Seber Ratcheting Locking Utility Knife

The media could not be loaded. For this review, I decided to add a short video so you can see and hear it, and it also makes some comparisons easier. This text is, however, 95% of the review:Ergonomics:The shape of this knife is pretty minimalist. The back is straight, and there is no real curve to the handle whatsoever. It's a very boxy box knife, but it's not uncomfortable in the hand. The G10 scales are lightly textured, which means it will prevent some slippage, but won't destroy your pockets.Portability:This knife is heavy. It weighs in at seven ounces, which means it weighs a full 2.4 ounces (over 50%) more than my Cold Steel Large Clip Point Voyager. It doesn't bother me, as I wear a belt, but I don't recommend wearing this with elastic-waisted pants unless you're an exhibitionist. You will definitely notice it in your pocket. So will other people - it rides a full inch and a quarter above the pocket clip. The upside of that is one can take the knife out without leaving dirt/grime from your hands in/on the pocket.Deployment:Due to it having a switch to change between modes, it's not lightning fast like some utility knives are. It has a nice ratcheting sound when opening, and it locks open and closed automatically when in those respective modes. You can open it with a wrist-flick, but that can cause the blade to eject - the shock of it slamming open causes the spring in the mechanism to compress, releasing the blade. You can still safely open and close it relatively quickly and easily with one hand and without looking, which I quite like.Sidenote: Quite a bit of the blade is exposed with this design. A standard utility knife has 1.375 inches of the blade exposed, whereas this has 1.56. That's almost a fifth of an inch extra, and the area immediately around the blade is nicely beveled. I don't know how useful that actually is, though, as I can't really think of a situation where one would need to bury a utility knife an inch and a half into something.Durability:The knife is pretty bulletproof. It's all metal except for the G10 scales, and G10 is not a flimsy plastic. The ratcheting mechanism is pretty resilient - I can push on it with really quite a bit of force, and it has not closed on me. I get the feeling that you would have to permanently break the mechanism to get it to move when locked. There is some front-to-back blade play when it's not fully opened - about and eighth of an inch. When fully open, there's about 1/32nd of an inch of wiggle. There isn't any measurable side-to-side blade play in any position, though, which is what would really be damning when doing precise cutting.Appearance:See video.Products shown/mentioned in video:Cold Steel Counter Point II knifeApollo Precision Tools DT1402 Folding KnifeSharpie Permanent Marker, Fine Point, Black, Pack of 5Cold Steel Voyager Lg. Clip Point Plain Edge KnifeEDIT: After using this for a few months, I can report that this thing is built like a tank. I've accidentally dropped it from a height of over four feet directly on to tile, and it has suffered no loss of function or noticeable cosmetic damage. It really is extremely well-built.

I have been looking for some time for a utility knife that would last. This one may fit that category, but there are some issues.It is solid and heavy, which for me is a good thing. I don't mind the weight. The sides seem durable, although the material between the two ends is some type of plastic. The ratcheting mechanism seems to work OK, but is a little finicky, and I'm not sure how long it will last. It doesn't hold the blade as tightly as I would like, but there are many other knives with that problem.There are a couple of big negatives. One is that the pocket clip is too low on the knife. It exposes almost an inch and a half of the knife, making it almost impossible to put it in the leg pocket of cargo or work jeans. It will have a tendency to hold the pocket open and get caught on things. Secondly, the blade-changing mechanism is unfriendly. On the front of the packet there is a small diagram that says "E-Z BLADE CHANGE." Perhaps. But on one of the knives I bought (I have two), it is impossible to change the blade without using a screwdriver or some other tool to push the button down that is supposed to release the blade. This button screws in and consequently screws out as well, and could be easily lost. The second knife was put together better, and the changing mechanism works somewhat as it should. If you never have to change the blade, you'll be all set.For the price, which is more than most, I was hoping for better.

I have purchased a few of these, not because they break, but because I have lost them at work, which is a hectic place (I work in commercials.) As other reviewers have stated there is a unique locking mechanism that enables the knife to be locked open, locked closed and locked in both directions. This can be done at many points as the tool swings open. I have found this feature useful when making aggressive cuts in materials where accuracy is not important, as locking the tool in the half open position (make sure is locked in both directions!) enables you to put a lot more force into the cut, but at the expense of controlling how straight the cut is. I use this feature to cut down boxes, etc, as it speeds up the process in my opinion.I also like the narrowness/taper of the business end of this tool. I can make deep cuts in materials like styrofoam with far less resistance than I experience with other utility knives, of which I have many.I like solid, well built tools, and this definitely falls into that category. All in all a great tool, and worth the extra dough. The missing star is for the one time that I experienced loosening in the screws that hold the belt clip. Some thread lock and a re-tightening fixed the problem for good.

I've tried many utility knives. This is the best knife.