cardboard cutting

[sethwm]

So I live in a jurisdiction where carrying above 3.5" is illegal. So I abide by that with my knife purchases. No biggie. One of my favorite knives is my k390 delica. This isn't a carry knife. It's hanging by a paracord lanyard in the garage, and used multiple times weekly to break down cardboard.

Recently it occurred to me... I'm not carrying this knife. it can be as big as I want. So now I'm dreaming of the ultimate cardboard cutter. K390 has been crazy good to me. I've had this knife for over 6 months and I haven't had to sharpen it yet. It's finally getting to a point where I feel like I'm working harder than I should to cut the cardboard. Totally nuts.

I'm thinking about an endura or even a police k390. But maybe I want to go a different route/steel/geometry. Thoughts on whether these would be good for tearing through piles of cardboard?

To anyone about to suggest getting a box cutter, yes that's the right answer, but that's not the point here.

[vivi]

Police is a beast. Most the blade is less than 3mm thick. Very high performance knife that would be good for this role.

Might be worth considering fixed blades too.

[bdblue]

So I live in a jurisdiction where carrying above 3.5" is illegal. So I abide by that with my knife purchases. No biggie. One of my favorite knives is my k390 delica.

I believe S110V will surpass K390 in cardboard cutting, and Maxamet will beat both of them. This could open you up to more possibilities.

As for 3.5" carry limit- That would not be a serious hardship for me since the PM2 and Manix 2 are my favorites for carry.

[dan31]

I use the Endura ZDP-189 to dispatch cardboard. Police would be fine as well. Stretch 2 has to be considered given its great handle ergos. Lastly, the Stretch XL is coming, perhaps a K390 Stretch XL will be the apex cardboard killer.

[ladybug93]

how is a box cutter not the point when you're asking for the ultimate cardboard cutter? you need a box cutter. it's the ultimate.


if you insist on using a pocket knife, i've found that hollow ground blades are much nicer in cardboard than full flat grinds. that, or the thinnest ffg you can find. my pac salt is better at breaking down boxes than my manix, but so is the astute.

[Evil D]

I find you really don't need a lot of blade length for corrugated, most of the cutting tends to happen on the same area of the blade unless you deliberately try to move around along the edge. I would look at whatever the thinnest blade stock options are that you like, the thinner the better. Your Delica is already a great option being 2.5mm FFG, there aren't many that are thinner so the only reason I would opt for anything else is if you just want to play with a bigger blade but I don't think you're missing anything for just cutting boxes. If anything I would maybe prefer the wharnie version, I think they do this kind of work better than a blade with a belly.

[ladybug93]

I find you really don't need a lot of blade length for corrugated, most of the cutting tends to happen on the same area of the blade unless you deliberately try to move around along the edge. I would look at whatever the thinnest blade stock options are that you like, the thinner the better. Your Delica is already a great option being 2.5mm FFG, there aren't many that are thinner so the only reason I would opt for anything else is if you just want to play with a bigger blade but I don't think you're missing anything for just cutting boxes. If anything I would maybe prefer the wharnie version, I think they do this kind of work better than a blade with a belly.

i just realized the best blade for boxes might be the df2 salt hawkbill se. it's got a full grip (for most of us), a thin blade, a hollow grind, serrations, and a curved blade that grabs what you're cutting. i'm gonna try it with my ladyhawk to see how it goes. for a lot of cutting though, i'd want a full grip.

[Evil D]

I find you really don't need a lot of blade length for corrugated, most of the cutting tends to happen on the same area of the blade unless you deliberately try to move around along the edge. I would look at whatever the thinnest blade stock options are that you like, the thinner the better. Your Delica is already a great option being 2.5mm FFG, there aren't many that are thinner so the only reason I would opt for anything else is if you just want to play with a bigger blade but I don't think you're missing anything for just cutting boxes. If anything I would maybe prefer the wharnie version, I think they do this kind of work better than a blade with a belly.

i just realized the best blade for boxes might be the df2 salt hawkbill se. it's got a full grip (for most of us), a thin blade, a hollow grind, serrations, and a curved blade that grabs what you're cutting. i'm gonna try it with my ladyhawk to see how it goes. for a lot of cutting though, i'd want a full grip.

Eh, it's a bit of a doorstop in how the grind transitions. It's not nearly as slicy as the standard Dfly Salt, which is indeed a surprisingly good slicer. For whatever reason it's one of the highest hollow grinds I've seen Spyderco do.

[vivi]

Longer blades work better for breaking down cardboard IMO for two reasons.

They give you more edge to utilize when using a slicing motion. I use 180 grit edges on a lot of my knives, and it makes a lot more sense to use a slice rather than a push cut at that apex finish. Even if you rock a high polish, using more than one area of the blade will dull the blade more evenly and keep the knife cutting more predictably, rather than having a sharp tip and dull heel.

You can stack the cardboard for more efficiency. This is also why a knife can be superior to a box cutter for this role. Say you have a large box you want to break down to 1/16th the size it currently is. Small blades force you to cut one or two layers at a time. A Police can cut through 8 layers at once, letting you stack the pieces as you halve them, exponentially decreasing the amount of cuts the job takes.

how is a box cutter not the point when you're asking for the ultimate cardboard cutter? you need a box cutter. it's the ultimate.


if you insist on using a pocket knife, i've found that hollow ground blades are much nicer in cardboard than full flat grinds. that, or the thinnest ffg you can find. my pac salt is better at breaking down boxes than my manix, but so is the astute.

