Spyderco Forums

Hey All!

There are times when I have to cut through substantial amounts of packing tape to open and break down boxes/packages.
The adhesive and bits of tape gunk up the edge and blade pretty quickly making it get progressively more difficult to cut.
I will often stop to clean off the blade but I'm wondering if there's anything that can be done or any variables that would decrease the gunking.

Perhaps a different cutting technique?
Different blade shape/style?
PE vs SE? (All my users are PE)
Toothy edge vs refined/polished edge?
Different blade steels?

I have no idea if any of the above would make a difference just throwing some ideas out there that I was thinking about.

Thanks!

A coat of vasoline on the blade every once in awhile may help to discourage the goo from sticking or make clean up easier and faster. Other than that, I would imagine goo or not Serrated Edge is going to rip what you need and not be slowed down by any residue.

I rub the blade with mineral oil. It works ok on uncoated blades but is really effective on DLC coated blades. A nice coat of mineral oil on DLC and nothing sticks.

Vaseline will likely work. It is mineral oil with paraffin wax that makes it stick. Wipe on, wipe off. It will still be there.

I deal with tape gunk 6 days a week. I coat my tool steel blades (which is mostly what I own) in mineral oil, but that's more for the corrosion factor. Tape gunk still sticks to any of these SATIN blades, regardless of what is on there. I think it likely wears off the blades after a few cuts.

I do agree 100% with spoonrobot though on mineral oil on DLC blades, for whatever reason I never have any issues with tape gunk sticking on DLC blades.

if you were to use something like goo gone on a blade, would you need to clean it off right away? i'm not sure if the lemon oil causes corrosion issues. that stuff is amazing at cleaning that kind of gunk off of anything, but i wouldn't want to rust a blade in the name of keeping it clean and cutting.

ladybug93 wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 8:35 am

if you were to use something like goo gone on a blade, would you need to clean it off right away? i'm not sure if the lemon oil causes corrosion issues. that stuff is amazing at cleaning that kind of gunk off of anything, but i wouldn't want to rust a blade in the name of keeping it clean and cutting.

I use lighter fluid for this very purpose! Zippo, to be exact. Though I understand not everyone will have or want to have this stuff just laying around. Though the smaller cans are pretty portable.

Acetone works great too but this stuff scares me on the rust factor, as lb was saying.

ladybug93 wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 8:35 am

if you were to use something like goo gone on a blade, would you need to clean it off right away? i'm not sure if the lemon oil causes corrosion issues. that stuff is amazing at cleaning that kind of gunk off of anything, but i wouldn't want to rust a blade in the name of keeping it clean and cutting.

If I recall, Goo Gone has a gel like texture, so it may remain on the blade and you would then need to clean off the cleaner. I could be wrong.

For cleaning, I like alcohol. Preferrably rubbing alchohol and not the the best whiskey you have on hand. Also Acetone as previously mentioned does a great job at cleaning gunk. It evaporates so fast I have never had an issue with corrosion with these two.

I don't know, if it is a big enough concern, I would reccomend just getting a serrated Pac Salt and go to town.

TkoK83Spy wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 8:29 am

I deal with tape gunk 6 days a week. I coat my tool steel blades (which is mostly what I own) in mineral oil, but that's more for the corrosion factor. Tape gunk still sticks to any of these SATIN blades, regardless of what is on there. I think it likely wears off the blades after a few cuts.

I do agree 100% with spoonrobot though on mineral oil on DLC blades, for whatever reason I never have any issues with tape gunk sticking on DLC blades.

I worked in a warehouse for over a decade and this was my experience as well. If I was cutting a lot of cardboard, it would quickly dry up and wipe away any oil or lube I would apply on uncoated blades. Nothing lasted so I just got used to the inevitable tape and glue gunk.

DLC coatings are porous and retain oil well. In theory I can understand why that might help to keep those little bits of tape off the blade but I don’t personally remember my DLC coated knives being any less prone to bits of tape getting stuck to the edge. I’m not saying they’re not, I just don’t have any personal recollection of that.

———

Also in my experience, serrated edge knives collected little bits of tape much more than plain edge knives.

I've been using Goo Gone to clean blades for years, just wiped down afterward and never had any issues.
YMMV.

Danke wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 11:36 am

Hey, don't come in here being all logical

TkoK83Spy wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 12:05 pm

Danke wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 11:36 am

Hey, don't come in here being all logical

Yeah, common sense!

Silicone spray on a paper towel then wipe the blade? Silicone is pretty persistent stuff.

Danke wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 11:36 am

The problem is I don't carry one of those but I do carry a .
And these boxes that I refer to are like the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
I'll be walking down the street and a bunch of boxes with thick heavy packing tape sneak up on me.

I used to open over a hundred boxes in a day easy. I found that little serrated hawkbills power through even when they're covered with tape. The ladybug Hawkbill and Dragonfly Hawkbill are perfect. The new BHQ Serrated Dodo would probably as well if you're looking for something extra heavy duty.

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 2:28 pm

I used to open over a hundred boxes in a day easy. I found that little serrated hawkbills power through even when they're covered with tape. The ladybug Hawkbill and Dragonfly Hawkbill are perfect. The new BHQ Serrated Dodo would probably as well if you're looking for something extra heavy duty.

Yup. For a lot of jobs blade geometry affects performance more than how sharp the edge is.

If you can't figure out a way to prevent buildup, I'd get a cheap bottle of eyedrops like Clear Eyes and empty it out and refill it with nail polish remover. Then you can carry it in your pocket and easily squirt a couple drops on a napkin and wipe it clean.

Sigh. You all miss the obvious: The OP needs to carry more knives! When one gets dirty, switch to the next, and so on...

ZrowsN1s wrote: ↑

Wed May 18, 2022 2:28 pm

I used to open over a hundred boxes in a day easy. I found that little serrated hawkbills power through even when they're covered with tape. The ladybug Hawkbill and Dragonfly Hawkbill are perfect. The new BHQ Serrated Dodo would probably as well if you're looking for something extra heavy duty.

That's kinda what I was thinking with serrations. Gunked up or not, they gonna rip!