Blog posts of '2010' 'December'

Utility knives are cutting tools used in various trades and crafts for a range of purposes. Designed to be lightweight and easy to carry and use, utility knives are commonly used in factories, warehouses, and other situations where a tool is routinely needed to open boxes, packages, or cut through tape or cord. At The Razor Blade Company, you can choose from retractable blade utility knives or a fixed blade utility knife.

The retractable utility blade like our 66-0358 is designed to be safe, ergonomic and reduce damaged products with its enclosed cutting head design. The variable blade exposure lets you chose how far you need the blade to retract so you have more control of the knife. The 65-0200 utility knife is our favorite pick of utility knife for its smooth handling and compact closed position.  It has a useful blade release button for fast blade change and an easy load feature that requires no tools to change blades.  Many of these utility knives have refillable dispensers that can hold up to 5 extra blades. Easy for carrying around in your pocket, the uses for a utility knife are endless.

The fixed blade version of our utility knives, our 61-0476 utility knife is widely used for handcrafts and model making and is best suited for cutting thin, lightweight materials.  More often the specialized handle and blade allow for cuts requiring a high degree of precision and control.

The Razor Blade Company specializes in selling razor blades of all shapes and sizes, including razor blades not made from metal.  We feature a special line of Plastic Scraping Blades for applications where metal is not appropriate.  The sharp metallic edge of traditional razor blades can cause unwanted scratches on delicate surfaces.  Furthermore, when using traditional razor blades there is always the possibility for user injury.  While we believe that through proper safety and handling procedures metal blades are an excellent option for a wide range of uses, there are times when we can’t help but endorse this fantastic alternative: Plastic Razor Blades.         

We offer 3 different plastic razor blades along with handy blade holders.  The double-edged blades are made through a hot injection molding process that contributes to the blade strength and rigidness.  The blade material offers a low friction coefficient important for scraping and peeling undesired material from surfaces.  The blades are made to fail against contaminants to avoid pushing them into the cleaning surface.  They are also resistant to many chemicals and solvents so you can use solvents to help you in the cleaning and scraping process.  The blades are not constructed to cut, but provide two edges ideal for scraping, cleaning, and peeling.          

Each blade color corresponds with a different construction material, best suited for different uses.  The orange plastic razor blades are made from the softest material and are the most pliable of the three.  The orange scrapers are excellent for use on auto paint, plastics, finished wood, painted surfaces, drywall, boats, and countertops.  The blue polycarbonate razors are more durable than their orange counterparts, but still more pliable than the yellow blades.  The blue scrapers are great for use on fiberglass, gaskets and other soft metals, bathtubs and tiles, glass, and pots and pans.  Finally, the yellow acrylic razors are the most rigid and best used on hard, flat surfaces such as windows, granite and marble, unfinished woods, stainless steel, and rubber.  

Each of the blades can be used on their own, in the handy scraper holders, or in most standard handheld blade holders.  The dimensions of each scraping blade is ¾” thick and 1 ½” wide to fit in standard holders.  Blades should be wiped off regularly while in use to reduce the contaminants on the scraping surface to reduce the risk of scratching when working with rough or grainy particles.  

 The double edge razor blade is perhaps the most iconic blade in terms of shaving history.  Beginning in the late 1800’s the shaving with a safety razor, which utilizes the double edge razor blade, became the best way to get a premium shave.  Today our double edge razor blades are made of Platinum Stainless Steel and coated to reduce the friction in every shave, cut, or slice. 

Double edge razor blades are currently used in a variety of industries.  Some people still prefer to shave with the traditional safety razor and just switch out the double edge razor blade when one blade dulls.  Our 12-356 Double Edge Razor Blade is sold with 10 blades in a dispenser, an excellent choice for personal use.  Used blades can be slipped into the back of the dispenser for safe and efficient disposal.   In addition to personal use, barbers still commonly use double edge razor blades for shaving.  Beauty and barber supply shops stock our double edge razor blades for personal as well as commercial use.

Double edge razor blades are also used in bakeries, beginning with the tradition in France of slitting a baguette in a diagonal fashion, called scoring, in order to facilitate the raising of the bread.  Used today by bakers of all types, the double edge razor blade used on a baker’s lame, or handle, and is the preferred way to efficiently score bread.

Double edge razor blades always come individually wrapped or in dispensers.  Blades are flexible and can be snapped in half at the end of the blade’s life.  We always encourage safe handling and disposal for all razor blade products.  Depending on the quantity and usage you require, we recommend three different double edge razor blade products.  Our 12-356 comes 10 blades per dispenser, as mentioned above.  Our 17-141 Double Edge Razor Blade offers 250 individually wrapped blades per carton.  And our 25-044 Israeli made Double Edge Razor Blades offers 100 individually wrapped blades per carton.

If you have any questions about our line of double edge razor blades or their suitability for your need, please contact us at (310) 452-1034.

