Cardboard boxes at work

L

Let It Bleed

Joined
May 13, 2007
Messages
504
I've noticed a lot of people mention that they use their knife at work to break down cardboard boxes. I would think that if breaking down boxes is part of the job, then the employer would provide the tools for this.

Is it just a preference for a superior tool to make work easier? Are boxcutters not suitable for this task? Family business or self employed?

I'm not trying to grind anyone's gears, but am just curious. :)
 
Personally, I'll take out a box cutter rather than use my own knife simply because I hate the way cardboard dulls up a blade so quickly and how tape gunks up the edge.
 
If you want a knife that cuts cardboard and does not dull easy get a David Boye Cobalt folder. Easy to sharpen if you do manage to get it dull. The way the edge is made on this knife it just keeps cutting and cutting. THANKS! Kevin :thumbup:
 
I worked at Chick-fil-A when I was 15 and I was always using my knives to open/break down boxes. I think the assumption was that if you didn't bring your own knife, you were expected to do it all by hand as we weren't given any box cutters etc. Soon my manager, who was in her sixties, saw how handy it was for me to carry a knife and she actually started carrying a SAK.
 
I carry my knives to use. If you're not into sharpening then perhaps get a Gerber EAB or something of that nature. Personally I find sharpening to be relaxing and a very necessary skill for anyone who loves knives. I've never understood how anyone could be into knives but dislike sharpening, in my mind the two are inseparable. A good sharpening system like the sharpmaker is a must however, nothing can be more frustrating than the poor results and damaged knives you will get from an inferior system. I know there are guys who do amazing things free hand on benchstones/belt sanders/mousepads but I've always been horrible at that. Personally I use my foolproof sharpmaker and follow it up with some stropping on an old rawhide belt.
 
YayILikePie said:
Personally, I'll take out a box cutter rather than use my own knife simply because I hate the way cardboard dulls up a blade so quickly and how tape gunks up the edge.
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I totally agree, why use a knife when a box cutter will work just fine. I save my knife blades for when I really need them.
 
If i do use my knife on a box, its only to cut the tape so the box can be folded and tossed.
 
Before I learned how to sharpen my knives, I did not cut much with them. Now I consider it a pleasure to use my knife. A few times a week I touch it up. I guess I just enjoy my knives and using them.
 
My employer did buy me a Sharpmaker for work. Boxcutters are a no-no after 9-11 and after a girl at work cut herself really bad using a box cutter.
I use a Salt 1 SE on cardboard boxes. The H1 steel seems to hold an edge better than my other knives AUS8, VG10, 154cm, S30V and D2.
 
YayILikePie said:
Personally, I'll take out a box cutter rather than use my own knife simply because I hate the way cardboard dulls up a blade so quickly and how tape gunks up the edge.
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THE PUNISHER said:
Me to,i keep my knives sharp,i'l be dammed if i am going to use them for boxes.............
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donny bee said:
If i do use my knife on a box, its only to cut the tape so the box can be folded and tossed.
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Wow, these are some disappointing posts to read.

eccvets said:
I totally agree, why use a knife when a box cutter will work just fine. I save my knife blades for when I really need them.
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In case you run into some zombies on the way home before you get a chance to sharpen your knife? :rolleyes:

Maybe you guys should leave your knife at home in the safe.
 
By the time a box cutter has made the rounds with my fellow employees it's pretty much a butter knife. I carry a knife for utility and breaking down boxes seems to fit into that category. To each his own though:)
 
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Dekz said:
Wow, these are some disappointing posts to read.
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Boxcutters are pretty well suited to cutting cardboard. Probably better than they typical pocketknife.

But, yeah, your point is well taken. I would choose a boxcutter because they tend to be more comfortable and easier to control. Not so save the edge of my folder.


coop1957 said:
Boxcutters are a no-no after 9-11 and after a girl at work cut herself really bad using a box cutter.
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Now this is funny. Is the implication is that longer pocket knives are not as sharp or something, and therefore less prone to accidents? Or that boxcutters are uniquely dangerous?
 
Dekz said:
Wow, these are some disappointing posts to read.
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Well, that isn't to say that I won't use my knife on occasion. However, it's about using the right tool for the right job. My workplace has a bunch of those Stanley box cutters all over the place, with replacement blades as well. Once a week, I flip the blades around to get a fresh edge and once they're all done with, I'll replace them out.

I know my slipjoints will tackle those cardboard boxes no problem, but if I don't have time to resharpen my knives, box cutters aren't a bad choice.
 
Personally, I got my knives to use. I have a few that are "collectors" that I won't use for small stuff like boxes. But for the most part I feel that all my knives can do the job, so I'll use the crap outta them. I also find sharpening to be relaxing, so I'm not worried about getting them dull.

As for the employer providing the tools, not a chance. I've been at two jobs that require cutting boxes and various other stuff, and neither one would have even considered giving me a knife. It's one of those things that each person is responsible for taking care of. And it's in my nature to not be satisfied with what everyone else gets. I'd have bought a better blade anyway. :p
 
I like cutting boxes with my knife because I like to see what:

1. The knife can do
2. What I can do (my sharpening skills)

Sure, I could use a box cutter where I just toss blades when they go dull. But I like to sharpen myself, see what the edge I gave it can do, see how much the steel can take, then see how long it takes me to get it back to the same level of sharpness. It's a game to me.

eccvets said:
I totally agree, why use a knife when a box cutter will work just fine. I save my knife blades for when I really need them.
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Then when do you "really" need your knives? Personally, if I weren't cutting boxes, the only thing I would ever have to do with my knives is look at them.

And for those of you scared of tape gunk: use WD-40. Problem solved.
 
If somebody made an actually high quality 1 handed folding box cutter, I'd buy that in an instant. So far I've yet to see one.

I usually don't use a knife to break down boxes by cutting the cardboard, just the tape. If the pieces need to be smaller, I'll just tear the cardboard by hand. Neatness doesn't count.

But we're talking 5-15 boxes a day here; I'm not a stocker at Walmart. If I were, I'd have a regular box cutter, like you see all of them carry there anyway.
 
Planterz said:
If somebody made an actually high quality 1 handed folding box cutter, I'd buy that in an instant. So far I've yet to see one.

I usually don't use a knife to break down boxes by cutting the cardboard, just the tape. If the pieces need to be smaller, I'll just tear the cardboard by hand. Neatness doesn't count.

But we're talking 5-15 boxes a day here; I'm not a stocker at Walmart. If I were, I'd have a regular box cutter, like you see all of them carry there anyway.
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See, that's why I prefer to use a box cutter rather than a knife. I work stock at a clothing store, and gotta go through at least a hundred boxes a day. After trying a few days of going only with a knife, it'd be dull before the day was even halfway over, which is why I've developed an appreciation for box cutters.
 
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