Finding the best utility knife blade isn’t always easy since brands leverage marketing hype to make their products stand out. The result for consumers is difficulty determining separating marketing hype from true performance. This got us thinking. Which blades are the sharpest? Which models are rugged enough to take a beating? Which ones offer the best bang for your buck? We’ve not found a single ranked list online that digs deep enough to answer those questions.
So, we set out to change that by putting some of the most popular utility knife blades through the paces in our in-house sharpness, hardness, and edge durability testing. Read on to find out which select few utility knife blades performed best and get essential buying tips to buy the right utility blade the first time.
Also, check out our guide to the best utility knives to pair your new blades with the right knife.
Best utility knife blades
- Top pick: Lenox Gold Titanium Edge
- Alternate top pick: Dewalt Carbide Edge
- Budget pick: Workpro Utility Knife Blade
- Serrated edge pick: Rapid Edge Serrated
- Hook-style pick: Berkling Hook Utility Knife Blade
- Snap-off pick: Olfa 25mm Snap-Off
- Alternate snap-off pick: Heikio 18mm Snap-Off
- Exceptional box-cutting performance
- Good edge durability
- No dispenser included
At a glance
- Number of blades: 15
- Dispenser: No
- Edge coating/material: Titanium edge
The Lenox Gold Titanium edge blades are the best utility knife blades we’ve tested, and they are surprisingly well-priced for the performance. Before using the Lenox utility blades, we were dubious of the marketing hype surrounding the titanium edges.
But in our testing, the titanium edge effortlessly cut through paper and sliced other dense materials well. The Lenox blades also make easy work of cardboard, earning them the spot as one of the best box-cutter blades.
The stellar cutting performance may be related to the titanium or perhaps there is a sharper edge out-of-the-box. Regardless, the Lenox Gold Titanium blades are the perfect utility knife blade if you want a versatile blade around the home.
To be expected, the cutting performance comes at a price. While picking up enough of any utility knife blade to last a long time won’t cost much, the blades are expensive compared to other picks on this list. Plus, there’s no dispenser included, so you’ll need to find a good storage option if storing the blades out of the packaging.
- Great for box cutting
- Exceptional edge durability
- No dispenser included
- Comparatively expensive
At a glance
- Number of blades: 10
- Dispenser: No
- Edge coating/material: Carbide edge
The Dewalt Carbide Edge utility blades are the best option if you want a blade with a highly-durable edge. The Dewalt’s edge durability performed well in our tests thanks to the inclusion of a carbide edge attached to the carbon steel body. Carbide is much harder than steel, so it’s unsurprising that the edge holds up well when rubbed against rough surfaces like a brick or garage floor.
These Dewalt utility knife blades are also made of a harder metal than the other picks on our list. We couldn’t confirm what specific type of carbon steel is used, but the metal is noticeably harder in our hardness testing.
While the hardness of the non-edge portions of the blade isn’t the end-all for utility knife blades, it provides some confidence that these blades can take a beating and still cut well.
But consider that like the Lenox Gold Titanium Edge, these utility knife blades are comparatively expensive, and there’s no dispenser for easy storage and convenience. But if you’re looking for the best box-cutter blade that is durable for other uses, it’s hard to go wrong with the Dewalt Carbide Edge.
- Inexpensive and performs well enough
- Includes a dispenser
- Dispenser can be finicky
At a glance
- Number of blades: 100
- Dispenser: Yes
- Edge coating/material: SK5 steel
Workpro Utility Knife Blades are a solid option if you want to save some money and have a bunch of quality utility knife blades at your disposal.
We didn’t expect the Workpro blades to take the podium spot in our tests, which held true. But that’s OK if you want a standard utility knife blade that you won’t worry about beating up since they cost roughly one-tenth the amount per blade compared to our top picks. As you’d expect with any run-of-the-mill utility knife blade, they are sharp and easily cut through various materials. Simply put, they do many jobs well.
The blade edges won’t be as durable as other models. However, including a wall-mountable dispenser is a convenient feature that makes the Workpro blades a good option if you want to buy several and mount a few dispensers around the garage or home for convenience.
One very-overlookable downside of the dispenser is that it can be finicky to dispense a blade while getting used to the sliding mechanism on top. But the blades are easy to remove once you get the hang of it after several attempts.
- Great edge durability
- Easy-to-use dispenser included
- Serrations aren't ideal for cutting versatility
At a glance
- Number of blades: 100
- Dispenser: Yes
- Edge coating/material: No edge coating
The Rapid Edge Serrated utility knife blades are an exceptional specialty blade you likely didn’t know you needed, especially if you need to cut through thick and dense materials. The serrations provide several advantages.
Firstly, the blade retains sharpness better than a standard utility knife blade when rubbed against hard surfaces. There is improved edge sharpness since the protruded parts of the edge get dinged, but the cutout parts of the serrations remain unscathed. This performance was evident with the Rapid Edge Serrated utility knife blades still cutting smoothly through paper after our sandpaper and brick abrasion tests.
Secondly, serrated edges are great for cutting through tougher materials and wood since the blades can be used like a saw for more cutting power.
