need advice

[noxtempus]

i do stocking graveyard shifts and am fed up with the lame boxcutters provided to me and am looking for a knife to replace them. all i need it for is to cut boxes open and cut them down on occasion. ive been looking into the cento 4 and the tasman any other suggestions would be helpful. all im looking for is a smaller knife and probably wharncliffe or hawkbill blade thanks

[Hannibal Lecter]

My Friend,

The Tasman Salt gets the nod from me for this kind of work. The SE will probably do a better job than the PE in this instance, though either will work.

FWIW - the yellow-handled version will make it easier to find should you accidentally drop it.

--------
Hannibal

[smcfalls13]

Hey! Someone else that cuts boxes way too much

Get a Tasman Salt. It's inexpensive, comfortable to use, and extremely easy to sharpen. You might want to get an SE to keep the edge longer, but I find PE slices cardboard cleaner.

If you want to spend the extra money, the Yojimbo would also work very well.

[wec12]

Another vote for Tasman Salt SE... Trust me on this, it won't let you down :D .

[poodle]

pe dragon fly.

[cobrajoe]

My vote is for the tasman. I've been wanting to get one of these for a long time. Annother good choice is the dodo. It is a bit pricier than the tasman, but it has G-10 handles S30V steel and amazing egros. It's considered one of the best spydie box cutters.

One other thing, flat ground blades are awesome for slicing through cardboard, but I think the hook tip on a hawkbill or reverse S would be better for opening.

[smcfalls13]

One other thing, flat ground blades are awesome for slicing through cardboard, but I think the hook tip on a hawkbill or reverse S would be better for opening.

It is. It's much safer to open a box with a Hawkbill tip, you have much more control over the depth of the cut.

[Dr. Snubnose]

Another vote for the Tasman Salt......Doc :D

[severedthumbs]

my vote is not for the tasman, get something with s30v. it will save you a lot of sharpening time.

[Ed Schempp]

I've shared this story with the forum and some of the folks are already aware of this concept but, I think it is important information.

An old gentleman friend taught me alot about cutting with some good information pretaining to boxes.

If you consider the geometric plane of the blade and the plane of the box. intersect those planes not at a right angle or perpendicular but at 45-50 degrees. This allows the material to flex away from the blade. Cutting perpendicular to the material fights the main two dimensions of the cardboards strength. Even though this method of cutting requires more material to be cut, it frees you from the resistance of the carboard and makes cutting much easier. Simply put; cut with the material not against it. Friction causes heat. Check the temperature of your edge after a few long cuts through cardboard. That is just a little more information on your cutting method and medium.

I personally like the knives with an index finger groove, it allows you to choke up on the blade and have more leverage and control...Take Care...Ed

[vampyrewolf]

I find that both the SE cricket and SS PE dragonfly will go through just about anything.... you don't want to know what I've cut with my 'fly :o :p 5yrs and going strong.

[jaislandboy]

Appreciate the info Ed....I love these little "pearls"... :)
As far as box cutting goes....many, many choices....mostly based on how many greenbacks you're willing to spend...
I'd prefer a Hawkbill or Reverse-S blade...and I'd want mine with a Full Spyderedge.... If money was no object... :rolleyes: , then I'd prefer a blade with S30V for it's superior edge retention....But any of the mid sized byrds will handle the job more than adequatlely....like the Robin or G10/FRN Meadowlark ...at a bargain price....
Truth is my plainCrossbill is an incredible boxcutter....but it's size might scare surroundng sheeple...so the smaller sized TasmanSalt would be more PC-friendly...
A serrated SS Cricket is an awesome boxcutter too......as is the SS Dragonfly or FRN Delica4 .....a SE Tasman Salt would only be surpassed by the SE Dodo as the ultimate boxcutter... :rolleyes: the Captain also kills cardboard very effectively....but it's size/weight/price might not be agreeable to you.... :rolleyes:

[spyderknut]

Dodo SE, if you can find one.

[kbuzbee]

Dodo SE, if you can find one.

Second that. Dodo is a great box killer. I'll choose mine if I know I'm doing more than one or two. You can find a SE Dodo if you look a bit.

Ken

[poodle]

serrated blade are a magnet for tape goo; pe only!!!!!!!!

[sal]

Hi Noxtempus,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum. I know you came here for information, but here we try to "trade" information

Perhaps I can "pick your brain"?

Are there any "good" boxcutters?
What makes a boxcutter lame?
What improvements would you suggest for an improved one?

Anyone else have experience with boxcutters, please chime in.

thanx much.

Hey Ed,

Thanx fer sharing that bit of "cutting trickery". We always appreciate "real word" knowledge of getting cutting jobs done.

sal

[poodle]

lame means its not a spyderco knife ; he wants a spyderco knife; let him buy a spyderco knife ; dont try to fix the box cutter so he does not buy a spyderco knife ; sell him a spyderco knife.

[kbuzbee]

[quote="poodle"]lame means its not a spyderco knife ]

Poodle, I think you'll find, when Sal asks a question, it's because he really wants the answer. If he asks for input, it's because he wants to know what he can do to address a real need for a cutting application. The answer here is kinda two fold. First, 'here is what you can use' Several people have put their input to this. The second is 'here is what would be perfect for that job'. If it doesn't exist, Sal can build it.

Ken

[sal]

hi Poodle,

We've been discussing making a "better" boxcutter. Our best input is often from the customer using the "concept" and can provide "real world" input, especially objections and improvements.

That's the way we refine and develop our models and much of the reason why our products are highly refined or evolved.

If Noxtempus want to try a Spyderco knife and he appreciates high performance, he will more that likely be pleased. But if he's not satisfied with his boxcutters and he likes high performance, then maybe we need to look closer.

for example: Does a "better" boxcutter have pearly handles? or a longer blade? Do people buy boxcutters because they like the color of the handle?

I think you get my drift.

Remember all of those "goofy" ELUs with particular needs or desires that we also try to serve.

sal

[poodle]

point taken, very good.