Utility knife

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a Stanley 99E fully retracted

A utility knife (also called a box cutter, a razor blade knife, a carpet knife, or a stationery knife) is a common tool used in various trades and crafts for a variety of purposes.

Such a knife generally consists of a simple and cheap holder, typically flat, approximately one inch (25 mm) wide and three to four inches (75 to 100 mm) long, and typically made of either metal or plastic. Some use standard razor blades, others specialised double-ended blades as in the illustration. The user can manually adjust how far the blade extends from the handle, so that for example the knife can be used to cut the tape sealing a package without damaging the contents of the package. When the blade becomes dull, it can be quickly reversed or switched for a new one. Spare blades are often stored in the hollow knife handle, and can be accessed by removing a screw and opening the handle. This type of tool is known in British English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Dutch as a Stanley knife, a genericized trademark named after one of the manufacturers to create this kind of implement.

[1]. Fixed blade versions are widely used for handcrafts. The blades for a utility knife come in both double and single ended versions, and are interchangeable with many but not all of the later copies. Specialised blades also exist for cutting string, linoleum and other purposes. Spare or used blades may be stored in the handle.

Segmented blade type

Disassembled, blade partly extended

Another style is a snap-off utility knife that contains a long, segmented blade which slides out from it. As the endmost edge becomes dull, it can be snapped off from the rest of the blade, exposing the next section which is sharp and ready for use and increases safety. When all the individual segments are used, it is thrown away or a replacement blade is inserted. This design was introduced by OLFA® Corporation in 1956 as the world's first snap-off blade and was inspired from analyzing the sharp cutting edge produced when glass is broken and how pieces of a chocolate bar break into segments. The demand for the snap-off blade has escalated worldwide.

A style that is often used for the cutting of boxes consists of a simple sleeve around a rectangular handle into which single-edge razor blades can be inserted. The sleeve slides up and down on the handle, holding the blade in place during use and covering the blade when not in use.