However, the Rapid Edge Serrated utility knife blades aren’t perfect. Even the sharpest serrated blades don’t cut as smoothly through materials, including boxes. The serrations grab more material and don’t glide like a common utility knife blade.
But I am a convert after our testing. I now have two utility knife blades set up in the dedicated box-cutting section of my garage, where Amazon boxes come to meet their demise. I keep a utility knife with a standard blade for most needs and a knife with the Rapid Edge Serrated blade for thicker boxes and other tough materials.
- Cuts well through thick materials
- Includes an easy-to-use dispenser
- Not ideal for box cutting
At a glance
- Number of blades: 50
- Dispenser: Yes
- Edge coating/material: SK2H steel
The Berkling Hook Utility Knife Blade is the best utility blade for tasks like cutting shingles, carpet, rubber, linoleum, and other dense materials.
We don’t recommend this utility knife blade type for boxes or any other material you lay flat against a hard surface to cut. While the blade is extremely sharp, the lack of a sharp point makes it hard to cut through the full thickness in one try.
But hook utility blades aren’t designed for cutting boxes on the floor or paper on a table. They shine at latching onto the material you’re cutting and pulling the hook through for more cutting pressure, especially when holding the material to be cut off the ground and ripping toward your body. This design makes hook blades like the Berkling model great for breaking down heavy materials that require a good amount of force.
- Super sharp edge out of the box
- Snap-off feature always leaves you with a fresh edge
- Great for cuts that require a long blade
- Not ideal for cutting boxes
At a glance
- Number of blades: 5
- Dispenser: Yes
- Edge coating/material: SK2H steel
The Olfa 25mm Snap-Off utility knife blades are versatile, sharp, smooth, and convenient. There are better options to cut through cardboard since the Olfa 25mm blades are thicker than most utility knife blades. That increased thickness adds resistance when cutting, making the blades harder to control along an intended path.
But this highly-durable utility knife blade excels at most other tasks, especially jobs where a long blade is required, or durability is important. The Olfa 25mm Snap-Off blades are buttery-smooth cutting most materials, partly due to their bigger size and weight and razor-sharp edge.
Plus, there’s the convenience of not needing to change blades when they dull. Just break off the end, and you instantly have a fresh blade.
- Super sharp out of the box
- Snap-off feature always leaves you with a fresh edge
- Great for crafts and cuts that require a long blade
- Not ideal for heavy-duty tasks and cutting boxes
At a glance
- Number of blades: 5
- Dispenser: Yes
- Edge coating/material: Carbon steel, no edge coating
The Heikio 18mm Snap-Off utility knife blades are a great option if you want a capable blade for minimally detailed cuts without sacrificing much in terms of versatility. The Heikio blades have extra heft compared to a standard trapezoid-shaped utility knife blade, so they cut seamlessly through most materials. The smooth performance was noticeable in our out-of-the-box sharpness tests where the blade glided effortlessly through cardboard.
How to pick the best utility blade
Our buying tips below can help you figure out the best utility knife blade for your needs when considering a few essentials.
Blade type
The most important factor determining the type of utility knife blade to buy is what you’ll be cutting most frequently. Standard straight utility knife blades are the most versatile for cutting boxes and breaking down other materials such as drywall.
Serrated utility knife blades have more durable edges than standard straight ones but aren’t as versatile. Serrated blades perform best in tasks that use saw-like cuts to break down thicker materials.
Hook-style utility blades are ideal for heavy-duty tasks such as cutting through shingles, linoleum, and carpet.
Snap-off utility knife blades come in several widths; the most common are 18mm and 25mm.
25mm snap-off utility blades always have a sharp edge since you can break off the dull blade and seamlessly return to cutting. These blades perform well across most heavy-duty tasks, including ones requiring a long blade.
Most 25mm blades are thicker than a standard straight one, so 25mm blades are not ideal for detailed cuts. The greater width also adds resistance when cutting boxes. It’s best to skip a 25mm snap-off blade if that’s your primary use case.
18mm snap-off utility blades are great for crafts projects and lighter-duty tasks with their narrow width.
Edge material
All of our picks are made of carbon steel, though some have edges made of titanium or carbide. Carbide edges retain their sharpness better than titanium and standard utility knife blades without any special edge material. But carbide edge utility knife blades are more expensive than most standard utility knife blades.
Also, consider that utility knife blades are intended to be disposable and quickly swapped out once dulled. So, the added cost of a carbide edge may not be worth it for some people, especially anyone who swaps out blades at the drop of a hat.
The number of blades needed
It’s best always to have more utility knife blades than you think you’ll need. This way, you can quickly swap out blades as they dull, and you don’t have to worry about preserving the edge sharpness by avoiding tasks you know will beat up the edge. Just cut away and replace the blade if it gets beat up.
For added convenience at home, I keep several utility knives and blades strategically placed to always have one in close reach.
Blade storage
We like the convenience of utility knife blades that come with dispensers. Some dispensers also include screw holes for easy mounting on your garage wall for easy access.
Blade storage is also important since the blades aren’t left loose around the house or in your garage, presenting a potential hazard as you search around in a drawer for the blades and for children.
