Slice 10514 Mini Cutter, Ceramic Safety Blade, Pocket Sized, Auto-Retractable, Stays Sharp Up to 10X Longer

I've had this this box cutter for a year, durable, perfect size, spring loaded tip, works well on all box types, cuts plastic bands with ease.

I put a Slice Mini Cutter in a resealable "snack bag" with some spare 2032 coin batteries. Then I put this very compact kit in my car trunk, in a box of other accessories for my car. This way, if my keyless car entry fob battery runs low, and it locks me out of my car, then I can use the physical key inside my car fob to open my trunk, and get a fresh battery for my fob.I replaced the Slice rounded tip blade (#10404) with the pointed tip blade (#10408). Both blades are 100% zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), a.k.a. zirconia. The pointed tip slices very easily into the blister pack from behind (versus the hard way, of trying to cut the blister pack on the front).

It's honestly one of those little things that improve your daily life that you don't notice. It MAGNETS, so I keep it on the side of a radiator right next to the door. You always know where to find it, easy to grab, easy to use. Apparently I've had it for 5yrs and it still cuts great. The plastic housing is a little worn so I'd do a replacement rather than try to replace the blade. Seriously find some place metal by the door, or on the side of a fridge, and keep it there. Cuts up boxes, doesn't slice fingers. I am left handed and it's kind of set up for right handed, so that could be easier for me, but having it always where you need it is the biggest boring life hack.

This thing works! I like the retractable blade. My complaint? It's small so I misplace it regularly.

Update: I have these for a few years now and they all still work great! Have given several as gifts and everybody loves them.A handy little tool for opening packages. Unlike a bigger box cutter or scissors. it's--unobtrusive so I can leave it on a table near the front door.;--has a short blade, so I don't have to worry about damaging a package's content;--has a blade that retracts automatically when I finish my cut and doesn't easily cut skin.I find it works well on packing tape. stiff plastic packaging and card stock. Denser or heavier cardboard requires two or more passes and it doesn't work as well on softer plastic packaging that doesn't stay taut once cut like that around rolls toilet paper.Good for average residential/office use. Since the blade doesn't lock in place, it might not be the best choice for someone who spends a lot of time opening packages.

I mean it, I cannot live without this little gadget. If you are like me, I get a lot of home deliveries now and I keep this right where I can find it to open every box. I even use it to break down the boxes. You can use it on those hard to open plastic shells. The ceramic blade is very sharp and it automatically goes back into the case when you release the thumb button. I gave one of these to a friend at Christmas in a little gift bag full of little gifts like handmade truffles and other handmade items. You know what she commented on, this box cutter. Not the handmade truffles the snow flake ornament or the silicone cooking mat but the box cutter. I was at her house this week for a tea party and right there on her desk is this box opener. I even bought a backup for me because I did misplace it once. So very handy and a great gift.

I've seen ceramic cutters but never used one. I have ceramic knives and veggie cutters that cut very well. I carry a Bessey in my pocket but it is quite heavy so I wanted to see if I could lighten my daily pocket load by switching to a Slice.The Slice size and weight are very nice. It weighs almost nothing and it fits easily in my pocket. It's about the size of a box of square Tic Tacs.::::The lanyard hole::: It is meant for a lanyard and not a keyring. Lanyard threads will fit but most split keyring holders will not fit. It is tiny and I had to use a single wire ring, with a wire diameter less than 1mm (probably about 0.5mm).::::How does it cut?:::: It's ok but it's no match for my Bessey. I've been carrying both the Slice and the Bessey for three days and attempted to use the Slice as much as possible. I wanted to see if the very lightweight Slice could replace my much heavier Bessey (7 ounces) for most of my general cutting/opening needs. Unfortunately, the Slice just doesn't have the cutting power nor depth of a heavyweight utility knife. In many cases, the Slice wouldn't cut through thin plastic -- it would only score it (like clamshell packaging). Even with a week-old blade in my Bessey, its metal cutting blade is much sharper and much more effective. For far too many applications, I found the Slice to be frustratingly less effective than a metal cutting blade. I had to forego the Slice for the Bessey most of the time.::::Sticky packaging tape:::: Certain packaging tape gets tacky in elevated temps and it will stick to a blade. This means you must disassemble the Slice and clean the interior housing and blade. With a utility knife, you just snap the end of the blade. If the Slice is used to cut through lots of tacky tape, it will render it almost useless. When that tacky goo hardens, it's even worse.::::Bubble envelopes:::: I used the Slice to open a bubble envelope.Not using a flat surface and cutting above the bubbles, it was very difficult to open the package. The small blade kept pushing the mailer away. Using a flat wooden surface and cutting the other end (below the bubbles), the Slice worked much better but only partially opened the mailer. However, it scored the remainder well enough that I was able to pull it open by hand.:::: Regular packaging tape (like Amazon uses):::: As long as the tape is applied to a perfectly shaped and perfectly closed box, it works fine. Along the top, it cuts well. On the sides, if there any irregularities (top is askew, box is dented, etc. ) and this makes the depth required to cut the tape greater than 1/4 inch, then it cannot reach the tape. I used the Slice to open over a dozen boxes and with almost every boc, it left some portions uncut. However, it took minimal time and effort to rip the remainder open.:::: Corrugated boxes:::: Cutting a box into pieces along the fold lines works decent but takes multiple tries. Cutting through the actual corrugated sections is much more difficult. If you downsize (cut) the boxes for recycling, the Slice will do it but it takes a lot more time and effort than a regular box cutter.Don't get me wrong. The Slice is a nice tool for certain applications. It is lightweight and easy to carry. It doesn't have a fixed blade but the retractable blade shouldn't be a big issue unless you must use a blade all day, every day, in your work/hobby.If you don't need a serious cutting tool, get a Slice.