OLFA5001 180 9mm Multi-Purpose Metal Handle Utility Knife

The media could not be loaded. This was a required purchase for my Design and Printmaking Course. It's super hardy, has a nice grip, has portability, and is a comfortable fit in my petite hands. The durability is good and it has been holding up incredibly well even though I used it on a nearly everyday basis for both those classes as well as for my take home assignments as well as for personal use (in terms of unboxing packages). It's an affordable alternative compared to the one that was recommended on the online list (link) provided by the professor for us to purchase supplies from Blick, so far I'm quite happy with it and it's an added bonus that it's manufactured in Japan. I know it's silly, but it would be nice if they could collaborate with Sanrio someday (I would love to have a durable utility knife that's white or pink and has Hello Kitty, My Melo, or Kuromi on it).

When working around the house, I have found it very helpful to have some type of cutting device in my possession at all times. This little cutter fits the bill perfectly. It is 5.5 inches long and has a small, plastic pocket clip on one end. The pocket clip is designed so that it does not snap on anything. The blade does not have a positive locking mechanism. Instead, there is a spring-loaded thumb-button that fits into small notches. The notches help to hold the blade in place while cutting, and they do a pretty good job of it. But still, the blade CAN move on it's own when enough pressure is applied to the blade. Regardless, this is a very cool cutter. It may look a little cheap, but it seems to be well made. I plan to buy more.

This small knife works incredibly well. I had one (similar, but a different make and color) for about 15 years and it only recently broke. I was so sad and it had lasted so long and was a fantastic little instrument. As such, I was nervous to try and find one that worked as well as that one did, but after reading numerous reviews I found the OLFA 5001 180 9mm -- and it's so far been a fantastic replacement! Easy to use, super sturdy, no complaints at all! (and probably even better quality than my old one...)

This review is for several OLFA knives. They all seem similar so I ordered one of each and compare them here:* 500/1580 (this one)* XA-1* ES-1/P 1115501* SVR-2All knives feature a narrow slot in their removable end cap/pocket clip to snap off the blade ends, and use the 9mm blade refill, Silver (standard) or Black (extra-sharp).I cut standard brown corrugated cardboard and also some finer white cardboard. I also used some plastic from those horrible anti-theft retail packages. Surprisingly to me, this was not a difficult test for any knife.The brown corrugated cardboard cut in half fully through in two passes. One pass is possible with much more pressure but it's a safer with two passes.* 580/5001Old school styleMy wife has a decades-old knife of this style from school days. The old knife with a new blade cuts cardboard easily with the grain and against it.New knife (this model) and thus new blade, cuts just the same as the old one. Of course the ratcheting or clicking slide action is somewhat stiffer than the decades-old knife.Both knives cut through the plastic difficult-to-open plastic packaging with no problem and I felt safe doing it. I never felt the blade was going to move within the knife handle.* XA-1Says it has a Comfort Grip. Mine arrived with a Black blade; is it the super sharp one?I wasn't sure. Cutting lots of corrugated cardboard I could convince my self it was sharper than the Silver blades...or not. I have a package of Black refill blades so later I'll compare this with one from that known source.UPDATE: Yes, I think the Black blade that comes with this is the extra-sharp one. The differences between the Silver and Black are not obvious to me, but after cutting more brown corrugated cardboard with different force and direction (with or against the grain) the Black blades are noticeably sharper, just not a lot. Black refill 10-pack is $11.19, Silver 10-pack $6.83.Is the handle more comfortable? Actually, yes it is, but not because of the handle material. It's because the handle is a little fatter make it more comfortable to hold. I found I preferred holding this one rather than the old style.Its sliding/clicking action was easy but never loose. Going back to the plastic material it easily cut through with a couple of passes, or one pass with careful force. Again I had full confidence the slide was secure.* ES-1/P 1115501This is the only model reviewed that came in a simple retail plastic wrapper, no cardboard backing. But the implied cheapness of the retail package doesn't carry through to the knife. It cut cardboard and plastic just as the other knives. Its all-plastic handle and slide were a little bigger than the old-school 580/5001, so it was easier to hold...approaching the comfort of the XA-1. Its slide/clicking action was easy but never felt it would slip. Another fine OLFA knife.* SVR-2Advertised as stainless steel and rust resistant, the package also says it's for cutting vinyl, wallpaper, and film. There's a hint it's not meant for anything heavier...something I agree with. Lacking the plastic end cap, the metal end of the handle rests in the palm of the cutting hand. While the metal end has no sharp edges it is not comfortable and I was unwilling to grip it has hard as I did the other knives while cutting. Because the handle has no taper it is also the narrowest handle, another disadvantage.If it really is rust resistant compared to the others its advantage would be in damp environments. Otherwise I see no reason to prefer this over the others and I will not buy more of these.ConclusionMy new favorite is the XA-1. The fatter handle is more comfortable, allowing one to grip and control it a bit more. But a close second is the ES-1/P 1115501. Either one cuts great and their somewhat bigger handles are more comfortable for this older guy.

It is small, extremely light, very thin, and quite sturdy for being just a few bits of well folded sheet metal. The blade extend and retract mechanism is nice and precisely clicks from position to position. The yellow endcap comes with a blade-snap off slot, and an integral pocket clip. The pocket clip is however short with little clearance, so it would probably only be suited for shirt pocket clipping.The included OLFA 9mm blade is suprisingly strong, and holds its edge quite well.I think the best thing about this knife, other than the build quality, is how well it fills the hand, without being oversized. You have plenty of room to vary your hand position for delicate work, or tough cutting.Recommended especially for the price.

Bought this because it's a metal body. Wanted a cutter with a little weight. Not as heavy as I hoped, in fact it's lighter than the NT Cutter that this was supposed to replace. On the thin side too, so more so not what I am looking for. It's a good cutter, clicks are positive and firm. Ofla blades are good quality and sharp. Hard to complain about it, but it's just not what I was looking for.

I bought these because they served me well in the past. Quality remains same as past ones I bought yuears ago.

These all metal knives are a great deal on Amazon. Very durable and enough knife for many jobs, small size makes them excellent for scraping paint and the like from hard to reach places. Don't forget to buy replacement blades.