Safecutters

Indeed, these versatile instruments, beloved of mail room supervisors, office managers, and shipping and receiving workers, are so broadly useful that some prefer the more general names “box cutter,” “safety cutter,” or at least “package opener.” Given the strides manufacturers have made in safety, perhaps “safety cutter” makes the most sense. Many of these little blades now feature in-handle blade storage, easy blade changeout, ergonomic handles, and automatically-retracting blades, among other safety features. These innovations make safety cutters useful for anyone who regularly deals with packaging - which is most of us. Safety cutters have moved from the stockroom to the living room.

Of course they’re useful for anyone who receives packages in the mail. (If you made a purchase in the last year online, you should consider having a safety knife on hand.) No set of moving supplies is complete without a box cutter. But here are some household uses you may not have thought of:

• Food bags. From the thick plastic wrap that encloses six-packs of bottled water to the tortilla-chip bag you can’t open without sending flying chips everywhere, we all have to deal with food packaging. The box cutter makes life in the kitchen easier. They’re designed to open it up without spilling it out.
• Fertilizer bags. These gardeners’ favorites are hard to open, and with good reason—you don’t want that stuff on the floor of your hardware store. With a safety cutter in your home toolbelt or gardening kit, you’ll never have to worry about it.
• Assemble-it-yourself furniture packaging. From the stapled-together boxes to those plastic straps that hold boards in place, that new bookcase you bought will be as hard to get out of the package as it is to assemble. A box cutter can really save time—the time you need for quick assembly.
• Yarn/knitting. Sewing scissors aren’t forever. If you’re a serious knitter, why not spare your hand muscles the frustration, and buy safety cutters?
• Windows. Purchasing new windows? Make sure you’ve got a box cutter to help you get them out of the covering.
  You get the idea!

For the novice do-it-yourselfer who wants to look like a pro when it comes to handling tools of the trade, a little practice may be in order. The up side is that there are dozens of tools out there to make the job easier. The down side is that there are dozens of tools out there to make the job easier. Before launching into your next ambitious home project, make yourself familiar with some of the more common DIY knives and their uses.