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Like many Individuals, I bemoan the truth that on-line purchasing hurts native companies, which might’t compete with the comfort of unsustainable perks like “free” two-day Prime delivery. Like many Individuals, I nonetheless purchase a ton of stuff on-line anyway, as a result of it is positive simpler to not have to hold an enormous pack of bathroom paper residence from Aldi (not less than, as a New Yorker, I can nonetheless be a snob about the truth that I stroll to purchase groceries). However this additionally implies that, come Prime Day or through the vacation season, I’ve to take care of a complete lot of cardboard packing containers.
Some 35 million tons of “containerboard,” or cardboard used to make delivery containers like Amazon packing containers, is produced within the U.S. every year. By my estimate, not less than 10 % of that arrives on my doorstep. And whereas I am tremendous diligent about recycling all of it (the American Forest & Paper Affiliation estimates that the “efficient recycling fee” for cardboard is as excessive as 85%—yay!), breaking these packing containers right down to get them prepared to put curbside is a trouble.
Or it was, till I discovered concerning the Canary field cutter, a slim little knife with a non-stick serrated blade and a cheery yellow deal with.
A field cutter produced by a former Japanese sword firm
This $8 knife—sure, it’s bought on Amazon, although mine was shipped to me in a padded envelope somewhat than a field—is made in Japan by an organization known as Hasegawa Cutlery, which received its begin almost 100 years in the past sprucing and grinding swords (the “Cutlery” half was added to the identify after World Struggle II, when the enterprise first started producing scissors). Hasegawa’s advertising and marketing language suggests the corporate has introduced all of its Japanese sword-making experience to bear on creating shopper items, and whereas I’ve by no means tried to interrupt down a stack of delivery packing containers with a sword, I can not think about it would be a lot simpler than utilizing my Canary.
My earlier strategies for slicing by cardboard—kitchen scissors or a steak knife (do not be like me, children!)—have been lower than efficient, and utility knives, although actually an enchancment, aren’t nice on the activity both. Cardboard is stiff and fibrous, so whereas a razor blade can slice by it fairly simply, it is arduous to make use of one to make a managed reduce, because the blade will careen off-course in case you attempt to go in opposition to the “grain,” so to talk; utility blades additionally uninteresting rapidly however will nonetheless stay sharp sufficient to simply reduce you in case you deal with them incorrectly.
What do you assume to this point?
The all-around serrated edges of the Canary, alternatively, appear to chop by cardboard like butter, whether or not you are going with or in opposition to the grain, pushing the blade or pulling it, or making a sawing movement; its blade stays sharp for much longer, and will not reduce you almost as simply. (These qualities have made the Canary a favourite of crafters who work with cardboard.)
I am not the crafting sort, however I’ve used my Canary on packing containers each small and huge. In a couple of minute, I reduce down the massive field my dehumidifier shipped in, leaving a neat stack of small items of cardboard which are simple to tie up for recycling. The knife works equally effectively on the lighter cardboard packing containers like these Amazon makes use of, and thicker ones, just like the beefy boys that held my Goal flatpack furnishings.
It appears a stretch to name this little blade life-changing, but it surely has undoubtedly saved me a whole lot of time—far more than $8 value.
