Cardboard boxes at work

[THG]

I wouldn't use any quality knife to cut cardboard; it's too abrasive and a box cutter works better.

I kinda understand what you mean now. I had the perfect edge on my Delica today before I took down ONE box. I cut it on every edge, (8 cuts), and my edge was destroyed.

However, this is the exact reason I sharpened my knife: to tear down that box in style!

 

[GraysonK]

I'm not an expert or even that experienced, but I use either or when I'm at work, home, etc. I have one of those folding boxcutters that comes with replacement titanium coated blades and I love it. But, I also use my knife to open boxes and stuff and have never had a problem. Sure the edge gets dull but that just means I get to sharpen it later. My blades that are harder for me to sharpen don't get used often for that task, but hey. Actually, the tool that I use has a folding boxcutter and a partially serrated blade. So, if I'm at work or whatever and the boxcutter blade gets dull and I don't have a replacement on me, I can open the blade and use it. It may not be the greatest steel ever, but it serves it's purpose. But, unless I needed to pry something, i wouldn't hesitate to use my knife. I don't have wickedly expensive ones, but I have found that you can sharpen just about anything. What's the point of having knives if you won't use them? Hell, I find stuff to use them on sometimes just because I love playing with my knives. Just my 2 cents.
Gray

 

[ubercoupe]

THE BEST TOOL FOR THE JOB.
Well that depends on the job now. Loads of cardboard...I'll start with the boxcutter. For the occasional clump of boxes, I usually have them all finished with my Cricket before the other employees even find a boxcutter (only 2 in the store). Tape gunk cleans nicely with work supplied windex.

 

[stabman]

well now holdon a gull dern minute there my feller Canuck.......my BK2 is a 1/4" thick and its the only thing (besides my SY SOD) that CAN handle the 1 - 2" thick packing boxes i sometimes tear dow. That stuff will snap a thin blade.

Guess you have a point when it comes to cardboard THAT thick!

 

[shecky]

well now holdon a gull dern minute there my feller Canuck.......my BK2 is a 1/4" thick and its the only thing (besides my SY SOD) that CAN handle the 1 - 2" thick packing boxes i sometimes tear dow. That stuff will snap a thin blade.

It would seem to me a thick blade would be the worst thing to use on cardboard that thick. It'll bind more than cut.

 

[Phil Elmore]

I keep one of these Myerco speed-assisted razor blade knives in my desk:

It's the best of both worlds -- a decent folding knife with a pocke clip whose blade can be replaced easily and quickly with another standard razor blade any time it gets dull.

 

[Bushman5]

It would seem to me a thick blade would be the worst thing to use on cardboard that thick. It'll bind more than cut.

nah, this stuff is that recycled paper mache style cardboard, basically small chunks of cardboard/paper/newsprint, injection molded with glue into a big crate shape. It tears down nicely with the bigger blades....

 

[Kueh]

I keep one of these Myerco speed-assisted razor blade knives in my desk:

I have a similar knife. I edc a DMT diamond hone to touch up the blade when necessary.

The breakaway blades of the smaller box cutters are major safety hazard. The broken pieces are left lying around. Often the pieces fly off and "disappear" when the blade is not snapped using the right tool. I was working at a 7-11 when I was hit (but not cut) by a piece of blade when it was snapped on a counter top.

They are a tool and a convenience, especially to non-knife people.

 

[Sep]

Them 9/11 hijackers supposedly used box cutters, yet I haven't seen them banned while pocket knifes regularly cause us trouble. The irony.

 

[dextersp1]

I'm amazed at all this talk about breaking down cardboard boxes.
I worked in a supermarket for 4 years as a teenager.
We only used a box cutter for two things
- cutting cardboard to set up a product display
- stamping the price on an item in the basement - cut the box in half (two layers of product) open the box and stamp the price on it.
After the box was empty we would break it up with our hands at the ends where the box was glued or stapled together or along the seams.
This was done with all size of boxes.
Never saw a need to break down a box any more than that.
If it needed to be smaller; it was folded.

Do the guys that need to cut up a box instead of just taking it apart with their hands lack the strength or something?

 

[Wolfjohn]

I remember in my younger days going to work for that big appliance store that ryhmes with "ears" and was told by my boss to "Bring your gloves and a knife." I had no problem with the gloves but the knife issue I did. At the time, I had only a new Buck stockman and had heard for years growing up that cardboard is one of the hardest things on a blade. So, I stood tall, puffed up my scrawny chest to the boss man and said, "I can bring my gloves but, I will NOT....use MY knife....on YOUR appliance boxes!" We looked at each other and in nothing flat, I was on my Western Flyer bike with pay for a whole 30 minutes in my pocket heading to the local pharmacy to buy the latest Richie Rich comic book. I really hope Chuck Buck appreciated that...my Dad sure didn't at the time but...when you're 14 you do whatcha gotta do.....

