In leather and most crafts, cutting is really important and being able to get that nice clean cut on your project goes a long way to give off a professional finish. The Utility knife of one of such cutting tools you would frequently need for cutting all sorts of things. So, you wouldn’t want to go wrong when buying a Utility knife for cutting leather. So what are the best utility knives for cutting leather?
The best Utility knives for cutting leather in no particular order are;
- Slice 10512 Pen Cutter, AutoRetractable, Safety Knife w/ Ceramic Blade
- OLFA 1071858 XH-1 25mm Fiberglass Rubber Grip EHD Utility Knife
- Gerber EAB Pocket Knife [22-41830]
- ORIENTOOLS Utility Knife Auto-Load Box Cutter
- VViViD+ Premium Retractable Precision Balanced Multi-Use Utility Blade
- WORKPRO Utility Knife
- X-Acto #1 Precision Knife
In addition to the overall price are some key unique features that make these top selected utility knives ideal for every leather or any other crafter’s toolbox but first, what’s a utility knife?
What’s a Utility Knife?
The Utility knife is a type of knife for general purposes. Today, the utility knives are commonly designed to have a small fixed blade or retractable-blade you can use for all types of crafts, general workplace or in the construction industry.
The utility knife is very versatile and they work great for curves, straight lines, and pretty good for intricate cuts. They absolutely require a lot of practice to get used to them.
When cutting with utility knives, it’s important to cut on a self-healing cutting mat to prevent the blade from dulling and also destroying your workbench or table.
In no particular order, here are the best utility knives for cutting leather.
1. Slice 10512 Pen Cutter, AutoRetractable, Safety Knife w/ Ceramic Blade – (Best Anti-Rust Utility Knife)
- Material: 25 inches
- Item Weight: 0.8 ounces
- Blade: 11mm
If you’re interested in a utility knife you can store like you would a pen and more importantly is completely anti-rust, you’d want to go for the Slice 10512 Pen Cutter, AutoRetractable, Safety Knife w/ Ceramic Blade.
This utility knife is made from high-tech Zirconium Oxide and is able to last 11 times longer your average stainless steel knives. What I admire about this type of utility knife is how impervious it is to rust, acids, and salt as well as a strong defense against bacteria.
Slice Utility knives blades don’t have lubricants and oils that most blades have in order to combat premature rusting yet slice utility knives never rust. With such a unique manufacturing and sharpening process, it also stays sharper longer.
Pros:
- Hard and durable
- Anti-rust
- Remains Sharp for a long time
- Require replacement less frequently
- Very Safe to use due to its auto-retractable blades
- Easy to hold and non-slip
Cons:
- Require you to hold the open button before you can use the blade which makes cutting sometimes difficult. There’s no locking feature.
If you’d be interested in this utility knife, You can check it out over here!
2. OLFA 1071858 XH-1 25mm Fiberglass Rubber Grip EHD Utility Knife – (Best Extra Heavy-Duty Utility Cutter)
- Material: Steel
- Item Weight: 4.2 ounces
- Product Dimension: 3.8 x 1 x 8.8 inches
If you’re in need of an extra-heavy-duty knife that can power through all sorts of materials without you putting a lot of pressure or little to no impact on the utility cutter, then OLFA 1071858 XH-1 25mm Fiberglass Rubber Grip EHD Utility Knife is your go-to utility knife.
This OLFA is a snap-off blade cutter that is ergonomically designed to satisfy the economic, safety, and efficient needs desired in a utility cutter knife. The snap-off feature always gives users a sharp blade edge all the time with just a quick snap off the old blade edge. It features an ultra-sharp stainless steel HBB black blade.
This blade is extra heavy-duty and has a fiberglass rubber grip making its handle anti-slip. Olfa also uses fiberglass for strength and a ratchet-wheel for multiple blade positioning.
It’s ideal for general craft projects in either leatherwork, general construction, and industrial maintenance. It can cut through leather, rope, acetates, rubber, fiberglass, and many more materials.
Pros:
- Chemical Resistant Handle
- Has a safe automatic blade lock
- It has 7 Multiple cutting edges per each blade
- HBB Ultramax Blade
- Doesn’t require blade change
Cons:
- Must be 18 years or older to buy this utility knife
If you happen to be interested in this utility knife, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
3. Gerber EAB Pocket Utility Knife [22-41830] – (Best Small Utility Knife)
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Item Weight: 2.4 ounces
- Product Dimension: 5 x 5 x 5 inches
This is a perfect knife for you if you want a knife extremely small but does the job perfectly well, you can use a backup knife, and is easy to carry in the pocket or backpack then the Gerber EAB Pocket Utility Knife is your best bet.
Gerber was created to be a world leader in outdoor gear. It was started by Joseph Gerber in Portland in 1910. Their EAB Pocket Utility Knife is a durable stainless steel that is a great backup knife for your backpack, car or purse.
Because of how cheap its blades are, you won’t have to worry about ruining the blade when you cut through tough or rough surfaces.
The Gerber utility knife is a disposable blade holder. It is lightweight and very small even when extended. It sits in the hand comfortably and a secure lock when open so you wouldn’t have to worry about it snapping or accidentally disengage. More importantly, you can cheaply and conveniently change blades as often as you want with only a few cents.
Pros:
- Easy to carry in a pocket, bag or purse
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
- Can double as money click
- Easy to change or reverse blades
Cons:
- Not super sharp
- You can’t tighten the pivot when it gets loose
If you want something that holds a utility blade fairly well which is quite different from the normal utility knife and super lightweight, then you can check out this utility knife here on Amazon.
