Irwin 4 Point Utility Blades Last Twice as Long

IRWIN  Utility Knife And Blades

Out of all the tools in my carpenters tool bag one of the most used tools is my utility knife.    As far as utility knives go  they’re all pretty similar with a few options, some have a retractable blade, some are fixed, some need a tool to change the blade and others don’t.  It basically runs the gamut.

One thing that is super important to me is having a sharp blade.  It’s so important that I actually carry two fixed utility knives and try to use one to as a “sacrificial blade” to cut junk like Vycor, ice and water shield, shingles,etc.   The other knife I try to keep sharp.

Recently I experimented with Irwin Tools 1774103 Drywall Fixed Utility Knife and tried out their 4 point utility blades which have a breakable tip to give you two more sharp tips  to work with.

Here’s what I found:

Irwin Tools 1774103 Drywall Fixed Utility Knife :

The Irwin utility knife is lighter than my other utility knives; a feature that is always welcome. The knife features a 1/2 turn thumb screw allows for tool-free access to blades and for blade changes, another really nice feature in a knife.  On my older knives I need a screw driver to change the blade.
A storage compartment can hold up to ten [10] blades which is significant storage.  A contoured trigger grip gives you extra leverage when pull cutting  and the handle is the perfect size for my hand.  This contour really gives you a secure, safe and strong pull and grip.

4 Point Snap-Blade Utility Blades:

The knife comes with the new Irwin 4-point snap blade that features a snap blade end on both ends of the blade.   This gives the user four clean tips for sharpness while cutting.   This is a great feature if your relying on your knife point like scoring a cedar shingle or cutting blue board and drywall.
The top of the blade has more notches than ordinary blades.  These notches allow the blade to be extended further out of the knife after you break off the blade tip.   I liked this feature the most. Mostly because most of the cutting I do rely on the blades edge and not the tip.  By extending the blade a bid your able to expose a small area of fresh blade edge.
I like the blades, but you do need a tool [pliers] to break off the blade tips which I found to break off consistently and evenly.

About the author

Rob Robillard

Robert Robillard is a remodeler, general contractor, and principal of a carpentry and renovation business located in Concord, Massachusetts, and serves as the Editor of Tool Box Buzz and founding editor of A Concord Carpenter . Rob is in charge of our Tool and Product Review - Tool and Product Review - Video Channel, , where we post all of our tool reviews and video tutorials. Rob enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help and educate building professionals as well as DIYers on best practices in the remodeling industry. The Concord Carpenter's motto: "Well done is better than well said!" : Read more about Rob

http://www.aconcordcarpenter.com/@https://twitter.com/robertrobillardRob Robillard

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