Can confirm, Pacific Salt slays cardboard:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=s4igtwiBK1o

The Yojimbo / Ronin / Yojumbo also do well on cardboard.

[JRinFL]

When I cut a lot of cardboard or large boxes, I like a blade where I know where the tip is at any moment. Extreme recurves and hawk bills have proven “interesting” in that regard. I lost track of the tip and ended up poking or cutting myself. So, for me I prefer a more or less straight blade. Tall blades cut best for me because the angle (cross section) of the blade is less severe.

My most fun knives for cardboard cutting have been non-Spydercos, unfortunately. The Manix series is pretty good and so is the hollow ground Salt series IF the edge is taken down to a lower angle and left with a course edge.

HTH, YMMV

[Sharp Guy]

Someone suggested a box cutter and I can't really disagree but what fun is that when we have all these cool knives with nice handles and longer blades. I suggest trying one of the Wharncliffe models. I have a HAP40 sprint version of the Wharncliffe Delica. It's a laser through cardboard. In fact I've been trying to resist upgrading that one to the K390 Wharnie Delica. So maybe consider a Wharncliffe Endela or Endura? Maybe even wait until they come out with a K390 version?

[Wandering_About]

Police in K390 is a knife that will bring a smile to your face. A wharncliffe blade is a good suggestion too though. I think the only one of those I'd suggest is, rather predictably, the K390 Delica. K390 is good stuff!

As a bit of a different route, if you're feeling brave in your sharpening abilities you could find a Maxamet PM2. Maybe not the "ultimate" slicing geometry, but Maxamet is about the ultimate steel for slicing cardboard for the longest amount of time.

[steelcity16]

I have a load of Spydies, have one on me at all times, and I use a box cutter for 99% of my cardboard cutting. Wharnie Delica is probably the best of the Spydies on cardboard on the rare occasion I am too lazy to grab the box cutter.

[sethwm]

I use the Endura ZDP-189 to dispatch cardboard. Police would be fine as well. Stretch 2 has to be considered given its great handle ergos. Lastly, the Stretch XL is coming, perhaps a K390 Stretch XL will be the apex cardboard killer.

Ooh and the stretch fills the hand a bit more. That could be awesome for thicker board.

[sethwm]

I have a load of Spydies, have one on me at all times, and I use a box cutter for 99% of my cardboard cutting. Wharnie Delica is probably the best of the Spydies on cardboard on the rare occasion I am too lazy to grab the box cutter.

Using a box cutter is like eating oatmeal for breakfast. I know I 100% should be doing this, but I want bacon and eggs.

Wonder what a wharncliffe police would look like. That’d be huge.

[sethwm]

I find you really don't need a lot of blade length for corrugated, most of the cutting tends to happen on the same area of the blade unless you deliberately try to move around along the edge. I would look at whatever the thinnest blade stock options are that you like, the thinner the better. Your Delica is already a great option being 2.5mm FFG, there aren't many that are thinner so the only reason I would opt for anything else is if you just want to play with a bigger blade but I don't think you're missing anything for just cutting boxes. If anything I would maybe prefer the wharnie version, I think they do this kind of work better than a blade with a belly.

i just realized the best blade for boxes might be the df2 salt hawkbill se. it's got a full grip (for most of us), a thin blade, a hollow grind, serrations, and a curved blade that grabs what you're cutting. i'm gonna try it with my ladyhawk to see how it goes. for a lot of cutting though, i'd want a full grip.

Looking forward to hearing back

[sethwm]

Police in K390 is a knife that will bring a smile to your face. A wharncliffe blade is a good suggestion too though. I think the only one of those I'd suggest is, rather predictably, the K390 Delica. K390 is good stuff!

As a bit of a different route, if you're feeling brave in your sharpening abilities you could find a Maxamet PM2. Maybe not the "ultimate" slicing geometry, but Maxamet is about the ultimate steel for slicing cardboard for the longest amount of time.

I have a KME which makes sharpening relatively idiot proof. Maybe a fun one to try out

[sethwm]

Someone suggested a box cutter and I can't really disagree but what fun is that when we have all these cool knives with nice handles and longer blades. I suggest trying one of the Wharncliffe models. I have a HAP40 sprint version of the Wharncliffe Delica. It's a laser through cardboard. In fact I've been trying to resist upgrading that one to the K390 Wharnie Delica. So maybe consider a Wharncliffe Endela or Endura? Maybe even wait until they come out with a K390 version?

Exactly!

[JSumm]

I love having a larger blade on me at all times, and I will typically use that to break down boxes. Because it is on me, and I prefer it for it's versatility. However, the best Spyderco I have ever owned to destroy boxes was a Chaparral.

[steelcity16]

I have a load of Spydies, have one on me at all times, and I use a box cutter for 99% of my cardboard cutting. Wharnie Delica is probably the best of the Spydies on cardboard on the rare occasion I am too lazy to grab the box cutter.

Using a box cutter is like eating oatmeal for breakfast. I know I 100% should be doing this, but I want bacon and eggs.

I once thought like you, started a thread just like this, tried all of the different Spyderco models, and eventually decided I enjoy using the right tool for the job more than forcing myself to use Spydercos for cardboard. I also don't have to worry about dulling them so quickly. If you want bacon and eggs, you could invest in some of the higher end utility blades. Lenox Gold, Tajima V-REX II, or Stanley Carbide are all a cut above your basic blade. The Stanley Carbide is my personal favorite.