4. ORIENTOOLS Utility Knife Auto-Load Box Cutter – (Best Budget pick)
- Material: Carbon Steel
- Item Weight: 9.6 ounces
- Product Dimension: 10 x 3.3 x 1.1 inches
The ORIENTOOLS Utility Knife Auto-Load Box cutter is ideal if you’re searching for something similar to the normal everyday cutter but more durable, quick blade change, and multi-purpose.
This Orientools Auto-load utility knife features a non-slip handle, Zinc alloy knife body with TPR grip for very comfortable use. The blade of this utility knife is made in SK5 high carbon steel making it more sharp and durable.
It is able to store 5 extra blades in its Lock-back design which safely locks the blade in place when in use. I admire the simple retractable 3 blade positioning.
It is very easy to store by hanging up the knife on the wall or tool holder by the tail of the knife. The blade change mechanism on this utility knife is really simple and doesn’t require the use of any type of extra tools.
With just one hand, you can reliably change the razor blade by pushing back the blade button and push forward again to complete the process
The utility knife is ideal for cutting, such as carpet, thick qualitative cloth, soft metal, leather, PVC, gypsum ceiling board, plywood.
The ORIENTOOLS Utility Knife Auto-Load Box Cutter is suitable for cutting leather, soft metal, carpet, thick cloth, PVC, plywood, gypsum ceiling board.
Pros:
- Non-slip handle
- Quick Blade Change
- Automatic Blade Retraction
- Comes with 5 extra replaceable blades
Cons:
- It’s pretty heavy
If you’re interested, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
5. VViViD+ Premium Retractable Precision – (Best Balanced Multi-Use Utility Knife)
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Item Weight: 5.6 ounces
- Product Dimension: 7.4 x 2.2 x 0.2 inches
For those interested in an ideal utility knife especially for leatherwork, vinyl projects and can also handle paper, cardboard, craft wood, foil and plastic projects in which you’ll cut, score, trim, and do some mat cutting or even model making, then the VViViD+ Premium Retractable Precision Balanced Multi-Use Utility is best for you.
The VViViD+ Premium 30° Retractable Utility Cutting Knife is an ideal utility knife for both beginners and professionals and has great versatility. It features a stainless steel 30-degree blade, an auto-locking system, and more importantly, its unique anti-vibration guard, which ensures the blade doesn’t slip when using it.
In addition, it has a safety notch the makes cutting string, ribbon, twine, wrap tap very easy. It is designed to be lightweight with a perfect balance to sure you have absolute control when you cut. It also has a built-in blade snapper that you can be removed easily making you always retaining a perfectly sharp cutting knife.
Pros:
- Has anti-vibration guard
- Easy to use
- The blade doesn’t slip
- Very comfortable to hold and use for long periods
Cons:
- Metal blade guard appear soft and you may require pliers to avoid destroying the blade snapper in a short time
If you’re interested in this utility knife, you can find it over here on Amazon!
6. WORKPRO Utility Knife (Best Folding Utility Knife)
- Material: Steel
- Item Weight: 7 ounces
- Product Dimension: 7 x 1.3 x 0.8 inches
The WORKPRO Folding Utility Knife is a box cutter knife designed to be super lightweight and tightly built to make is very easy to carry around, on your belt due to its belt clip, bag, pockets. You also store the extra blade in the handle of this utility knife.
This utility knife can be used for cutting leather, paper, PVC, drywall, and so much more. It is extremely safe to hand and use due to its high-quality steel handle and anti-slip ABS grip. Another safety feature on this utility knife is the back lock design that allows the blade to store blades safely and also allows a one-hand easy opening and closing.
You will also feel very comfortable as its ergonomically built with a gentle curve that fits all hands perfectly. This blade also features a quick blade change mechanism that is a minimum requirement in utility knives. This knife is not only is it long-lasting but also very compatible with most standard sized utility blades.
Pros:
- Portable and fairly lightweight
- The blades don’t slip
- Easy to change blade
- Extra blades can be stored in the handle of the knife
Cons:
- It may take some time and a few practice to figure out how to use it comfortably
If you’re interested in this utility knife, you can check it out here! on Amazon.
7. X-Acto #1 Precision Knife – (Best overall Utility knife) Editor’s Pick
- Material: Carbon Steel
- Item Weight: 0.6 ounces
- Product Dimension: 0.3 x 2.5 x 9 inches
If you’re a fan of a simple all-metal pen-style utility knife and you don’t mind it being non-retratable then the X-Acto utility knife is the best for you.
The X-Acto Precision Knife is a number #1 best-selling utility tool so much so that all utility knives are generally called X-Acto knives. Its the Sharpest because the gold hue on the cutting edge is a zirconium nitride coating applied at the atomic level after blades are atomically sharpened.
It is also the most durable utility knife ever! The knife is compatible with Nos 10, 12, 13, 16 and 17 X-ACTO blades. It’s built with a carbon steel blade with a sleek design that fits the user’s hand comfortably.
The X-Acto precision knife is the original cutting tool for all precise accurate cuts and trimmings. It is indeed great for all purposes and uses.
Pros:
- Sharpest and most durable utility knife
- Great value for money
- Easy to use
- lightweight
- Easy to store
Cons:
- Not retractable
If you’re interested in this utility knife, you can find it here on Amazon. You can also check out other online and brick and mortar store near you for better offers.
Conclusion
The utility knife is indeed a must-have cutting tool for leather and being able to choose the right one will go a long way to impact the quality of work you do in your project. In this article, I have researched the most suitable utility knives you can get for your toolbox. Choose the best utility knife that your comfortable with and Enjoy crafting! 😀
