It seems that Lowe’s has introduced a new Kobalt 3-inch folding razor utility knife for the 2021 holiday shopping season.
The new Kobalt utility knife has a replaceable blade, but it’s not anything like most utility knives that work with standard blades.
This Kobalt knife takes a special blade, and it actually closely resembles the Outdoor Edge replaceable blade knives that are available on Amazon.
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Lowe’s bundles the Kobalt knife with (3) 3-inch drop-point knife blades, and (3) 3-inch utility knife-style blades.
They advertise the knife has delivering “nearly 3 times the cutting edge of a standard utility knife” and that it’s “a significant upgrade and perfect companion for the seasoned contractor or DIY enthusiast.”
Price: $25
What’s the Catch?
I was hesitant to write about this new Kobalt knife. The design is definitely not for me, but that was not it.
What happens x-number of months from now when this product disappears from Lowe’s shelves? How long until readers and visitors write in, asking where they could buy replacement blades, and I have nothing good to tell them?
However, it turns out that there is good news.
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Buried on the product page, Lowe’s says that their new knife is compatible with Outdoor Edge’s 3-inch drop point and “RazorSafe” knife blades.
So, unlike some of Lowe’s holiday specials before, such as the almost horrendous Kobalt Triple Cut, users will be able to find replacement blades for this Kobalt knife.
But is this a good utility knife?
Standard utility knife blades are usually reversible. When the point or edge dulls, you can reverse the blade to get a fresh cutting edge. When both ends are dull, that’s when it’s time to replace the blade.
I picked up two knives from my workbench – a popular retractable utility knife (Dewalt) and a popular folding utility knife (Milwaukee Fastback). The retractable knife extends its blade to approximately 1-inch, and the folding knife has approximately 1-1/4″ of its cutting edge exposed.
With Kobalt’s utility knife-style 3-inch blade, you get one point and I would assume a 3-inch-long cutting edge. Once that point is dull, you need a new blade, regardless as to the condition of the rest of the cutting edge.
Does this knife work better than typical snap-blade knives that can be extended outwards if or when needed? It’s possible – Kobalt says the back blade support helps to give the replaceable blade “the strength of a standard knife blade.”
However, in contrast to snap-blade knives, where you can control the blade and cutting edge exposure, you have no such control here.
The Outdoor Edge knives seem to be popular with hunters, and I can understand why.
And, I can see some work applications that could potentially benefit from a 3-inch straight utility knife-like blade. But, that doesn’t mean I agree even in the least but that this is “a significant upgrade” or “the perfect companion for the seasoned contractor or DIY enthusiast.”
Judging from the inventory numbers Lowe’s is reporting from the various stores in my area, this Kobalt knife does not look to be selling well. To be frank, I am not surprised by this. Even if the style of knife appealed to me, the $24.98 price does not.
What do you think – is this knife a hit or a miss for Kobalt and Lowe’s?
MM
I can see the value in having a longer blade utility knife but in my opinion this seems like a step backwards compared to a 25mm snap blade knife. The 25mm snap blades give an even longer cutting edge, they are widely available, and the blade is much more useful without the changing mechansim in the way.
Jared
That’s a good point. A 25mm snap blade seems like it does all the same stuff.
I don’t dislike the look of this design. It’s just ok. I think what bothers me is that I can’t imagine the task where this is the best option.
Koko The Talking Ape
Agreed. Also a snap blade doesn’t have that spine along the back to snag on things. I imagine it would be fine on soft materials that pull back from the cut (like deer hide, so maybe that’s why the style is popular for dressing game), but no good for rigid insulation, cardboard, etc. It might even get in the way when you mark dovetails, etc.
Maybe it would be good for whittling or woodcarving.
Jerry
I have an Outdoor Edge knife and really like it. I applaud Lowes for expanding on the idea and making a utility knife style blade but I really can’t see.the advantage of buying this one over the Outdoor Edge one I can get at Menards for a few dollars more.
Also, I would need to know the quality of the blades. The genuine Outdoor Edge blades are excellent, and are extremely sharp, almost like a straight razor, and can be sharpened like you would any other knife. Without knowing anything about the blade other than it is comatible, I think ill stick with my Outdoor Edge. IMO a blade this long is better with a rounded point instead of utility point. The utility point is best in a short blade given the normal uses for them.
Jerry
In my post above I commented the OE knives are a few dollars more. I was just in Menards and they are actually a few dollars less. This would be for a similar knife with a few extra blades, but the standard blades, not the utility style.
Jon Brown
The brand CRL, not sure if that’s the manufacture or just a rebrand, makes a long handle utility blade and long handle. I have seen drywall and demo guys use them they look nice and I wouldn’t mind having the long handle version for demoing drywall into larger chunks.
Jim Felt
Is this yet another example of Lowe’s tool related product line “managers” having no real plan to move forward? They certainly can’t blame their vendors for all their missteps. Geez.
It always reminds me of say J.J. Newberry vs. Sears Roebuck in the now distant last century.
