Over the years we’ve written about a number of different devices designed to crack the combination on clamshell packaging, but every year about this time we like to round up the best of the articles and comments on the subject to give you a better alternative to destroying your good scissors or stabbing yourself in the leg.
Way back in 2006 we wrote about the OpenX — arguably the most heavily-promoted of the packaging-specific knives. It’s essentially a utility knife in a captured end. One commenter received the OpenX as a first gift for Christmas that year, all with the plan of him using it to open the rest of his presents. That’s a great idea in our book, and the OpenX worked well for him. But commenters on our piece about the later, more complicated Zibra Open It tool in 2007 differed. One commenter related that he bought a couple of OpenXs for friends, but received tools with dull blades that couldn’t handle average packaging. Most commenters seemed to like the Open It’s cutter-style design, but virtually all of them admitted that they use more classic tools for the job of de-packaging loot. Some of their solutions:
Aviation cutters topped the list of most. Stanley makes a nice, inexpensive pair available singly and in sets of three (left, right, and straight) at your local big box. And Milwaukee released a set as well last year. We’re guessing that pretty much any of these would eat up clamshell packaging, so you might choose one that you might actually use for sheet metal as well.
One reader suggested a good set of “paramedic-type scissors” — you know, the kind that have a bend in the middle of the blade, perfect for jamming under something (like a patient’s clothing) while keeping the handles at a comfortable angle.
What’s your clamshell-defeater of choice — besides, of course, ordering from Amazon with their “worry-free” packaging offerings?
Open It! Via Amazon [What’s This?]
OpenX Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Aviation Snips Via Amazon [What’s This?]