OLFA 18mm Heavy-Duty Utility Knife (LA-X) - Multi-Purpose No-Slip Grip Utility Knife w/Reinforced Fiberglass Handle & Snap-Off Blade, Replacement Blades: Any OLFA 18mm Blade

I have been using this knife for a year now -- updates at the bottom, the original review at top.This "snap-off" knife replaced the traditional utility knife in my everyday tool belt. I chose the OLFA knife based on good reviews, and I like it a lot so far. It is so handy that it would take a some serious convincing to switch back.First, it is great to have a sharp blade with a quick snap. The OLFA blades are really sharp, and seem about as durable as a regular quality utility blade. The non stick coating is great. I like that the blade can extend longer than a trad utility knife; handy for cutting thick and soft materials (foam, insulation, etc.) I would like the blades to be easier to find, but I just bought a bunch and will order more when I get low.Second, the overall design is well thought out. The blade control is great (I am right handed, lefties may not like it as much). The rubberized handle is grippy and soft enough to save your hands. The strange tooth on the back end turns out to be pretty handy. I use it to open boxes, crease paper, open paint cans, adjust a gap when fitting trim, or even to smooth caulk or clean mud off your boots.The only major disadvantage I notice is that you have to look at the knife to set the blade extension. With a regular utility knife, you can open it to where you want by feel -- this one you cannot. Something to think about.Updated Sept 2021 -- Yep, still REALLY like this knife. It is easy on the hands, so handy to be able to extend the blade a couple of inches, and that strange metal tooth on the end has proven useful and versatile. If I end up using an old fashioned utility knife, I swap back to this one ASAP. The thing has been muddy, covered in paint, wet too often to count, and it still opreates smooth and the blade solidly clicks into place. If I lose it, I will order another the same day -- highly recommended!Thanks for reading, and enjoy your work!

I always have a utility knife in my pocket. It gets used daily. Over the years I've had a few dozen utility knives. They must be alive since they wander away and vanish.This OLFA knife is terrific. The handle is comfortable. The curve of the butt gives a good grip. The blade extends and retracts very smoothly. The blade (and the OLFA replacement blades) are the perfect example of "sharp." The coating on the blades seems to keep them cleaner so they glide through materials.I have come to prefer utility knives with snap-off blades for most jobs. There is always a sharp cutting tip just a snap away. The long blades extend into odd places to do odd things like retrieving a small item from a crack. The long blades also flex quite a bit which makes flush trimming easy. That works for paint prep, too.I recently had to paint the railing of a deck. A snap-off blade in a utility knife was the best tool for most of the prep work, with a little help from a standard scraper and a sanding block. The knife worked so well I only needed one sheet of sandpaper for 36 feet of painted railing, posts, and filler panels.The back side of these blades is also handy as a scraper when you don't need super sharpness.When Paul Seller talks about cutting a knife wall he could be talking about this utility knife. It's a great combo with a chisel and mallet on wood.I'm very happy with this new knife. With a 50-pack of blades I hope this one does not grow legs and walk.

I think it's a good quality olfa knife, and the blades seem to handle the many things I throw at it.the body of the olfa knife is wierd, with a sliding knob that brings the blade up and down, and it does get a little stuck trying to go upwards more than one blade, but it's still possible to use. I have no idea if it's a fault of the product or a learning curve of not reading Japanese.also, this knife is extremely portable, and fits nicely in a bag. the knife comes fully assembled, and I haven't tried breaking the blades or replacing them, so I do not know how that process will go. I think the knife is very versatile, being able to cut cardboard and foam easily, whilst being able to cut into more durable things like chipboard.the packaging is cute as well, and I have it hanging up as a dorm decoration because the design is cool.just be weary as it is in Japanese if you can't read that, but it does come with pictures on the back with instructions.

I had no idea that it was possible to care so much about a utility knife but I love this tool. It's very comfortable and secure to hold, the rubber is in the right places and grippy without being gummy. The fiberglass reinforced plastic in the handle is never going to break, it's very thick and tough. Aa a side note, whoever designs Olfa's molds does a fantastic job, the overmolding is perfect.The mechanism is very secure and feels great to use. The blade is held in the tip so that it gets as much reinforcement from the handle as it can and so cuts are very confident with no wavering or wandering.Super sharp blade with a nice durable edge.The metal tang at the end is surprisingly useful and will even help keep your blade sharper longer. How? There's all kinds of little things you might use (and dull) the edge of the blade for that you can use the tang for instead - creasing something, working something into a corner, prying. It even works as a flat blade screwdriver in a pinch. Definitely something this one has over other knives I've used.I am convinced this is as close to a perfect utility knife as you can get and for $10 there's no reason to settle for less.

Sharpest and most durable blades you can buy. Perfect size but so many options to really choose the right size for your application. Super simple to replace blades. They seam to be made out of cheap plastic but try to break it. I bet you won’t! Great product no lock but they have models that will lock. Fits perfectly in my framing belt.