What Knife/Blade for Plastic Stretch Wrap?

[Giygas]

I found this knife in my kitchen. I should sharpen it up and test my "curved blade" theory. Note how the heel of the blade curves into the bolster. In theory, that would seem to stop the "bunching up" issue that Evil D and I are talking about.

This knife could probably work well.

Ive wrapped a ton of pallets and my favorite knife to use was my Norsemen. I'd hold it at about the midpoint of the blade and use the front half of the main edge to make the actual cut.

[ZrowsN1s]

VooDooChild has the right answer, period.

Thin and extremely sharp is the absolute best for cutting shrink-wrap. I think folks need to quit with their thoughts that a pocket knife will out-cut a box cutter for all warehouse type work. If you really need your pocket knife to do this type of work, you need a very sharp and very acute edge to do so consistently. Try at least a mid-tier steel with a more acute edge angle (XHP and M390 have seemed to hold up best IME; *for reference within the Chaparral and Delica packages, respectively), if you really can't get your head out of the pocket knife clouds and must use one as the tool for the job. Your pennies being spent though, so proceed as you must.

A safety razor like you shave with, BESS tests around 50 BESS. A utility razor (box cutter) tests around 150 BESS. My Spyderco's are between 70-120 BESS on average, the edges are several inches longer, and the wear resistance on the steel is in another stratosphere. You're mileage may vary, but I can out cut a box cutter by quite a bit.

The only advantage I see is if you don't regularly maintain your knives. I keep mine sharp.

[TkoK83Spy]

As long as your edge is sharp, shrink wrap shouldn't be an issue at all. I'd been cutting the stuff daily for 15 years with anything from a Matriarch to a Shaman and all the goodies in between. All sufficed, though I will still stand by my thought that a thin wharnie is my top choice. Normally the weight of the knives is enough to cut that stuff once it's taught against whatever is being packaged. As long as that edge is sharp, it shouldn't get bound up.

[Mushroom]

As long as your edge is sharp, shrink wrap shouldn't be an issue at all. I'd been cutting the stuff daily for 15 years with anything from a Matriarch to a Shaman and all the goodies in between. All sufficed, though I will still stand by my thought that a thin wharnie is my top choice. Normally the weight of the knives is enough to cut that stuff once it's taught against whatever is being packaged. As long as that edge is sharp, it shouldn't get bound up.

Same here. I worked in a construction warehouse for 13 years and was cutting the stuff near daily. I found that the knife didn't really matter when cutting plastic wrap, as long as the blade was sharp and the plastic wrap was being cut under tension, it would cut with very little resistance.

[vivi]

we have a million of those film knives scattered around our lab & warehouse. Box cutters too. I always reach for my spydie over them.

[zuludelta]

I cut dozens of yards of the stuff at work, and as others have mentioned, a properly sharpened knife in a decent steel should be more than up to the task.

[Mushroom]

Probably just me but I think it is kind of funny that something you’ve found to be an issue, is something I have found to work to my advantage. Different strokes, I suppose.

Different issue. Note I said "pack" not unwrap. I am wrapping, not concerned about opening what is already wrapped. I can't have the material wrinkle more than necessary. I need the sheets of thin plastic to come out with square edges for an easy wrap, and I don't want to spend time untangling the stuff. I think your bunch-it-and-whack-it method works fine for unwrapping, who cares about the material at that point.

The tool is less important than the technique. You’ve got the sharp knife, so now I would recommend trying to keep the plastic wrap under tension when cutting it.

[Bolster]

As long as your edge is sharp, shrink wrap shouldn't be an issue at all.

