Show Your Traditional Cardboard Killers!

GE Jr

GE Jr

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Joined
Dec 29, 2015
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The current situation is meaning fewer visits to local stores - for us and many others. Thankfully, there's online shopping and all those fine people (hooray for them!) who deliver stuff to our houses. Most stuff gets delivered in boxes...and they seem to come almost every day - and often in multiples. :eek: My curbside recycling bin is almost full of cut-up packaging, and I have most of this week to go before Friday's pickup.
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In the past, my trusty old Sodbuster Jr that I keep on the enclosed porch performed the task of box opener/tape cutter that allowed me to just fold up a few boxes enough to fit in the bin with minimal actual cutting of cardboard. But the drop point blade lately made the task of cutting up boxes into smaller (8" to 10") pieces a bit tedious.
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This gave me the idea to see which knives that I own (and am willing to use for such a task) just might be more capable (and fun!) to use destroying these continuous takers-up of room at my residence. And so far I have put only two to the challenge.

First, the 2018 Buck Forum knife. The sheepfoot blade, after a few passes on the Sharpmaker, will cut easily through this stuff... and seems to not need any re-sharpening after many boxes have been reduced to mere fractions of their former selves. Works great...that CPM-154 is some tough stuff!
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Today, I thought; if a sheepfoot does so well, then how would ram's foot do? I gotta say - this one went through it like it was butter - for about 6 boxes worth, before I could feel the once keen edge slowing down. A few minutes at the strop put the edge right back to where I started though, so...back in business. The 1095 maybe not as tough as the CPM-154, but seems real easy to get that edge back when needed.
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I like the toughness of that Buck's blade. I also like the shape, grind, and thinness behind the edge on the GEC 93 ram's foot. What's your cardboard slayer of choice?
 
For what it's worth, I'm a maintenance man in a box factory. We're essential, you know! First time in my life :)

This poor old thing has been my daily companion for many years. It's been used for just about anything you can imagine, and probably a few I shouldn't admit to...

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One thing about cutting cardboard, at least you have plenty of material for stropping your blades with, cardboard can work very well :cool:

I have to say that I prefer a fixed blade for this, puukko, or a Modern locker. Traditional sprung knives can get trapped in cardboard and this is frustrating.
 
No picture of mine.
The Stanley 10-499 Quick Change Retractable Utility Knife was/is my preferred knife for when I hadda/gotta cut a lotta cardboard.
The Stanley was/is much easier on my "good" knives when I had/have miles of cardboard to cut up. :)
(a lot faster and easier to resharpen the Stanley, too. Just flip the blade or insert a new one. Takes all of a second or three.)
 
I’m a small business owner and get the chance to cut lots of cardboard, especially tougher waxed and industrial cardboard. I cut as much as I want because I find it fun and a learning experience, and pass the rest off to my employees.

Knife steel is usually put into two categories: carbon and stainless. That describes the look more than the performance. I think of knife steel as either lower-alloy (carbon steel and lower-grade “stainless” steels like 440A B & HC, and AUS8 and the like), or as higher-alloy (440C, CPM154, D2, M390 and the like). Higher-alloy steel has hard carbides in it.

Lower-alloy steel will not retain an edge long cutting fibrous materials like cardboard when compared to higher-alloy steels. That’s because there’s nothing in the steel matrix to protect the steel edge. The steel itself does the cutting and fibers, clay coatings, and dirt in the cardboard wear the edge down quickly. With higher-alloy steels the hard carbides in the steel matrix do the cutting and preserve the steel edge. It’s not even a close competition.

For example, Schrade used to run 1095 up to 61 HRC and I’ve never come across an Old Timer as wear-resistant as even the lowliest, low-HRC 440C. In real-world cardboard processing, I haven’t found much difference between different types of high-alloy steel, especially when compared to low-alloy steel. It all does pretty well.

After carbides, I’ve found blade geometry makes the most difference on cardboard. Thin steel with an acute edge cuts best and longest, and even when the edge finally does begin to dull, it still cuts like sharp, thicker steel. I think it just comes down to the physics of the blade having to squeeze between cardboard. Thin outperforms thick.

Mostly I break down cardboard with a GEC Navy Knife in 440C. The blade stock is thin, and I’ve thinned out the edge quite a bit. It cuts and cuts, and even when it does eventually get dull it still cuts and manages to squeeze nicely between the cardboard. I have some Queen knives in D2 that do just as well, having thin blade stock. I also have a more modern traditional in M390 that doesn’t do as well for this application because the blade stock is so thick (though it is great for other applications).

So for me, first carbides and next blade geometry explain the differences in cutting ability.
 
afishhunter said:
No picture of mine.
The Stanley 10-499 Quick Change Retractable Utility Knife was/is my preferred knife for when I hadda/gotta cut a lotta cardboard.
The Stanley was/is much easier on my "good" knives when I had/have miles of cardboard to cut up. :)
(a lot faster and easier to resharpen the Stanley, too. Just flip the blade or insert a new one. Takes all of a second or three.)
Click to expand...

Mitchell Knives said:
This is the best tool for breaking down cardboard.

View attachment 1329482
Click to expand...

The ol' Stanley knives do work great for cutting up cardboard. I have one or two of them around somewhere. I needed one to do cuts on vinyl tile for a bathroom remodel last month, and I always have trouble with the retractable ones closing on me as I'm pushing down for the cut. I found the Roberts Big Fatso in the HD flooring dept. That angle helps. Great on cardboard too! But like the others, goes through blades fast on cardboard.

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And to show my best traditional so far...
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afishhunter said:
No picture of mine.
The Stanley 10-499 Quick Change Retractable Utility Knife was/is my preferred knife for when I hadda/gotta cut a lotta cardboard.
The Stanley was/is much easier on my "good" knives when I had/have miles of cardboard to cut up. :)
(a lot faster and easier to resharpen the Stanley, too. Just flip the blade or insert a new one. Takes all of a second or three.)
Click to expand...

The 10-499 is my favorite utility knife.

For traditional cardboard killers my favorite is the GEC H20

Thin blade thin grind , and its handy to draw and put away one handed which is good for safety and not getting lost in the chaos of breaking down lots of boxes.
It's thin enough to keep cutting sufficiently when it starts getting dull, and easy to touch up when it does.
 
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