I’ve been using snap blade knives very infrequently, and for a long time now. Years ago, I don’t remember why – there was probably a convenience factor to them. More recently, it’s because I have a couple of review samples floating around on occasion.
OLFA, known for their cutting tools, wants to change that. They want to convince me that their snap blade knives are versatile multi-purpose, durable, and high-performance cutting tools.
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They say that their blades are ultra-sharp and more convenient, since each 8-section blade gives you the same number of cutting edges as 4 standard double-ended utility knife blades.
I am absolutely convinced that OLFA believes in their marketing claims. Am I convinced that an OLFA snap blade knife will become my go-to utility knife? Not quite. But I do look forward to having the opportunity to find out.
After some back and forth, we came to a sponsorship agreement, where OLFA will finance some testing and a custom project featuring their knives. At the end, I will be producing two one-page PDFs for them, one detailing my experiences with their snap blade knives, and another detailing the project that I’m going to be working on.
The project will be simple – a small display box, positioned on top of a small stand made from materials that the OLFA snap blade knife is designed to work with.
As for the test materials, I have specific construction and fabrication materials in mind already, and am definitely open to requests.
At the early stages of the sponsorship discussion, I proposed using a selection of OLFA knives and tools on the project, and their snap blade knives for cutting cardboard as prototyping and mock-up materials.
CARDBOARD?! That didn’t go over very well. We then talked about all the other kinds of materials that OLFA snap blade knives are well-suited for cutting much more than that, such as drywall, foam insulation, ceiling tiles, rubber cable housings, and all kinds of other construction materials.
Apparently a lot of users, myself included, see snap knives as disposable blade box cutters. According to OLFA, they’re capable of so much more.
OLFA sent me some samples, and I have started planning out the testing sequences and project build. They make their “X-Series” of professional utility knives in 3 sizes – 9mm, 18mm, and 25mm. I’ll be working with all three sizes, and it seems the 18mm knife is the most popular.
I think this is going to be fun.
So far, I can tell you that the OLFA LA-X 18mm snap blade utility knife is far different – and better – than the cheap snap blade knives I used years ago. These might turn out to be everything that OLFA says they are. I don’t know if I like the multi-purpose “pick” feature at the end of the handle, though it does seem like it could be handy.
Oh, what’s that? You want to join the fun and see what snap knives can do besides open cartons or break down cardboard boxes? Good news – OLFA has agreed to kick off a free sample offer, just for us.
Update: All of the samples have been allotted.
Go to that link, put down your info to request a free knife sample, and then read more about what you’re getting. The offer is open to US and Canada residents, and sample quantities are limited.
Let me ask you – what kinds of materials would you use this knife to cut?
P.S. I just checked the packaging, and the knife is made in Japan.
If you miss out on the sample offer, or want to buy more, here’s a purchase link. It’s currently $9.88 at Amazon. Their 18mm UltraSharp heavy-duty blades are ~$10 for a 10-pack. So that’s $10 for 80 cutting edges.
Buy Now(18mm knife via Amazon)
Buy Now(Replacement blades via Amazon)