 

[Sep]

I worked in a fast order restaurant years ago, and we either used box cutter or one of the kitchen knives. Chicken parts come in thick double ply carboard boxes. They're tough to break, and you don't want to just stomp them flat because they got chicken juice all over.

 

[mgibbons19]

First post.

I used to work at grocery stores as a kid, and we just punched the tape out and the boxes folded. No need for anything to tear them down. Could just be a 17 yo guy thing though.

I did work at a chicken factory for a while, in the boneless - skinless breast room (guess that makes me a breast man).

The knives they provided us with were scary sharp, but you had to make that edge last at least an hour, because you were provided three blades for each unit of time ( 3 hrs, 3 hrs, 2 hrs). When you switched from one of your blades that had been worked for an hour to a new one, man it was beautiful. But when you accidentally caught the edge of your chain mail glove, the blade was just destroyed.

I wish I could sharpen like those guys.

 

[Fox Creek]

ok.. I'm intrigued.. Fox, what happened?

Well, it would be off topic to tell the story. Looking back on it, I was lucky not to go the infamous Memphis City jail. (steep steps to the sally port. AMAZING how many peeps "fell" down those steps.) I somehow managed a psycopathic suavity that kept it off me. Had to walk cool for a couple of weeks when the "boys" took to waiting for me in the parking garage. :jerkit:

 

[JFO]

I cut boxes everyday with a pocket knife even though a boxcutter works better
I love using knives and having one with me at all times. re sharpening and keeping it clean from glue and tape gunk with wd40 and a rag.
the boxes I cut carry meat and are thick(sometimes 3 layers) with nasty glue, a box cutter may not be long or strong enough also

 

[Fox Creek]

First post.

I used to work at grocery stores as a kid, and we just punched the tape out and the boxes folded. No need for anything to tear them down. Could just be a 17 yo guy thing though.

QUOTE]

I had forgotten, but I used to toss boxes up in the air and punch the bottoms to burst the tape. You had to do it very quickly, not force but speed. 'Livened up an otherwise soul deadening day.

 

[stabman]

Do the guys that need to cut up a box instead of just taking it apart with their hands lack the strength or something?

Maybe they prefer efficiency?
We could tear open most packaging with our teeth, as long as we don't have dentures, but a knife is better.
It all depended on the box for me, and how neat the pieces had to be(stacking and disposal purposes). Sometimes ripping it was fine, other times cutting it worked better. Sometimes, a light cut followed by ripping.
Some days, ripping wasn't going to work out so well; ever spend a day ripping apart boxes after hitting the gym first for a work-out of heavy bench press, rows, curls, pull-ups, and tricep extensions? Sometimes, all you'll do is tear a tendon if you over-exer after all that exercise.
I would jump to conclusion about the physical capability of people because they prefer the use of a tool.

 

[kamagong]

As I've said before, cardboard wreaks havoc on a knife's edge, no matter what the steel. I understand that a knife is meant for using, but sometimes I just don't want to use my fine edge for cutting up boxes, especially if my knife is made from one of the supersteels like S30V. Putting on a nice, bragging edge is a PITA with the newer steels and it takes more effort.

I do use my knives for cardboard though. I have a Mooremaker sodbuster in 1095 that is just perfect for that task. The 1095 takes a screaming sharp edge, and the thin blade zips through cardboard. Best of all, it takes little effort to sharpen, at least compared to modern stainless steels.

 

[AMRaider]

I'm amazed at all this talk about breaking down cardboard boxes.
I worked in a supermarket for 4 years as a teenager.
We only used a box cutter for two things
- cutting cardboard to set up a product display
- stamping the price on an item in the basement - cut the box in half (two layers of product) open the box and stamp the price on it.
After the box was empty we would break it up with our hands at the ends where the box was glued or stapled together or along the seams.
This was done with all size of boxes.
Never saw a need to break down a box any more than that.
If it needed to be smaller; it was folded.

Do the guys that need to cut up a box instead of just taking it apart with their hands lack the strength or something?

Depends on the box... Some boxes are easy to rip apart by hand*. For heavy-duty boxes, you need be a gorilla to do it by hand, especially if you have to break down a lot of them. Last I checked, I'm not a gorilla, so I'm gonna use tools like a human.

*For what it's worth, I'm about average according to the grip strength charts where I used to work.

 

[zrfunited]

There was a post that asked a similar question a while back, although it went off track rather quickly. It's nice to see this one staying friendly. I currently work in a liquor warehouse and we top boxes all day long. To me the issue is one of which is more efficient for the job at hand. Box cutters are issued and are perfect for the job. I have on occasion used my knife (caly III) and although its blade is small it is not nearly as easy to use as the box cutter. By the same token when I am removing pallet wrap from a pallet we have received, my caly does the job in a way that not even a fresh bladed box cutter can even compare to. So in the end, box cutter for boxes and a good blade for everything else.