This knife was recommended by acclaimed woodworker / teacher: Paul Sellers. Though I certainly do not need another knife, it is very inexpensive, so I got one. Glad I did!
My main use for it is marking wood for joinery. It has several features which make it nearly perfect for that:
1~The replaceable blades are inexpensive, so you can grind different bevel angles and shapes without fear of ruining an expensive tool.
2~ The blades come sharp! Spark-testing on a grinding wheel quickly confirmed high carbon content in the blade. You can fearlessly change the shape for special uses as I did for precision dovetail and tenon marking. The thin blade easily reaches into tight spaces, like those of the persnickety skinny dovetails I sometimes make on little projects or for woodworking demonstrations.
3~ I like the "cheap" factor of this tool. I can close it up, throw it in a portable tool box and not worry about it, just as many people do with standard retractable blade knives. The difference is this is smaller and has flat sides. That makes it easier to register the thin-long blade against the inside of dovetails because you can "feel" and see the angle as you hold it. The flat sides also prevent it from rolling on a bench as some expensive boutique knives do.
4~ The locking mechanism feels very secure, although I have not given it any brutal tests yet. It opens easily and locks in place with no lateral wobble. That's important for marking accurate joinery!
Although it is not steel, the high-density polycarbonate body is very rigid and has nice heft, yet it is lightweight; All those attributes are advantages in my book!
Since I normally keep this knife OPEN any time it's in use, I do not mind the fact that closing it is a two-handed operation. It opens faster than it closes... about one second. Closing it takes and extra second or two. So it is NOT slow, it just isn't impressively fast like a switchblade or some tactical knives.
As is, it works great for many daily tasks: removing sticky gunk, light carving and chamfers, cutting paper, rope, twine, electrical-cord, and especially opening packages!
These razor-sharp yet sturdy blades ZIP through the heaviest packaging plastic and thick cardboard. Regular Stanley knives have blades that are more rigid, but these blades are rigid AND thin. That reduces friction so you can cut right through thick plastic shells in one pass. The blade is long enough to use for peeling apples, slicing oranges and cutting cheeses or summer-sausage. (Hey, everyone needs a good portable lunch!)
With just a couple of minutes at the grinding wheel, it can easily be transformed into a superb marking knife for woodworking, yet still retain it usefulness for all those other jobs. It is small and thin, so it easily fits (folded) in my pocket without unsightly bulge or weight, yet the handle is large enough to fit my w-i-d-e hands. It has a good grip, feels secure and is easy to control safely.
Those are the facts...
This next little bit is strictly my personal opinion which you can ignore or use to your advantage.
One of Paul Seller's goals is to show others that hand-tool woodworking is not terribly slow, it is quite enjoyable and (most importantly) does NOT have to be expensive. Since I'm a frugal old-fart who has been doing woodworking of some sort most of my life, I concur with Mr. Seller's sentiments.
I've witnessed how inflation has made our money worth one-tenth what is was just in my lifetime, so I am still slack-jawed at skyrocketing prices of good tools. Yes, I understand the reasons for that and sincerely want quality-manufacturers to make a healthy profit, but I still can't afford to spend too much and I'm inherently "parsimonious." (read : "cheap")
That's why I keep a small hand-tool kit with ONLY cheap yet effective tools in it. I carry this light-weight traveling kit whenever I make repairs around our home or my in-law's homes. I also bring it to our little woodworking club for demonstrations of hand-tool joinery.
Since these tools may be "borrowed" by in-laws or other tool-tyros, I don't want to bring any of my expensive tools. Like Paul Sellers, I also want to show that you can make the finest joinery with the humblest tools. That's why THIS KNIFE is now a permanent part of that "cheap but effective" tool collection.
Along with a homemade marking-tools, cheap chisels, a Rali hand-plane and a $20 dollar pull-saw, I show people how to make classic "fine-woodworking" joinery without machines. This cheap-light tool-kit now has a welcome addition.
In the past few decades, I have had a number of pricey tools "grow legs" at these demonstrations or on jobs. That happens with more often with small tools of BIG value: LN or Veritas planes, precious hand-made saws, Starrett squares etc... but ESPECIALLY my boutique marking knives. (They're so pretty and so small, some people cannot resist the temptation.)
True, I have made many handmade marking knives from old files or jig-saw blades, and they're so cheap they're practically free. However, I am always miffed when my little creations get dropped, mishandled or stolen. I lose my effort and time. It's frustrating, disheartening and generally pisses me off.
Since this tool cost less than $8 bucks, I do not fear that anymore. It works as well as any marking knife, and does MANY other household-tasks I would never risk a fancy knife for. I carry one knife instead of three. If I ever do mess up the blade, I can regrind it, re-sharpen it or buy spares for less cost than a domestic lager. This plain-looking, cheap-plastic, dull-grey tool is unlikely to garner greedy glances from grabby grifters.
So, although I am a admitted tool-hound with a penchant for expensive tools, I recognize that fine work can be achieved without fancy tools, and I am MUCH more comfortable carrying only cheap tools out of the shop.
Regardless of YOUR intended uses, this is a good knife and a great value. If you happen to be a woodworker looking for bargain marking-knife, I recommend this one.
I am buying two more, one for me and another as an economical present for a fellow old-&-cheap woodworker.
| Brand | Stanley |
|---|---|
| Model Name | 10-049 |
| Special Feature | Foldable |
| Age Range (Description) | Adult |
| Included Components | Unit^Instruction Guide |
| Handle Material | Epoxy |
| Color | Gray |
| Blade Material | Stainless Steel |
| Style | classic |
| Power Source | Hand Powered |
| Product Care Instructions | Hand Wash Only |
| Blade Shape | Straight Back |
| Package Type | 1 |
| Item Length | 4.25 Inches |
| Manufacturer | Stanley |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 6.85 x 2.83 x 0.47 inches |
| Package Weight | 0.06 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 6.9 x 2.9 x 0.5 inches |
| Brand Name | Stanley |
| Warranty Description | Limited lifetime warranty |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Suggested Users | Unisex-Adult |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Part Number | 10-049 |
| Model Year | 2018 |
| Size | EA |
