Everything you need to know about stationery knives

A clerical knife is a very useful thing in any household, it not only brings practical benefits, but also helps to create real masterpieces. This tool, in fact, is a small device that is easy and convenient to carry around. In addition, you can easily replace the blade, if the previous one has fallen into disrepair.

A stationery knife was once thought up in order to use it for cutting paper. However, the more time passes, the wider the scope of application of this remarkable device becomes.

If we talk about when and why these knives appeared, we can note several interesting facts.

For example, the initial use of this device was the opening of envelopes with letters. In those days, when most of humanity communicated remotely with the help of paper messages, there was a lack of a thin and sharp knife to easily extract a letter from an envelope.

When such appeared, the integral design of such a knife was not without flaws. It was a sharp and thin blade, but the problem started when it got blunt — how to sharpen it just as perfectly and functionally, it was absolutely incomprehensible.

In the middle of the twentieth century, one Japanese inventor decided that it would be more correct to make the blade removable. Today, with such a clerical knife, you can easily break off a dull piece, replace it and continue to work with a new and sharp one.

The idea was embodied in production and was so accepted by the users with a bang that the inventor even created the company OLFA, which produced office knives.

It is possible to talk about the convenience of this device for a very long time, comparing it with the older big brothers. But for each tool there is a niche, a stationery knife firmly grounded in its own.

• It does not require sharpening, you can buy it once and use it for a very long time, simply by changing the blade when needed. This saved the owners from the need for additional service fuss.
• Undoubtedly, one of the main features of the modern version is the ability to adjust the length of the working part. Holding the plastic or even wooden mount-pen, you can independently extend the tool to the desired length to use it as efficiently as possible.
• Wide scope of application. Once upon a time, it was, indeed, kept in a desk drawer, so that it could open envelopes. But today you can cut wallpaper with this knife, strip the wire, modify some element of the sculpture or apply it to any design solution.

Initially, there was only one type - the classic. But over time, began to produce many variations of stationery knives, corresponding to the needs of users.

The handles of such tools are made from different materials, the blades are also different. In addition to these differences, the cutting element can be wide or narrow. Different width allows you to diversify usage scenarios.

Such knives are pleasantly heavy in hand, less and less often break, safer and more comfortable to use. There are even separate aesthetic options with a wooden body. True, they are more suitable for the interior of an expensive office, but if you like such a thing, then why not. Convenience is no less important than practicality.

Which option becomes yours depends entirely on where and how the tool will be used. For example, if your task is more related to repair, and especially working with wiring, then you should not choose a knife with a metal handle. It will be safer to use wooden or plastic framing.

In addition, in the case of cutting wallpaper or other similar materials, an option with a twist lock is perfect. Typically, the lock is used flat, and it can be accidentally moved during operation. But in the case of a twist, a more reliable construction is obtained, because in order to move the mechanism it will be necessary to cope with this twist.

There are also options for daily use at a construction site. These are more professional tools that have a special (usually rubberized) handle and a more durable wide edge.

Since the range of stationery knives is very wide, there are different offers for this demand. You can choose a tool of large or small size, with a variety of fixation solutions, as well as with a different width of the tip.

There are even small devices of a size not larger than a pen. Such a compact design is convenient to carry with you, and its sharpness is perfect not only for ordinary tasks, but also for cutting photographic paper. To date The mini-knife is bought more and more often, since the larger user is often not needed.

To get the maximum benefit and even the pleasure of using a clerical knife, for whatever you need it, It is important to pay attention to its blade.

• Width is 7 mm and less ideal for using the knife for its intended purpose, be it cutting thin paper or sharpening a pencil. This option is not suitable for any construction work, even can not properly cut the wallpaper from the first time.
• 9 mm edge is in principle universal and the most frequent case, it is precisely the tool that helps in any field. If you do not have clear preferences regarding the scope of application, then this will be an excellent option for you.
• 18 mm wide blade It usually comes in a large rubberized case and does not only with the wallpaper, but also with the wires. Simply put, repair work is a great choice.

If you want to please a loved one or colleague, you can purchase not only a beautiful knife, but also a whole gift set. Often a stylized set of pencils, pens and other stationery goes to such a knife.

Before purchase, make a control cut on paper to make sure that the functionality suits you perfectly.

The clerical knife has a sharp blade, so when working with it you should be careful, following simple rules.

1. To never be injured with a knife, do not cut on weight. It is better to deal with this matter calmly and slowly.
2. Since the sharpening there is really sharp, you need to be careful not to get hurt.
3. Do not remove the blade too long, twist the locking mechanism well, and most importantly, hold the tool firmly in your hand.
4. Sometimes you need to break off a piece that has already become unusable, and to make it safer, “bite off” everything you need along the existing drawn line. Thus, you will receive an updated handy tool that will be a great continuation of your hand in any necessary work.

How to make a stationery knife, see the following video.