Pocket folders and fixed knives are great – they let you cut through a whole load of stuff, while serving as a decent self-defense weapon when you need it. Problem is, they need maintenance, from cleaning and oiling to keeping the edge sharp. Suffice to say, it requires some amount of attention and, perhaps, a bit of dedication.
If you’re not quite up to that, you might want to switch to a utility knife for your go-to blade instead. They can do, pretty much, everything that a standard knife does with fibrous materials, albeit with some limitations on its stabbing prowess. Considering most of the blade tasks you’ll encounter will involve actually using it to cut, slice, and slash through objects rather than poking or stabbing them, a utility knife should be good enough to actually get you through your days.
What really makes modern utility knives very convenient boils down to the cheap disposable blade, as it eliminates the need to perform any kind of maintenance. When it dulls, just cut that segment off and use the next one in line, or replace it with a new blade entirely.
These are our favorite utility knives.
OLFA SVR-1 Pro 9MM
If you want a compact cutter, this slim utility knife from OLFA should absolutely do the trick. Measuring just 5.25 x 0.5 inches (length x width), it’s as small as most writing instruments, so you can easily drop it in any pocket, allowing you to have a handy blade you can deploy at the drop of a hat. The slim design allows for really good precision, while staying sturdy enough to cut through most common stuff you’ll encounter. Granted, it’s not the kind of cutter you want around for home repairs, but for light- and medium-duty tasks, it will do the trick. It comes with a slide-lock, as well as the outfit’s signature snap-off blades (yes, OLFA invented snap-off utility blades way back when). Construction is stainless steel, by the way, so it’s tough and won’t easily rust.
Amazon Basics Retractable Utility Knife
We’re big fans of Amazon’s private label brand – they’re cheap, they’re functional, and they get the job done. In some cases, they’ll even surprise you with how good they end up being. Their utility knife definitely falls in that pleasant surprise category, with its highly affordable price, decent build, and handy function. It has a surprisingly heavy-duty feel with the comfy rubber grip, all while working equally well for both big cuts and fine slices. You get a pack of five individual utility knives for that price, too, along with 10 extra blades. The only catch? It’s around six inches long – making it suitable for integrating into an EDC pouch but probably inconvenient for keeping in your pocket.
Lenox Utility Knife
Sometimes, a simple tweak is all an original design really needs. That’s exactly what they did with this utility knife, which takes on a no-nonsense familiar design reminiscent of many heavy-duty releases in the category. What’s the simple tweak? They gave it a curved grip, so it sits perfectly flush in hand when you use it, allowing you to easily apply pressure on the blade while enabling more precise movements. Do note, that curved shape required them to use more moving parts, so that’s more stuff that can fail over time. It comes with the outfit’s own shatterproof titanium-edged steel blades, with integrated storage for up to three blades on the body. This is big, by the way, so while it’s great for the bag or the toolbox, it’s not the kind of thing you’ll take as part of your EDC.
Gerber EAB
When folded up, it looks like a money clip. You know, the thing you use to hold a bunch of bills in a tight bundle. In fact, you can actually use it as one. Unfold it, however, and you get a utility knife in a pocket knife form factor, making it ideal for those switching to it from a standard pocket knife as it will allow you to perform cuts with a similar familiar feel. It has a finger guard on the cutting edge that enables a secure four-finger grip, with a strong and reliable blade that handles wide and fine cuts alike. While the design is effective, it’s not the most comfortable, so while it’s good for those impromptu cutting tasks that come up, you’ll probably want to switch to something else if you’re taking on heavier jobs.
OLFA MXP-AL
This utility knife is tough enough for heavy-duty jobs without being uncomfortably large, all while coming with an auto-locking mechanism that springs it into a locked position as soon as you stop moving the slide. It has a very reliable feel and cuts with impressive precision, while the sturdy aluminum body with rubber overmold on both sides feel really durable. The knife comes with the outfit’s black snap-off blades, which is 25 percent sharper than their standard silver models, with a 59 degree angle that offers an ideal balance of surface coverage and strength. It’s also available with a ratchet wheel lock, in case you prefer a more manual mechanism for less chances of failure over time.
Stanley 10-499 QuickChange
Remember the Stanley 99E, the brand’s original retractable utility knife from 1952? This is, pretty much, its spiritual evolution, embracing the same body shape and general appearance, along with the three-position retractable blade. Of course, it gets improvements, such as a push-button blade release, built-in swing-out blade storage, and even a gut hook that you can use to cut strings and tear through plastic wrap. It’s also very quick and easy to replace blades, making it very convenient if you need fresh razor-sharp blades on a frequent basis. This pack comes with three knives.
Milwaukee Fastback 3 (48-22-1903)
Like your utility knives feature-packed? It doesn’t get more multi-functional than this, with a design that can hold its blade straight like a traditional utility knife or position it at a 45-degree angle. There’s integrated magnetic storage, with room to hold up to four blades at a time, as well as a wire stripper and a gut hook. A lanyard hole should let you hang it onto hooks and straps, while a belt clip lets you carry it right around your hips. All that on top of the sturdy all-metal body, secure ergonomic grip, and one-handed press-and-flip deployment.