
   

Hopefully this will help you decide what type of Utility knife you need to purchase and what blades you can buy along with that knife to help you get your job done.

Remember: "If you aren't good looking, you can at least be helpful around the home"