STANLEYUtility Knife, 2-Pack - 6 in Classic 99 Retractable with Alloy Steel Blades & Handle, Interlocking Nose, 3-Position Blade, Includes 3 Blades

Arrived in perfect condition and well packaged. Must read directions to replace the blade. After reading the guide, it only takes 3-4 minutes to safely open, insert blade, close and screw closed. To cut cardboard, press down on the spring loadedclip on the top and slide the blade forward. To close, do the same in reverse.

What started this whole foray into box knife utopia for me is the 99E at work got taken off some where, I took in my 10-499 from home and it drove me nuts with the rattling and blade setting not staying where I put it.Figured why not get the Pro. Pro is too big for my pouch (but not for the workshop peg board at home ) and I use the short blade settings all the time (see comment on Pro bellow ) so I ordered another 99E because I knew I liked it. If they had cheapened the knife I was all set to order the Milwaukee with the blade advance on the side but I don't need the bulk so since the 99E is still very well made I am all set.The 99E* has a stout solid feel* rattles if spare blades are in it but not nearly as much as the 10-499 A small piece of foam stops the rattle.* has five VERY distinct blade settings.* has the firmest button spring for the blade settings.* super easy to feel the blade setting notches* They added some thing to cause friction to hold the screw for opening the case so the screw won't rattle loose. That was a nice touch.The 10-499* is the lightest by far but strong enough* I find that how ever I grasp it the button gets pushed and the blade advances to the longest setting while cutting up large boxes (many bicycle shipping boxes ).* It rattles a lot* Three blade settings with a slight extension on the forth but that is to remove the blade using the side blade release button.The "Pro-Grade"* It is a very substantial box knife* It is "defend your castle from invaders" substantial (if it is a small castle and there are only half a dozen invaders ).* As you can see from the photo it is way larger. If you are wearing gloves and can't hang onto a smaller box knife the Pro is made with you in mind.* When I slipped it into my small tool pouch on my belt I was concerned with how much room it took up and it is heavy.* The blade changing mechanism works really , really well. Never a snag. Just run the thing back after pulling out the worn out blade and it grabs and advances another blade as you run the button forward again.* This knife comes with eight blades ! ! ! The 99E comes with three.* ONE small problem . . . the spring for the blade advance setting lock is very weak so it is hard to tell were the notches are. It takes a knack and practice to even find one consistently and it is not quick. For the most part this knife will be used with the blade fully extended so not a big deal. Once in a notch it stays put.There is a metal flap spring with a coil spring reinforcing it that pushes against the side of the spare blades to hold them tight against the self loading feeder. This seemed to effect the blade advance lock so I used it with only the one blade being used. Still hard to find the notches.* There are three blade settingsThe photo shows the minimum setting for each blade. A bit longer on the Pro than the rest.

The Stanley 99 Classic is a solidly built utility knife that gets the job done. I like having extras around so there’s always one within reach. While you do have to unscrew it to access the replacement blades, this keeps everything secure without fragile tabs. Sometimes, the classics really are the best!

These are almost the same 99 that Stanley used to make, except now they've got Shareholder Value. Both of the pair that I ordered came with excessive mold flash right where the ring and little fingers grip the body, making the experience something akin to road rash. So I took a file to them, wrecking their appearance but recovering their functionality.Edited to add: I've since taken files and sandpaper to all of the joints and the corners of the blade carrier recess with an eye toward making the thing more comfortable in the hand, and by golly it is just that: far more comfortable in the hand. The pretty grey finish ain't what it used to be but the knives are a joy to use now and I feel less bad about placing the one in my shop down next to my Sweetheart era Stanley tools.On the upside, these handy little utility knives will outlive whoever finds them after you lose them. Would buy again, in spite of my burning hatred of the shareholders of the holding company that Stanley Black & Decker has become.

THE NEW BLADES ARE SAFER IVE USED STANLEY KNIVES FOR 50 YEARS

I love this blade. It cut all kind of boxes with no effort and trouble. It was easy to cut the cardboard in smaller sizes. I was able to fit four recycling bins in one thanks to this cutter. Before I would cut the packing tape and shove the box in the recycling bin as I could. This time I got a gazillion of boxes of different sizes. This cutter helped me get rid of them in one trash day.

I THOUGHT I was buying a simple box cutter for household use (cutting down boxes for recycling). Apparently this knife is supposed to be so simple that the manufacturer felt that no instructions were needed on how to use it (although the package does include safety warnings and two [very small and not very clear] pictures of how to change blades). The blade is retractable (good for safety) except that I can't figure out how to get the blade to "un-retract" and be ready for use. There must be some "trick" to it, but I haven't figured it out yet. Also, if I ever DO figure out how to use the blade, I will need to have someone around with a VERY strong arm (or use an electric screwdriver) to open the screw that lets the knife be opened and the blade changed. Since I don't use my electric screwdriver very often, I'm now sitting around waiting for it to recharge, in case I need to open the screw in order to operate the knife in the first place. So, I can't tell you how well this knife works because apparently you need to be an experienced DIY'er to figure out how to use the knife at all. I guess you get what you pay for. Later note: It turns out that all 3 blades ARE inside, so the knife must be opened before using. However, the instruction picture is small and unclear and I STILL haven't figured out exactly how to assemble the knife. The only support offered by the Stanley Web site is a larger version of the useless package picture. A waste of money, unless you have used this knife before and know exactly how to assemble it.