Appreciate the help, but I guess I need to explain in more detail:

It's not the edge that's my issue, the wrap cuts easily if it's perfectly center of blade. As I said, my blades are sharp. I know how to use my Hapstone rig. I have lots of replacement ute blades all sharp out of the package. My issue is keeping the wrap centered on the blade between tip and heel, and how the wrap is inclined to migrate toward the kick/ricasso/choil as my hand moves quickly across a large expanse of wrap *that is not held tight* and there is no way to keep it tight without a device or a second person holding. (The wrap can migrate the other direction too, off the tip of the knife, but that's just a simple recut, not a mess.) If I could keep the material always centered on the blade between tip and heel, there'd be no issue. Sharpness is not the issue. The problem is: well, me; I am the primary problem, my hand does not draw perfectly parallel across the swing of my outreached arm, but secondarily: the wrap bunching up into kicks, ricassos, and choils. Then I have to stop, clear the blade, and straighten out the mess that the kick/ricasso/choil (with my help!) has created. That's like un-sticking seran wrap that's stuck to itself, a mess. What I'm looking for is a blade that can deal with the material sliding off center, or a blade more likely to keep the wrap centered as I draw the knife along it.

I'm going to try a dedicated film cutter, and also serrated ute blades. But I'm also thinking I should try a hawkbill, which I would guess would help keep the material centered as I cut.

Thanks all, for giving this a think. I have some idea how to proceed, now.

[ladybug93]

I'm going to try a dedicated cutter, and also serrated ute blades. But I'm also thinking I should try a hawkbill, which I would guess would help keep the material centered as I cut.

the hawkbill should allow you to pull a little more and keep the wrap on the blade. as long as you don't pull too hard and pull the knife through, it should give you more leeway than you have with a blade that has a belly.

get a ladybug hawkbill salt and test it. if it doesn't end up working for you, you don't really lose anything because it's a very handy keychain knife that adds functionality to your carry instead of just being a small backup. (that's how i use mine. i find the hawkbill to be surprisingly useful and fun, but i have no need for a large hawkbill edc.) if it does work, then you can get a larger blade dedicated to that task at work.

[Bdubs808]

Mcbee

[electro-static]

Honestly I use my endura 4 and stretch 2 in K390 for plastic films. One of the reasons why fine edge holding is important to me.

[abbazaba]

linoleum knife?

[VooDooChild]

...You're mileage may vary, but I can out cut a box cutter by quite a bit.

The only advantage I see is if you don't regularly maintain your knives. I keep mine sharp.

Box cutters have their place, and they are better at some things. A razor blade always has a geometry advantage. I still maintain that they actually are better at cutting cardboard.

But the disposability and replaceability is the real advantage. I can remember working in a grocery store, on stock day, I would take a box cutter over any knife. Its not about the cardboard, its about the metal cans and glass jars under the cardboard, and the staples in it.

I also use to do some projects that involved cutting fiberglass while epoxy or polyester resin, that was forming a layer over the fiberglass, hardened at the same time. A razor blade that you throw away when done is the only correct cutting tool for this job.

But I sure would not want to cut a rope, or skin an animal, or fillet a fish, or do food prep, or plenty of random edc stuff, etc... with a razor blade.

[vivi]

this really feels like overthinking it.

It's just plastic film. Anything sharp can cut it. Wrap what you're wrapping, then pull the wrap so there's tension on it and cut it.

I use plastic wrap every day at my regular job and often someone loses the built in cutter. I have never had an issue wrapping things up then cutting the wrap with a pocket knife. If the wrap is getting caught up in the choil just angle the knife more.

I'm not trying to be a dick, I just don't get the issue. This is one of the most routine cuts in the world for me and I've done it with everything from a Swick to a 10" sujihiki. Plain edges, serrated edges, sharp edges, dull edges, coarse edges, polished edges, 3" blades, 5" blades, 8" blades, wharnies, gyutos, etc.

https://streamja.com/ybl4o

What am I missing? You rub something sharp against it then you're done.

[weeping minora]

VooDooChild has the right answer, period.

Thin and extremely sharp is the absolute best for cutting shrink-wrap. I think folks need to quit with their thoughts that a pocket knife will out-cut a box cutter for all warehouse type work. If you really need your pocket knife to do this type of work, you need a very sharp and very acute edge to do so consistently. Try at least a mid-tier steel with a more acute edge angle (XHP and M390 have seemed to hold up best IME; *for reference within the Chaparral and Delica packages, respectively), if you really can't get your head out of the pocket knife clouds and must use one as the tool for the job. Your pennies being spent though, so proceed as you must.