Steve L
Might be good for someone else. Would I buy? No.
When I need a utility knife/point I have a Milwaukee Fastback. When I need a knife I have a Benchmade with a 3+” blade that cuts well and can be sharpened.
Julian Tracy
In one year, you won’t be able to find blades for it anywhere, so why would you buy it?
Stuart
It seems you missed the parts of the post that talk about blade compatibility.
Colin
ADMIN NOTE: This commentor is affiliated with Outdoor Edge.
This knife is compatible with Outdoor Edge’s 3.0″ RazorSafe replacement blades which are widely available. It actually mentions the blade compatibility on the back of the package and in the product description online.
Stuart
Yes – I said this in the post.
Frank D
Not likely.
I have a few of their xmas specials, two awkward cutting scissors, an auto adjustable wrench that does nothing useful, saw handle with three blades that can’t retain any of them … grrrr
x lu
Great article. And you nailed it. Lowes needs to build buyer trust and deep six its disposable brand strategy. Yeah its only 25 bucks not a battery system but nonetheless, this isnt the second coming and i even if it was, i wouldnt be tempted because poof no blades in a year.
Dave P
No, but I have three old, (guessing 25 years old) Craftsman “cutters” that use that or a very similar blade. They resemble an anvil-style pruner as far as mechanism/how they work, and they are really great hose and tubing cutters, and get used at least weekly.
But an open knife with that blade, never…..
Eric
Is it me or is the spine of the knife going to keep you from cutting anything very deep? Looks like you might make it half an inch deep before it started getting in the way of things.
Stuart
It’s not just you. I can’t tell how thick the back blade support is, but it might not be a big deal.
Bob
Well, i could use it, if the blade is capable of scoring 1″ foam board all the way thru. Common folding razor knives come up short, in that aspect.
Koko The Talking Ape
A largish snap knife can do that, and more.
Or check the comments below by Wayne R and myself about alternatives 🙂
Jerry
No idea on the Kobalt but the Outdoor Edge is designed so that the blade holder does not get in the way any more than a normal knife blade spine would.
A-A-Ron
Oh man, Kobalt’s Triple Cut knife was the first thing I thought of when I saw this. Those were nightmarish to simply look at, let alone operate, and I’m amazed to this day they made it to the sales floor given their construction.
This at least looks like a more sensible product but that isn’t saying much. $25 seems a bit overpriced for something that wouldn’t see much use.
MM
Oh man, the Triple Cuts…. I received a pair of those (the small and large) as a gift several years back from a relative who knew I worked with tools a lot but had no idea what constituted a good one. They are certainly awful, but for some reason I have yet to throw them away.
That style of cutter isn’t bad, I have an old Löwe like this:
https://www.original-lowe.com/shears/cutters-for-industry-and-trade/detail-industry/scissor/Scissors/show/gehrungsschere.html
…which I inherited from my uncle, it has to be at least 40 years old, and it works amazing. Why Kobalt had to ruin a good thing by saddling it with gimmicky features is beyond me.
MichaelT
The Kobalt Triple cut reminded me of a set of Craftsman Pro cutters that my mother in law gave me one Christmas, had to be around 2002-2003 time line – Craftsman 9-37201. Same concept, at least. One of those famous Sears “gifts for the tool person in your life” right?
Here’s a link to an ebay listing as I can’t find anything
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154707025644
Which, it turns out, was essentially a copy of the BON vinyl tile cutter, so maybe I could get blades for it, if it worked worth anything…
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bon-Tool-Cove-Base-Shears/5001668739
MM
You nailed it with the “gift for the tool person in your life” concept.
I have never used those but I remember seeing the Craftsman Pro cutters in the stores alongside the “Robogrip” self-adjusting pliers, which actually weren’t terrible. I used the small pair a great deal before they grew legs and walked out of my toolbox.
JeffD
Good luck finding replacement blades a year from now.
Stuart
It seems that you also missed the parts of the post that talk about blade compatibility.
To be fair, I thought exactly the same thing at first.
Jeff Anderson
Not for me. Rarely do I need a standard flippable blade to have a longer cutting edge. When the rare occasion comes up, I use a snap off blade at full extension – great for cutting thick foam. I have faith in finding replacement blades for the rest of my life for both knives. Not sure what they are really trying to improve on here…
Had never heard of Outdoor Edge though. Glad to learn of their existence. They have some interesting stuff. The packable saws look cool.
Stacey Jones
No. It seems like every time I buy something like this and go back for extra blades they quit carrying them. Wind up tossing the knife.
Joe E
Looking at this knife makes me miss the days when Kobalt sold good quality hand tools at an affordable price. Not this cheap, gimmicky nonsense.
Another brand run into the ground.
Sean Naughton
I’m betting that Lowe’s will give steep discounts post holiday season if too many are still in stock
OldDominionDIYer
Not interested, besides it’s quite expensive for what it is. Blades will cost more and the user (as you mentioned) is likely to get much less use of the entire blade before replacement would be needed, there’s a reason why the standard utility knife design is so popular and this one just isn’t practical. Hard pass for me.
