Good knife for carpet/demo work.

Hold on there, buster. I NEVER said you shouldn’t have those other knives with you on the job (or in a cafe, or playing video games, or feeding your dog…). Although you’re lacking a Buck 110 (which in all fairness is mostly an old guy’s knife).

What I said was, carpet demo will beat the shiite out of them. But I can tell you’re smart enough to use the right tool for the job, and not loan your coworkers the wrong one.

Carry on.

Parker
 
I think I’ll bring my s90v delica next week. See how that fairs next to the ol’ box knife. I’ll let you guys know how that goes.
 
dirc said:
they actually make these... things called carpet knives :p
if you're doing any significant carpet work, a wharn just won't do
eyJidWNrZXQiOiAiZmlsZXMua25pZmVjZW50ZXIuY29tIiwia2V5IjogImtuaWZlY2VudGVyL3JtdXJwaHkvaW1hZ2VzL1JNSEFXS0Nudy5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6IHsicmVzaXplIjogeyJ3aWR0aCI6IDc2MCwiaGVpZ2h0IjogNDE1LCJmaXQiOiAiY29udGFpbiIsImJhY2tncm91bmQiOiB7InIiOiAyNTUsImciOiAyNTUsImIiOiAyNTUsImFscGhhIjogMX19fX0=
Click to expand...
Yes,,,,go to Lowe's
 
  • Like
Reactions: P2P
+1 on the Cold Steel Tuff Lite.

They’re only around $30 so if you beat it up it’s not a big deal, but I recon they will out-cut a utility knife over the course of a day. (Due to excellent handle ergonomics, better steel, and a non-flexible edge).

IF you know (or are willing to learn) freehand sharpening, this knife will serve you well imho.
 
Speaking of hook blades, saw a video where someone crudely attached a disposable hook blade to an oscillating multi tool. It seemed to cut thru the carpet quite easily. Didn't mention how long the blade lasts though.
 
I tried that once with a cordless sawzall, ground an edge on a wornout blade. Lasted about 10 min.

I decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

Parker
 
catspa said:
Hold on there, buster. I NEVER said you shouldn’t have those other knives with you on the job (or in a cafe, or playing video games, or feeding your dog…). Although you’re lacking a Buck 110 (which in all fairness is mostly an old guy’s knife).

What I said was, carpet demo will beat the shiite out of them. But I can tell you’re smart enough to use the right tool for the job, and not loan your coworkers the wrong one.

Carry on.

Parker
Click to expand...

You don't often see someone addressed as "buster" in 2022. Refreshing!

Back in 1982, I was riding Amtrak to Chicago. A little girl was terrorizing the other kids and adult passengers in the car, but her parents did nothing. When she had bullied everyone but me, she started coming down the aisle toward me glaring, but would stop and retreat. Eventually she got within and arm's distance and shook her tiny fist at my face while saying, "Buster!" As a responsible teenager, I refrained from grabbing her by an ankle and using her to flail all of the seat and walls of the car, but her parents should have done something similar long before that point in time. Ah, the good old days.

And, if I were cutting carpeting, I'd use a disposable blade tool too. That goes double if it's removing old carpeting, since the dirt and grit trapped in it makes it way more abrasive than new carpet.

And, all humans should own at least one Buck 110.
 
Your teenage restraint was commendable. Back in the day, undisciplined children were the exception rather than the rule. Course, I wasn’t as cranky, either.

As a kid, that’s how I knew I was about to get in trouble - especially if my mom called me buster.

Parker
 
It is not just dirt and concrete that dull the blades. For the rolled carpets, most people don't know that a great % of the backing is made of fibreglass, which will kill the knife edge very fast. Some heavy duty PVC planks have fibreglass reinforced, newer types of linoleum (the square in the picture) replace the jute backing with full fibreglass.

IMG_20220213_191204.jpg


These snap off knives are hard work knives. If I don't have them, I go home. I don't want to offence anyone, but on worksite for such job, using normal knives is waste of time. They are not made for the same jobs.

IMG_20220213_185547.jpg


Also, we also combination scraper in place of the carpet hook knife for installing or removal. If the situation is dire, electric scraper.
nt067.webp
 
I’ve never encountered a demo task where any of my +$200 folders would’ve done the job better than a solid utility razor. I’ve accumulated a few different razors, as I work for a business in which I may be called at any time to do demo work. Some have lasted 8+ years. Those older Husky ones that are made of solid steel…

I second everyone who recommended the utility knife. But I would say to get a moderately well built one, and not a $2.97 throwaway.
 
full

full
full
full

S90V delica was better than the box knife but I still couldn’t get longer cuts. Much to my surprise, the thicker but longer Rat Rodent 4 did great. I could really get some good swings in with the bigger size.

After 20ft or so of carpet, I’d just take it to a DMT coarse/fine stick and good to go again; like 2 minutes. I really like how the SR-101 steel responds to sharpenings.

I could see an endura wharncliffe doing well. I’ve never used K390, but I’ve heard good things. Handle size would be my concern. The Rodent 4 has an amazing full handle. Since that’s what I already own, I’ll stick to that for now. Knowing how to sharpen is a must however when trying this approach.
 
Last edited:
I professionally removed tons of office carpets, prepping for new installs.
I also thought a folding knife will do it till I didn’t f-ed up one Manix 2 and a small Cold Steel, Tuff something…
Came to realize that there is no better and cheaper way than to use a tool designed for this job instead trying to reinvent the wheel.

www.homedepot.com

ROBERTS Professional Carpet Knife with Push Button for Quick Blade Change 10-252 - The Home Depot

Trim and cut carpet like a Pro with ROBERTS Professional Carpet Knife with Push Button for Quick Blade Change. Featuring a special thumb stop design for increased cutting pressure, and a contoured slip-resistant
www.homedepot.com
 
P2P said:
The box knife have is fine, but I think I can get more out of a longer blade. Removing carpet specifically, been getting into more residential demo work lately.

I’m thinking a plain edge wharncliffe endura. High wear resistance preferred, sharpening won’t be an issue.

You guys got any experience or recommendations?

Cheers!
Click to expand...
I would think a 3 blade Klein electricians knife would be good for this, the one with the hawk bill blade. That would be perfect for carpet removal, and save your regular blade for other general uses, screwdriver blade for light prying and scraping. They have carbon steel blades so they are pretty tough, but not very corrosion resistant so they will discolor over time with use, and may rust if left wet
 
Fairbairn-Sykes fighting dagger is what you need, a lot of reproductions out there do not follow his diagram, so you had better make your own from scratch exactly to these specifications if you want to cut carpet.
https://imgur.com/a/FBAEwW9
 
+1 on the carpet knife.
I often get fed up with my EDC/ pocket knife at work and wind up using a utility razor.
It's usually for things that are going to screw up whatever knife I use and while not afraid to use my
knives as tools, I'm not trying to disfigure them over the course of two weeks either.
Removing and installing carpet seems like one of those things where I'd only use a knife I didn't really care about,
and whatever knife makes the job the easiest, which pretty much winds up being a carpet knife from Lowes, Home Depot, etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top