Why is everyone cutting so much cardboard?

Why do you cut cardboard?

  • It's fun

    Votes: 28 17.6%

  • I enjoy sharpening my knives

    Votes: 4 2.5%

  • To justify buying a super steel

    Votes: 10 6.3%

  • Some box designs are difficult to break down

    Votes: 29 18.2%

  • I rarely cut cardboard

    Votes: 88 55.3%
  • Total voters
    159
It's fun, but for me it usually just depends on how full our trash can is getting.
The trashman won't pick up anything outside of the can and recommended we burn anything that won't fit.
You could say that I compact my trash and dice up cardboard out of petty spite for the fact that I fully expect the trashman to take away the trash I pay them to take away. We can play by their rules.... they just didn't count on an HVAC tech knife nerd.
There's always room for more crap on any given truck, and I'll cut it to fit if it don't fit! :D

I'm betting this question will come up, so let me just say, recycling isn't a real popular/ available thing in my part of South Alabama :oops:
Stinky stuff goes to the truck and burnable stuff goes in a barrel out back, unfortunately. I don't feel like burning barrells of cardboard and egg cartons so I cut it to fit their stupid can :thumbsup:;):cool:
 
I voted rarely, but that's definition is subjective. I don't think most people would consider cutting cardboard as part of the hobby, maybe the knife happens to be there and it's handy to use, but I doubt people willing to pay hundreds of dollars for knives just for cardboard cutting.
 
We don’t pay for trash pickup service at my house. We have a commercial dumpster at our shop just a few miles away that I’ll take them to. I’ll cut down cardboard boxes into small pieces to make room in the kitchen trash can, save space and save bags. Now if I just take boxes to the dumpster at the shop I’ll just cut the tape and fold the boxes down flat. I have a large 21 that stays in my kitchen that has somewhat became a dedicated cardboard cutter, much better suited than an Inkosi
 
000Robert said:
You cut well over half a mile of cardboard with a cheap $10 knife? I am having a hard time believing that.
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I sharpened it and decided I'd cut cardboard until it wouldn't slice paper any more. I had decided I was sharpening too much, and so I'd try to go longer between sharpenings. I cut cardboard for over half a mile and the knife could still slice a piece of paper folded in half and standing up on a table edge. Dulling is very much not linear and moving the stopping point a little bit let's you cut a lot more.
 
The real reason I cut so much cardboard in 2020 is that over time, I've slowly transitioned to doing most of my shopping online. So I always have lots of boxes. I've got nerve damage in my hands but even if I didn't, using brute strength to bust up cardboard sucks. Slicing it down to appropriately sized chunks for a kitchen trash or recycling receptacle is so much better.

I said "fun" because I could use a dedicated box cutter or something with nice, thin, disposable blades. That might be a better option IRL. The fact is, I have a bunch of knives in my EDC rotation. I like having opportunities to use them. Cardboard is the heaviest chore they get and it helps me to explore them better as cutting tools. Yeah, there are a few fancy knives I don't want to scuff up. Luckily, that online shopping has also transitioned me into the modern world of budget gems like Civivi. :D
 
I cut cardboard mainly to make it fit in the recycling bin, but also to compare the slicing ability of various knives. Something satisfying about whizzing through cardboard with a sharp folder.

So, practical reasons, comparisons/testing and fun.
 
I don't cut that much of it.

But last week, a large box showed up, so I had to cut it into small pieces so it would fit into a small bag to chuck down the garbage chute.

Then, the next day it turned out that one of the things had to be sent back, and I had no cardboard to make a box to ship it back in...should have kept that cardboard...

Life is weird. :D
 
Do you own a recycling bin? Does your work have a baler? Lots of cardboard comes too big to readily fit into either of these.
 
I rarely cut cardboard. When I do its only shipping boxes from Amazon.
Also, I generally use my Stanley 10-499 to cut down boxes.
I don't have any particular need to, nor am I in any great rush to sharpen my blades down to "toothpicks" inside 3 to 5 years (on average) like our ancestors did. Of course they used their knives a lot harder than we would ever dream of today.
I suspect what a lot of folk today consider "hard use" our ancestors would see as "light" or at best "medium" use.
(they would view batoning as "stupid" and "abuse", and wonder why anyone would attempt to fell a tree or split a cord of firewood with a knife instead of the right tool, that would make the job less work and go faster.)
 
I must be one of the few people that just tear up cardboard boxes with my hands.
They are not that bigger deal even as I get older, rip and tear, piece of Pisx
 
Danno4017 said:
I must be one of the few people that just tear up cardboard boxes with my hands.
They are not that bigger deal even as I get older, rip and tear, piece of Pisx
Click to expand...

I used to tear them apart until I got a couple of cardboard cuts. I decided that using a knife was easier and better. Plus, any excuse to use one of my knives is a good excuse! :cool:
 
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