DaveinMD
This would be great for cutting insulation.
Yadda
Nope, note interested. I’m sure there are uses for this knife, but I don’t have one that would require me buying it.
Wayne R.
This thing reminded me of the Stanley 10-049 knife. Apparently these have been available for decades, along with replacement blades. I stumbled across one of these in a garage sale, and used my Lansky set on the old blade – faster than buying a replacement, and it’s super sharp again. The blade locks with a simple mechanism.
The exposed part of the blade is 1.75″. Very slim. Only about $11.
https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-10-049-Pocket-Knife-Rotating/dp/B00002X201
Koko The Talking Ape
Nice tip!
Amazon also carries the Stanley 0-10-598 for $18.
https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-0-10-598-Utility-foldable-Silver/dp/B0001IWDBU/
Similar, but according to the comments, the blade is a bit shorter and comes to a finer point, which might make it more useful for marking joints. The blades are also cheaper (and made by Swann, a British manuf., it seems.) The handle stores a spare blade, and from the picture it seems more nicely made than the 049. But I haven’t figured out how you open the knife. There’s no nail nick that I can see.
Koko The Talking Ape
Oh, and also there’s a retractable (as opposed to folding) version from Swann.
https://www.amazon.com/Dovetail-Retractable-Swann-Morton-SMO-R/dp/B01N1WHNX6/
But there are complaints about poor casting and machining, to the point that the knife might not actually work. I imagine if somebody made a nicer version, there would be a market for it. Longer blade and sharper point than a regular utility knife, but without the dumb spine support in that Kobalt. An ideal marking knife.
Charles_A
Maybe a good resolution for 2022 would be to read the story before commenting.
Respectfully submitted –
Michael Veach
I have bought too many things like this that have ended up in a junk drawer.
CoBlue
Looks decent to me but also relatively expensive. At that price I’d just as soon spend a little more for the new Knipex snap-blade knife with adjustable backing rib.
https://www.knipex.com/cutix
Nathan S
I like Outdoor Edge for reasons I won’t go into here.
I was in Lowe’s the other day and saw a couple Olfa knives for $10 and $15 on sale. I think I’d much rather purchase those.
Rob
Although technically a saw I’d prefer a Gyokucho Retractable Razorsaw over this option if I was looking for a long thin bladed utility knife.
Greg
If you need a knife with a replacement blade that’s stiffer than a Olfa etc get the new Knipex Cutix. I got one in and it’s amazing.
I tried to like the Outdoor Edge product this is similar too I really did but at the end of the day it doesn’t work for me. Out of the box it is indeed sharp although not anywhere near what I can get knives sharpened to. Edge retention in my experience wasn’t that great and for my purposes that means lots of replacement blades in store. If I had an employer paying for them it would lessen the blow but I don’t for my milling around. Not only that I alway keep a very basic sharpening kit with me at all times. If I’m out in the middle of nowhere without replacement blades what good is that. Short of snapping a normal knife blade in half my basic kit enables me to fix just about any issue.
This being said if you’re not willing to get into high end knives and sharpening then these maybe for you. If you’re not opposed to those two things skip them.
Koko The Talking Ape
Nice tip on that Cutix. The extendable blade spine is an interesting idea. My only hesitation is the handle, which has that odd arrowhead shape. Also it costs $30 (!)
Is it comfortable to use? I like to have my hand as close to the blade as possible, but it looks like that handle shape might get in the way.
Here’s more info. Knipex says it is “perfect from the first line to the smallest detail.” (!)
https://www.knipex.com/cutix
IndianaJonesy
I’ve been interested in that Knipex as well…would love to get hands on with one before dropping the cash. I’m fairly happy with my Olfas, but I’ve had a few break in the bottom of tool bags before (granted, mostly because I just toss it in the bottom instead of a pocket, but still…), which has gotten old. The retractable stabilizer is a nice idea if it works well, but like Koko I’ve been concerned about the ergonomics. Seems oddly shaped in the tail end especially…
Rob H
I’m late to the party but actually just received the Outdoor Edge version of this as a gift today. My friend is tired of cleaning my deer so he got me one of these because he likes his. It actually came with the same blade pictured here and had the traditional drop point blade in the package. It reminded me of this post and I wanted to come say that it looks to be the same package except in a different color.
I realize this is more of a building things tool site, but these knives do a great job of skinning game. I am disappointed to see Outdoor Edge shilling in the posts though.
I will more than likely pick several of these up if they go on clearance after the holiday. They make good gifts for hunters. None that I know would care if they are blue vs the original color.
David
Having worked, coincidentally at Lowes stocking and extensively using a utility knife. I’d have to say bragging on a three inch blade isn’t quite totally truthful.
The huge percentage of utility knife work is with the tip. Slicing tape and cutting open plastic banding doesn’t require a long blade. At home cutting paper, tape, drywall stuff, vinal flooring or roofing felt ect. never requires 3 inches either.
IMHO lots of hype for 2 1/2 of waste