The Razor Blade Co. is pleased to offer high quality razor blades at competitive prices in our line of industrial cutting tools and bulk personal shaving. We've complied a list of our top ten most popular products, favorites among our customers across America and internationally:

#1  94-0186 Single Edge Blade
The Razor Blade Co.'s most popular single edge razor blade is our 94-0186 single edge blade.  These blades are constructed with premium quality carbon steel and are fitted with an aluminum back to avoid rust. With a thickness of .009'' these blades fit most standard single edge razor blade tools. Each shipped blade is protected in shelling paper for safe handling and rust protection. These blades are our most practical and economical option for single edge razor blades.

#2  11-100 No. 11 Hobby Blade
These universal #11 hobby blades, also known as x acto blades, fit with standard art and hobby knives/handles.  These blades are suitable for both industrial uses and hobby uses.  The number 11 hobby blade's classic xacto blade shape allows for uses in many applications demanding precision.

#3  87-0511 No. 11 SS Long Contour Blade
Our number 11 contour blades are non-sterile and not for surgical use.  These stainless steel #11 contour blades have a long point and are great for making precision cuts that require the added strength of stainless steel.

#4  33-0365 Premium Twin Blade Disposable Razor
Our premium platinum twin blade disposable razors come packaged in bulk.  Designed with a pivot head, lube strip, and safety cap, they are the perfect blade to purchase in bulk without compromising function.  These disposable razor blades serve many customers' needs; they are used for hospitality as well as institutional needs. 

#5  87-0111 No. 11 SS Contour Blade
These number 11 contour blades are also non-sterile and not suitable for surgical use.  The 87-0111 #11 stainless steel contour blades are great for making precision cuts.  With its thin design and stainless steel construction, these surgical blades can tackle standard to specialty blade jobs.  The same shape as the 87-0511, these contour blades have a slightly shorter blade length.

#6  62-0167 Gem Extra Sharp Uncoated Single Edge Blade
These Extra Sharp Uncoated GEM single edge blades are part of our premium single edge blade line.  The stainless steel construction of these single edge razor blades, make them stand out in their class.  These industrial razor blades can be used in many applications with a variety of standard blade tools. Each shipped blade is protected in shelling paper in order to keep each blade in optimal condition.

#7  62-0165 GEM Extra Sharp Coated Single Edge Blade
These Extra Sharp Coated GEM single edge blades are the sister of the 62-0167 in our premium single edge blade line. These industrial blades are PTFE coated to reduce friction, allowing for a better cut and a longer-lasting edge.  These single edge blades can be used in many applications with a variety of standard blade tools. Each shipped blade is individually wrapped for safe handling.

#8  94-200 Heavy Duty Economy Single Edge Blades
The Razor Blade Co.'s heavy-duty carbon steel single edge blades are fitted with a steel back and can be used in many applications with a variety of standard blade tools. Equipped with a steel back to deal with added stress, these blades offer an excellent solution to heavy-duty blade jobs.

#9  89-0043 Coated Injector Blade with Dispenser
Our Coated Platinum Chrome injector razor blades come with an easy to use dispenser for safe handling and dispensing. Dispensers can aid in keeping handlers safer and allow for easy storage and distribution across a factory.  Each dispenser is packaged on a card for an excellent retail presentation. The Razor Blade Co. sells injector blades both in dispensers and in bulk to suit your preference. 

#10  311721 Twin Blade Bulk Disposable Razor
Our twin blade disposable razors are packaged in bulk and have a fixed head is colored light blue and come with safety caps.  Perfect for customers who require a bulk alternative to buying shaving razor blades.  These blades are suited for hospitality and institutional uses.  Another alternative to the 33-0365 Premium Twin Blade Razor.

Still can't decide?  If you need help choosing the right razor blade for your application, call one of our helpful customer service representatives at (310) 452-1034 today.  Representatives are available Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.

 

           The Razor Blade Co. prides itself in only selecting the most meticulously crafted razor blades for our customers.  Our razor blades come from handpicked sources in the United States, Latin America, and Europe.  We ensure only the best materials and processes are used in order to guarantee quality in the thousands of blades sold every day. 

            Razor blade manufacturing is an intricate process requiring several stages and treatments to create the perfect blade.  Once the high quality carbon steel or stainless steel has been selected, the metal needs to be hardened so it will hold a sharp edge.  The metal is placed into furnaces and subjected to heats above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a controlled setting to avoid oxidation.  The metal is then placed into a freeze chamber with temperatures reaching -100 degrees Fahrenheit.  The metal is heated one last time in order to temper it; tempering is a process that adds elasticity to the brittle metal.  Each step of the hardening and tempering process must be preformed to exact standards every time, or the blade will be compromised. 

             The next step in manufacturing razor blades is to grind the blade to create a sharp edge.  Again, the grinding is preformed in a series of stages, each time subjecting the blade to a finer grinding wheel in order to get the perfect sharp and durable razor blade tip.  The blade thickness is also carefully controlled.  We sell razor blades with thicknesses as small as .004” to .025”, and every millimeter in between.  Blades of the exact same shape and design are featured in slightly varying thickness to provide more exact or fine cuts compared to heavy duty uses.

             Blades can also receive coatings at two different stages during the manufacturing process.  Before sharpening, the blades can be coated with special hardeners that also make the blades smoother for shaving and trimming purposes.  Finally, coating can be applied at the completion of the sharpening stage in order to again provide smoothness and reduce friction in cutting.  Coatings can also protect against rust.