What's the toughest NORMAL stuff to cut?

L

Lavan

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Nov 8, 2000
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Blades are tested on hanging rope, sitting rope, soap on a rope, etc.

What do you think is the toughest NORMALLY encountered material to cut?

Not as in "tough on the knife" cuz I think CARDBOARD would take that hands down, but tough to CUT.

I nominate raw chicken. I think even a laser would have a time with that rolling, slimy fat just under the skin.

:confused:
 
Steven Roos said:
Plastic blister packages!
Click to expand...

YES! This stuff is by far the worst.

There are two ways I go about it. First is to first pierce it if you have a pointy knife, then slide the edge through. If you are using something like a sheepsfoot, you "whittle" the hard plastic on the edge till you hit the thinner stuff and then you can slide the edge through.
-Kevin
 
definetly the winner of hardest material to cut is those darn plastic ties my kids toys come in durring christmas. they are almost impossible and then the rest of the packaging is almost as tough
 
4" truck web tiedown strap. I also use it to test cutting edges.
 
Without a doubt in my mind, it has to be sisal backed carpet.

I won't even think of using anything but a utility knife on that stuff after I used a knife of mine on it once.
 
oil soaked poly rope (the sailing type). very slippery - polished blades would just slide off. need serrated or lower-grit-finished edges.

oh yeah, and pepsi bottles... :D
 
What do you all mean by blister packages?

To me, the blister wrap is that plastic wrap with the air bubbles; and that people get their jollies popping with their fingers to go "pop."

Are you guys talking about that hard plastic "clam shell" packaging that so many things come in these days? Those really suck cutting with a pocket knife.

The blister wraps seem easy enough to cut since they are just really thin polyethylene sheeting.
 
Styrofoam, it just won't cut, or just when it does start to cut, it stops ! But I am not sure if this would be in the "normally encountered" category. :D .

Robbie Roberson :)
 
Funny. We call the one with air bubbles "bubble wrap", but yeah I guess what I am calling plastic blister packaging is the same as your clam shell packaging. Whatever the name we seem to agree that it sucks.
 
Blister or clamshell pack, the tip of the sheepsfoot blade on my mini SAK goes through them easily; I just slide the tip around two edges and pull it open. Plastic ties are definitely among the toughest to cut. I've given up trying to cut them open and just use a pair of wire cutters, much safer and quicker. Of the things I've cut recently, the husk of a coconut was by far the toughest. Don't know if it would be considered "normal" though :)
 
Didn't we just do this thread a month ago?

Anyway, those plastic clamshell packed things are a major bitch. I got one of the worst cuts I ever had cutting one of those open...and it was from the plastic, not my knife. :mad:
 
Nylon rope salvaged from the beach. Tough enough on it's own but when impregnated with sand and salt crystals........
 
Cat fur. I have a maine coon cat with matted fur. Even my straight razor won't cut the fur without risking ripping the hide off the cat. Even the pet clippers I have won't cleanly cut the fine fur. To my utter shame I had to resort to scissors! I never use scissors if there is a chance that I can use a knife.

Raw chicken is pretty difficult as well. Blister packages are no problem at all. It just takes some force.
 
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