Utility knives can be used for a wide variety of jobs around the house and garden. They may be used to cut drywall and sheetrock, open boxes, remove wire or cables, and so much more.
There are, in fact, six different types of utility knives blades that you can purchase and use. Each blade is extremely sharp and all have their own uses.
In this article, we will discuss the different types of utility knives blades that you can come across.
Who Needs A Utility Knife?
Factories, warehouses and construction sites, will all contain these kinds of utility knives. They require no care at all and are quite inexpensive.
Once the blade becomes fully dull, it may simply be replaced with a brand-new one because they are so inexpensive to produce.
This is the ideal instrument for bookbinding, handicraft, and getting a clean cut which you can't get with a pair of scissors.
Crafting utility knives are fairly short, despite being extremely sharp. With such a thin blade, they can't do much damage and the possibility of injury is rather low.
Hook Blades
Utility knives with large hook-shaped tips are available with hook blades that can be used to cut thick or heavy materials when using the whole knife.
These knives have two main applications: trimming the edges of shingles and cutting linoleum while functioning as a carpet knife.
Both domestic and commercial uses of the hooked blade can be found. When using an open-type hacksaw to cut through metal, the hooked blade is also helpful.
Hook blades aren't really designed to slice wood, but with practice, they can be used for this purpose. Wood or plastic can be sliced with the hook blade when a rotary motion is used.
Scalloped Edged Blades
Knives that use a scalloped edge are ideal for slicing a variety of items, including fruits and vegetables.
To avoid a mess and obtain a clean, smooth edge, utility knives with scallop blades are used to cut polystyrene insulation outside the kitchen.
Clamps can be attached on either side of the blade simultaneously. They come in a variety of sizes and forms.
You can even find some of these blades have specially crafted teeth on them that have distinct functions, such as scoring or scraping.
Serrated Edge Blades
Similar to a scalloped edge blade, the serrated edge blade easily cuts through extremely dense materials. The way the two blades are used is where they vary.
The scalloped edge blade works best for slicing motions, whilst serrated edge blades are used with a sawing motions.
Serrated edges have rougher edges, compared to other types of utility knife blades. These rougher edges not only adds to the user's protection, but also makes cutting through exceptionally dense, challenging materials safer.
Serrated blades can be anywhere between 4 and 7 inches long. Anything greater than 7 inches is typically regarded as a specialist blade. Both carpet knives and wood chisels have blades with serrated edges.
The longer blades are typically used for more industrial jobs like cutting carpet or vinyl flooring.
They can even be used for cutting through a range of foods like bread in the culinary arts.
Snap Off Blade
Snap Off blades are one single, strong, long blade that can be extended to cut through dense materials like fiberglass insulation.
These specific breakaway blades are created with several seams, allowing you to snap off smaller pieces at a time. Hence, each segment will have a cutting edge, helping them last a lot longer than typical two-sided utility knives.
Snap Off blades are the best blade for utility knives since they have many advantages over typical utility knife blades, including the ability to effortlessly cut through thick insulation.
In addition to being made of stainless steel, which makes them exceptionally durable.
The other key feature is that they can break off into smaller pieces, allowing you to use only one at a time and replace the blade whenever your utility knife wears out. By doing this, you can continue working on your house project without worrying that you'll run out of sharp blades.
Pointed Tipped Blade
The nearest thing to a typical utility blade for the majority of people would likely be utility knife blades with pointed tips.
They are a fantastic alternative for materials like drywall, flexible plastics, and fabrics that are more difficult to cut through.
Most people regularly prefer using pointed tip blades over other types of blades. They are ideal for cutting through materials like flexible plastic, plasterboard, and textiles since they are tough to penetrate at first.
Due to the way the tip of this kind of blade differs from other blades in appearance, it is also frequently known as the "chisel blade."
Rounded Tip Blade
Utility blades with rounded tips are a relatively recent variety that have only been available on the market for about half as long as blades with pointed tips.
They are considerably more aggressive than their equivalents with pointy tips. Thus, making these blades better suited for various materials including rubber, paint, and wood.
They are equally just as effective, but less popular than their cousins with the pointed tips. Utility knives with rounded tips work well on materials like rubber, resin and wood, which are known to be difficult to penetrate at first.
What Are Utility Knife Blades Made From?
Utility knife blades of all kinds need to be built from sturdy materials to preserve the blade's structural integrity.
The majority of these blades are constructed from coated metals, which serve to keep the edge of the blade more intact while also preventing rust and corrosion.
You may find that some utility blades are built from steel and coated to guard against rust and damage.
The most common materials that your blades will be made from is carbon steel, titanium alloy, and stainless steel.
Is Every Utility Knife Blade The Same Size?
When it comes to the blade size of your utility knife blade, the most common sizes are between 4 and 6 inches.
This is a good size for most DIY and business uses. It is sufficient to squeeze into small spaces and is the right size to compress the power required for each cut.
Conclusion
It may be surprising how many types of utility knife blades that there are out there. Each different utility knife blade has their own advantages, which makes certain blades better on particular materials than others.
Therefore, it is best to make sure that you use the correct blade for the job that you are doing.
For those of you that like to do some DIY around the home. Or if you are a construction worker or work in a factory, you will be used to using these knives. Yet, you may not have noticed the different blades that it uses.
We hope this article has been helpful and given you a better insight into the different types of utility knife blades out there.