A safety razor like you shave with, BESS tests around 50 BESS. A utility razor (box cutter) tests around 150 BESS. My Spyderco's are between 70-120 BESS on average, the edges are several inches longer, and the wear resistance on the steel is in another stratosphere. You're mileage may vary, but I can out cut a box cutter by quite a bit.

The only advantage I see is if you don't regularly maintain your knives. I keep mine sharp.

I'll preface with the fact, FWIW, that I use my pocket knife (Chaparral) daily for such tasks; five days per week. Some days it's nearly in my hand and in use for a couple hours of the day, whilst other days it sits on standby. I make sure to apply a thin geometry whilst sharpening, so my knives never truly won't cut. However, I have my comfort levels of using a knife that may not perceptibly be "sharp", because the geometry will get me through the rest of my tasks and I'm comfortable with that; if it ever truly gets to the point in which it comes down to that.

Now, all steels will dull. I don't want to seem like I'm just piggy-backing off of VooDoo here, but he brings up legitimate real-world points that I too run into on a weekly basis; for example: cutting into packaging or cardboard that features extremely hard lids, or bottle caps underneath; cutting into cardboard with staples; cutting through an object and accidentally contacting another hard surface; the list can continue, however, those are the most frequent.

Knives and box cutters get used up both inside of a workplace and outside within daily life; filling many, many different roles. I feel that most folks do not have time, nor resources within their entire day, let alone workday, to simply stop, re-sharpen, or even strop, their knives, if bluntness occurs. I'll double or triple down on that statement when someone's S110V, or ZDP suddenly chips due to one of the reasons I mentioned above.

I feel that it goes without saying that if you have a knife that is too dull to cut shrink-wrap, one reason certainly can be that you do not maintain your knives to a high sharpness, however, accidental damage happens if you are truly out there putting your knives through any type of work frequently. I've had VG-10 chip on me a number of times that I couldn't just stop and replace in the moment, like one could a razor blade.

I've offered the most reasonable advice in advising the use of a box cutter, which will undoubtedly out-cut most pocket knives that you will find amongst your workplace and to boot, takes literal seconds to refresh to a literal razor edge. I understand that the folks here do not want to hear that, but it's the truth. Many folks here within this forum admit to not being very adept at keeping their knives all that sharp, of which I know nothing about Bolster's habits, per-se, however, this discussion comes up enough over the years that those who fall into such "bad habits" will undoubtedly read this and will actually get the advice that they need. It's kind of strange to say it, but I believe there are a minority of folks here that actually sharpen their own knives, regularly. Us here participating in discussion on this particular thread may be "with the business", however, many, many folks will read this without that "business" experience.

[bobnikon]

On the cheap, you could try a lino knife as was suggested above, or hook blades for a ute. Gives you a feel for a mini hawkbill.

[Evil D]

Anyone mention these yet?

[JRinFL]

Sounds like one of those knives specifically designed to "zip" open deer would be ideal. The material is different, but the cut is the same.

I never had to do much so my blade on whatever Leatherman was enough. I can see how doing lots of cuts could get annoying if it keep bunching up on you.

[Jim Malone]

Our medical supplies come in large steel mesh carts wrapped in Saran wrap. I use my Dodo to cut these and it works great. The S30V is easy to sharpen on the SM. I like the sturdy blade and the Reverse S draws the wrap into the sweet spot just behind the point. The short blade is also great to open up very tough cardboard boxes containing radioactive tracers. I really like it and the blue handle and weird short blade shape make it friendly to use next to staff and patients.

[Cl1ff]

this really feels like overthinking it.

…

What am I missing? You rub something sharp against it then you're done.

I was thinking the same, but it’s better said by someone with a lot more meaningful and relevant cutting experience.

I rarely cut plastic wrap, but it’s never been been an issue with a sharp knife.

If a knife’s choil or ricasso is catching too often, then something like a Rockjumper/Leafjumper, LW Lil Temperance, Polestar/Alcyone, and others that have almost none of that will be good.

Knives that force you to hold the choil would have the same advantages because you’re right up to the edge. I would think the Lil Native would be nice for most and it’s choil has no jimping or prominent nub to potentially get in the way.