Cardboard, mortal enemy of sharp knives

stitchawl said:
It's called 'the right tool for the job.'

We don't slash through jungle with a Spyderco Military, we use a Machete. Never been to the jungle :)
We don't use a Machete to slice up our tomatoes. We use a kitchen knife. A machete might just go kitchen duty in my house when the wife is not home
We don't use a kitchen knife to baton firewood. We use a bushcraft knife. Well the machete already toke care of the food stuff, so the kitchen knife still needs a work out and a few fuzz stick would work great for lighting the wood stove.
So why do so many people insist on cutting cardboard with the wrong tools? Not people, knifeknuts. I'd make my coffee with a knife if I could figure out how :o .
Sure, you 'can' slash through jungle vines with a Spydie. You 'can' slice tomatoes with a machete. Etc., etc., etc. You can also hammer a nail with the back of a wrench, but a hammer works better. A lot better. A replaceable blade box cutter works best for boxes. That why they call it a box cutter. :D

Stitchawl
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box cutter aren't nice :grumpy:
 
I was pleasantly surprised to see so many Para D2 posts as I am continually amazed at how long mine will hold a razor sharp edge too. My mini-grip 154CM will dull on cardboard rather quickly, but the CPMD2 keeps going until the job is done and beyond! I've never owned a better slicer.
 
me2 said:
M2 high speed steel has out done anything I've tried on cardboard, from AUS-6 (no surprise) to CPM S60V. I was half way through my test and it would still shave hair on my arm above the skin. This is power hacksaw blade steel, M2 at 64-66 HRc, and surprisingly tough at that hardness and a tiny machete geometry, 12 degree per side convex edge ground on 0.05" thick stock, no primary bevel, 5" long by 1" wide blade.
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+1 for this post.

To be added, not very difficult to sharpen considering that high Rc rate.
 
I'll vote for high hardness D2 (around RC62)... it was only barely armhair shaving when I started, and an hour later breaking up years worth of boxes for recycling it was still barely armhair shaving
 
I'll never understand the whining about cardboard. Cutting down boxes is probably the most common task any of my folders have faced and they have all done it with no problems, at all.

Using proper cutting technique and decent edge geometry, it shouldn't be an issue. Granted, you should touch your knife up every day to keep it sharp.
 
J85909266 said:
I'll never understand the whining about cardboard. Cutting down boxes is probably the most common task any of my folders have faced and they have all done it with no problems, at all.

Using proper cutting technique and decent edge geometry, it shouldn't be an issue. Granted, you should touch your knife up every day to keep it sharp.
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Most of the time you don't even have to cut the boxes to break them down. ;)

It's only the very big ones that really need to be cut down.
 
So why do so many people insist on cutting cardboard with the wrong tools?
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Not people, knifeknuts. I'd make my coffee with a knife if I could figure out how .
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This has to be one of the most delightful lines I've read in a long, long time!! Nicely said!
The real question would be 'which knife is best for making coffee?" :p

Stitchawl
 
HoosierQ said:
I leave cardboard to the utility knife (aka the box cutter). I always have one of those hand as I find that to be just as hand EDC as a conventional knife.
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:thumbup: Ditto. After all, that's what it was made for. It's proof that a thinner blade is better for this task. And anyway, more often than not, I don't bother to cut boxes before I dispose of them. I just cut the tape at the seams and fold 'em flat...

Occasionally, I'll 'test' a blade on cardboard after sharpening, just to see if I've done a decent job. There is some value in cardboard there. But otherwise, I prefer to use my better knives for more interesting jobs (making dinner, opening my mail/packages, shaving my arms ;), etc.).
 
I touch up the edges on my knives,even when they really don't need it.So,cardboard poses minimal problems for me.
 
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