Utility knives are used to cut and trim a variety of building materials including: drywall, felt paper, wallpaper, rope & twine, plastic sheet material, fiberglass insulation and more. They can be divided into 3 general categories, Retractable Blade, Fixed Blade and Snap-off Blade.

Knives

Retractable: a good choice for general use; offer the convenience of being able to quickly adjust the cutting depth of the blade. Plus they offer the safety of allowing the blade to be retracted completely into the handle when not in use.

Fixed: blades lock into a fixed, non-retractable position between the halves of the knife handle. This improves blade stability in severe cutting applications and allows the knife to accept special-purpose blades that are too large to retract into the handle.

Snap-off: built around a blade designed to snap off or break away in sections, providing a fresh, sharp cutting point without having to open the knife. These knives are a good choice for light- and medium-duty applications, or when adhesive materials like packing tape leave a residue on the blade.

Blades for Utility Knives

Regular Duty: designed to cut thin materials that require precision cutting. They are suited for thin paper cutting, marking/scoring wood, opening cartons, slicing plastic film, cutting string or twine.

Heavy Duty: designed to cut materials that require more force to cut. They have enhanced durability vs Regular Duty blades. Ideal for roofing materials, wallboard, floor covering, fabrics, vinyl, tubing, rubber, plastics, leather and more.

Extra Heavy Duty: recommended for use in fixed blade knives only and used for cutting thick dense sheet materials. These blades are ideal for papermill slabbing and wallboard.

Snap-off: designed for quick replacement of sharp edge. They typically come in 7, 8 or 13 edges.

Special Purpose: designed to cut specific materials.