Box Opener: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job

Choosing the right box opener for your box is a bright idea.

What is a box opener? Simply put, any tool that can be used to open or break down boxes. Slice^® makes a complete line of knives and cutters that not only open and break down boxes efficiently and effectively, but also keep you safer. Our patent-pending double-grind safety edge creates finger-friendly^® blades that are safe to the touch. Slice blades are the only true safety blades on the market.

The Importance of Safety

Cutting tools pose an inherent danger of lacerations. The force required to open or break down boxes multiplies this risk, as it is easier to lose control of the cutting tool. An ergonomically-designed handle can help mitigate this risk.

Slice went a step further by redesigning the actual cutting edge of their blades. Slice blades are dramatically different from anything else on the market today.

• Made from 100% zirconium oxide, an advanced ceramic
• Non-magnetic
• Non-conductive
• Non-sparking
• Safe up to 1600 degrees Celsius
• Chemically inert and non-contaminating
• Oil and lubricant free
• Never rust

If you want a truly safe tool for all your box opening tasks, take a look at Slice’s comprehensive line of knives and cutters. These tools will reduce your risk of suffering a painful, life-altering, and expensive injury.

How to Choose the Right Box Opener

Choosing the most appropriate opener depends on the type of box you’re dealing with. More than 90 percent of boxes are either single- or double-walled corrugated cardboard. These boxes are not that thick, so the blade on your opener doesn’t need to be very long to get the job done.

Traditional box cutter blades are in the 2.5-centimeter (1-inch) range, which endangers the user and the box contents. Slice tools offer various cutting depths to guarantee you have the right tool for the job. The blades we design for our box cutter line are offered in a variety of styles to match the thickness of the material you are cutting.

Utility Knives

Slice makes safe and effective utility knives for home and industrial jobs.

Utility knives have longer blades that can handle the thickest boxes. Slice offers multiple versions of the basic utility knife, each with unique features.

The 10550 Manual Utility Knife has adjustable blade positioning to handle a variety of cutting depths, up to 22.36 millimeters. The 10554 Auto-Retractable Utility Knife allows the user to engage a slider that holds the blade in place during cutting, and has a 21.15-millimeter cutting depth. Both of these knives have glass-filled nylon handles.

The 10558 Smart-Retracting Utility Knife, with its 18-millimeter cutting depth and glass-filled nylon handle, has two additional safety features. First, it has an Ergo-Pull™ slider that exposes the blade. Traditional retractable utility knives require the user to push and hold the slider forward. Slice’s innovative design allows the user to pull the slider backwards, instead. This reduces strain on the user’s thumb and prevents the awkward inward rotation of the wrist, both of which can result in repetitive strain injuries.

The second safety innovation is that the blade auto-retracts the moment it loses contact with the material being cut. This happens even if the user still has their thumb on the slider.

Additionally, we have utility knives that are encased in a more traditional metal housing. These knives have the same manual (10490) and auto-retractable (10491) features as the glass-filled nylon handle versions, described above. When it comes time to replace a blade, no tools are needed for a quick, and safe, blade change. Both of these knives allow you to carry extra blades in the easy-to-access blade garage™ at the back of the handle.

Ceramic Blade Folding Knife

Slice makes the best ceramic folding knife for jobs like this.

Ceramic folding knives are a popular addition to the tool chest. Slice makes the best ceramic folding knife on the market today. With the same finger-friendly blade as all Slice knives, the Slice 10562 Folding Utility Knife protects you against lacerations, too.

Compact and weighing about 170 grams (six ounces), you can carry it easily in a pocket. It also has a built-in belt clip. A large finger hole at the folding point of the handle serves as a convenient grip to give you more control and power in cutting. The fixed blade with a 30 millimeter cutting depth allows you to complete most cutting tasks with ease.

Box Cutter

Slice’s box cutter was designed specifically for single- and double-walled corrugated material, with an eight millimeter cutting depth that protects package contents. The award-winning J-hook handle design is ergonomic and protective, keeping fingers away from staples, while easing strain on wrists, forearms, and shoulders. This innovative box cutter is available in two styles: the 10400 Manual Box Cutter and the 10503 Auto-Retractable Box Cutter.

Pen Cutters

Pen cutters have smaller handles than the utility knives and use the same replacement blades as the box cutters. The 11-millimeter cutting depth can handle most packaging. Their slim design allows greater maneuverability in hard-to-reach areas. Slice offers two models, the 10512 Auto-Retractable Pen Cutter and the 10513 Manual Pen Cutter.

Mini Cutters

Mini cutters are Slice’s most versatile box cutters. They fit in the palm of your hand, use the same blades as the larger box cutters and have a convenient magnet to attach them to your fridge or tool box. Their 10-millimeter cutting depth handles many different cutting tasks. Slice makes two models, the 10514 Auto-Retractable Mini Cutter and the 10515 Manual Mini Cutter.

Manual Carton Cutter

With a minimal cutting depth of five millimeters, Slice’s 10585 Manual Carton Cutter is ideal for cutting single-walled corrugated material and boxboard. With its smaller size, it fits easily in your shirt or pants pocket.

The Slice Difference

The right tool for the job always makes the job easier, and safer. The steel used in traditional box cutter blades is relatively soft and dulls quickly. These steel blades are excessively sharpened in an effort to prolong blade life. Standard ceramic blades have a similar, dangerously sharp grind.

Slice’s blades are ground to a safe and effective sharpness. Due to the engineered ceramic material and the proprietary finger-friendly grind, Slice blades last up to 11 times longer than steel blades.

The only thing more dangerous than an overly-sharp blade is a dull blade. Dull blades have to be changed, and many lacerations occur during the changing process. Slice blades require significantly fewer changes, due to their longevity. When you are choosing a box opener, make the smart, safe choice: choose Slice.

More Information:

• How to Break Down Boxes