Test results
You may think that all utility knife blades are the same. But our testing highlighted that there are differences to consider. Read on below to see the results from our tests of cutting performance, edge durability, and blade hardness.
Cutting performance
| Utility Knife Blade | Performance |
|---|---|
| Lenox Gold | Good |
| Dewalt Carbide | Best |
| Workpro | Good |
| Rapid Edge Serrated | Best |
| Berkling Hook | Room for improvement |
| Olfa 25mm | Room for improvement |
| Heikio 18mm | Good |
We tested the cutting performance by reviewing the cutting performance on a piece of paper out-of-the-box and by cutting a box 10 times on each blade. The Dewalt Carbide Edge and Rapid Edge Serrated utility knife blades performed best in this testing but for different reasons.
The Dewalt’s carbide edge remained sharp to the last cut and felt buttery smooth cutting through thick cardboard. The Rapid Edge Serrated easily cut through the thickest cardboard using saw-like motions.
As a result, I now keep both Dewalt Carbide Edge and the Rapid Edge Serrated blades at the dedicated box-cutting station previously set up in my garage. The two blade options simplify breaking down the endless number of Amazon boxes and their different thicknesses.
The Lenox Gold Titanium Edge cut through boxes well and was among the best performers cutting through a piece of paper with a fresh edge. The Olfa 25mm Snap-Off and the Heikio 18mm Snap-Off performed equally as well when cutting paper.
The Berkling Hook Utility Knife Blade is sharp, but hook blades don’t cut through boxes efficiently. Notably, the hook design makes cutting through the full box thickness hard when laid flat on the ground. The performance isn’t a flaw of the Berkling’s quality, more an overall flaw of hook-style utility blades.
The Olfa 25mm Snap-Off has a sharp edge, but its blade is thicker than the other models we tested. The added thickness led to stray cuts that went off the desired path when moving the blade quickly through a long piece of cardboard.
Edge durability
| Utility Knife Blade | Performance |
|---|---|
| Lenox Gold | Good |
| Dewalt Carbide | Best |
| Workpro | Room for improvement |
| Rapid Edge Serrated | Best |
| Berkling Hook | Good |
| Olfa 25mm | Good |
| Heikio 18mm | Good |
We tested the edge durability of each utility knife blade by separately rubbing the blade edges against 80-grit sandpaper and brick and then attempted to cut a piece of paper. We also tested the durability of each blade point by hitting the point with a hammer into a brick.
All models performed well with solid edge durability, though the Workpro Utility Knife Blades were chewed up more than the others. Losing an edge quicker is somewhat expected based on the cost per blade.
The Dewalt Carbide Edge, Lenox Gold Titanium Edge, and Rapid Edge Serrated have the most durable edges. The carbide edge on the Dewalt model appears to be more than just a marketing gimmick. While the tip was the only one that chipped in our hammer durability test, the edge held up well in our brick abrasion test. The Lenox model also held up well in our brick edge abrasion test.
The Rapid Edge model also has a highly durable edge. But this is more due to the design with its serrations than anything else. In our abrasion tests, the part of the edge that came into contact with the sandpaper and the brick was dinged up like many other models. However, the inner serrations remained untouched, so parts of the blade remained sharp.
Hardness
| Utility Knife Blade | Performance |
|---|---|
| Lenox Gold | Room for improvement |
| Dewalt Carbide | Best |
| Workpro | Good |
| Rapid Edge Serrated | Good |
| Berkling Hook | Good |
| Olfa 25mm | Room for improvement |
| Heikio 18mm | Good |
Our hardness test consisted of hitting each utility knife blade three times with a spring-loaded center punch to see if indentations appeared or the blade was compromised. These tests weren’t run on the blade edge since the intent of the tests was to understand the ruggedness of the overall blade. The Dewalt Carbide Edge performed best with no noticeable indentations.
The Lenox Gold Titanium Edge and the Olfa 25mm Snap-Off have room for improvement. The Lenox model had a comparatively deep gouge from the center punch, though the blade wasn’t compromised in any manner to the point of cracking.
The Olfa utility knife blade fully cracked on the third center punch in our first test, not along one of the snap-off points. We tested the Olfa model again to see if our results were abnormal, but we had a similar outcome.
While the Olfa 25mm Snap-Off was compromised in our hardness test, we don’t see this as a sign of quality. In practical use, the Olfa model is durable with its added thickness, but highly concentrated blows to the blade could potentially break it. We don’t see many scenarios like this happening for DIYers around the home, and the most likely outcome with a concentrated blow is the blade breaking along one of the snap-off lines.
Honorable mentions
The Craftsman Utlity Knife Blade 100-Pack is a good budget option that is ever-so-slightly more expensive than our Workpro Utility Knife Blade pick with 100 blades and a dispenser.
The Hautmec 25mm Snap-Off is thinner than our 25mm Olfa pick and is cheaper. But we think the thicker Olfa 25mm Snap-Off is a better option since the focus here is performance on heavy-duty tasks.
The Workpro 18mm Snap-Off includes a ton of blades that are cheap, but the Heikio 18mm Snap-Off is a better choice for edge durability.