Traditional knives vs clamshell packaging

[Hickory n steel]

Is it just me or does the razor sharp pen sheeps foot or coping secondary blade on a traditional knife and careful use entirely eliminate the frustration or danger of clamshell packaging?

Do you ever find it to be hard to deal with ?
Have you cut yourself while opening the stuff more than just once ?


I truly do not understand why so many people get cut or consider it hard to open, because I've always used the small secondary blade on my pocket knife to cut the stuff since I started carrying them and have never had an issue.
It never puts up a fight, and I cannot recall ever once cutting myself while opening the stuff using a traditional pocket knife.
I did cut myself a little one Christmas as a teenager using one of my cheapo modern folders to open a screwdriver set I got , but that's the only time I can ever remember.
I have opened I don't know how many dozens of tins of Crosman premier hollow point pellets from their blister packs with a traditional pocket knife over the past decade without issue.


Technique definitely plays a part, but I most credit the use of a small secondary blade on my traditional pocket knives for my ability to safely handle clamshell packaging with minimal effort.

 

[kvaughn]

The Wharncliffe blade on my Case Ratcliffe works well for this.

 

[black mamba]

I always prefer to use a straight edge for clamshell packaging, and the leverage of a good, sharp sheepfoot is my favorite.
Lambsfoot is second best and Wharncliffe least of all, as I'm always a little afraid of losing the tip.

 

[WildAustin]

I use the Wharncliffe to slice through the front and back and then I fight the damn plastic to let it loose. You practically have to cut all around some of those things otherwise.

 

[JJ_Colt45]

I always prefer to use a straight edge for clamshell packaging, and the leverage of a good, sharp sheepfoot is my favorite.

I agree with this ^ ... I prefer a sheepsfoot for opening clamshell packaging. The straight edge works well and it's stout enough to not worry about a delicate tip.

 

[Old Engineer]

When I open a clamshell package I always want a Sheepfoot .

Harry

 

[Hickory n steel]

I use the Wharncliffe to slice through the front and back and then I fight the damn plastic to let it loose. You practically have to cut all around some of those things otherwise.

I always cut at least halfway to all the way around the item, and I cut around the item itself not around the edge of the packaging where it's thickest.
I rarely ever cut through both sides either.

Regardless of how I'm going to tackle the particular package though, I'm always using my smaller secondary blade.

 

[Hickory n steel]

My favorite choice is the coping blade on my Buck 305's or the sheeps foot modified pens on my Case Barlows and Texas Jack.
A small pen blade on an equal end pen knife or my Case half whittlers works fine as well, they're not as ideal but good enough.

 

[Peregrin]

Whoever invented clamshell packaging should be drawn and quartered. That said, a sturdy, sharp, straight edge is your friend. My grandkids do appreciate that Papa always has a pocket knife with him.

 

[Modoc ED]

I use whatever is at hand but a straight edge is the most efficient if handy.

 

[birdsbeaks]

I use a pair of those mostly plastic scissors from harbor freight.

 

[Will Power]

They can be a menace and in a temper I've been tempted to start up the blow-lamp Overkill.....

Straights are good but I find Pruners/Hawks even better for this job. The curve allows the tip to pierce effortlessly and then you can 'shear' found the thing. SAK's single spring Pruner is very well adapted to this- pity they stopped making it. But other SAK's have a Pruner blade. I think it would be really useful to have a small Pruner as secondary on patterns like GEC's 68 White Owl instead of a Pen, but nobody has done it yet. GEC's 38 Farmer's Jack is another knife very well adapted for clamshell extraction jobs

 

[meako]

Drawn ,Quartered,Hung..but first get a solid boot up the arse.
I especially hate the small packets of tiny screws that when I finally frunk the staple open scatter like like fungus spore never to be seen again...until I tread on on one whilst looking for something completely unrelated...grrr

 

[Railsplitter]

I find it much safer to set the package down on a hard flat surface to do the cutting. I suspect that many people who cut themselves are holding the package in one hand and the knife in the other.

 

[afishhunter]

I has not tried it ... Been an spell since a item from Amazon was in a clam pack.
I wonder if Vic's "Package Opener" that replaced the tin opener on the Companion, and a couple other models would work well?

I know the "peeler"/package opener on the Mini Champ made short work of the last clam pac I opened before receiving my Swiss Pride Companion.

 

[Ironbut]

I find it much safer to set the package down on a hard flat surface to do the cutting. I suspect that many people who cut themselves are holding the package in one hand and the knife in the other.

Yeah. I usually inspect the darn things, looking for a weak spot. Come up with a battle plan. Then sit it down, get the get the Buck 112 out, and cut away from myself.

 

[hsherzfeld]

I can’t remember cutting myself with the knife while opening clamshell packaging (I’m sure I have been) but I’ve been cut by the sharp plastic edges before. I’m usually more worried about damaging the packaged item.

I really hate the reinforced/corrugated plastic that a lot of knives are packaged in for sale at brick and mortar stores. It’s difficult to cut through without a serrated blade.

 

[abcdef]

The venerable box cutter for clam shucking.

Or you could get one of these:

 

[yablanowitz]

Yeah, I've been had by the plastic I just cut a couple of times, usually because I was too lazy to cut all the way around the contents or wanted to leave the package as intact as possible to store the unused portion of the contents. Usually a sheepsfoot blade gets the call for clampack slaying.

 

[guy g]

I don't think to use a smaller blade as much as I should. I choke up on the knife and blade for more control.