Dewalt is launching – or relaunching – new carbide-edged utility knife blades (DWHT11131) that claim to stay sharper 5 times longer than competitive blades. Dewalt also says that they are the longest lasting blade on the jobsite.
We’ve seen something like this before.
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About 3 years ago, Stanley came out with new carbide-edged utility knife blades of their own. User reviews have been lukewarm, with some complaining about the blades’ longevity and edge retention. I misplaced my one test sample a long time ago, and so I hadn’t tested out Stanley’s claims about blade sharpness and durability.
Maybe these are the same blades, but with Dewalt branding to better entice tradesmen and pros. Stanley is a long-respected name when it comes to utility knives, and pretty good when it comes to blades, but maybe the Dewalt brand is thought to be stronger with retail and consumer buyers.
Or maybe Dewalt and Stanley engineers wrinkled out production issues and wanted to rebrand the blades to help them stand out as new products.
Either way, these blades claim to be longest-lasting utility knife blades on the market. They feature a tungsten carbide cutting edge and flexible steel backing, and can be used with any utility knife that accepts standard-sized 2-notch blades.
Price: ~$5 for 5 (DWHT11131), or ~$20 for 50 (DWHT11131L).
Buy Now(5 pack via Home Depot)
Buy Now(50 pack via Home Depot)
Compare(Stanley via Amazon)
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First Thoughts
It seems to me that these are the same blades in different packaging, and if so, there’s nothing wrong with that. If they’re rebranded, it means greater retail availability through Dewalt sales channels, including Home Depot. If they’re rebranded and improved, then maybe Stanley/Dewalt ironed out the quality wrinkles that some users complained about.
At $5 for a 5-pack, I might buy a pack if I see these blades in stores. That was my plan for the Stanley carbide blades as well, but after a while I gave up looking.
Hang Fire
Irwin introduced bi-metal blades a few years back. I’ve found they hold an edge well.
Dan
Don’t see the point in really good utility knife blades as they always get rubbed into something hard or abrasive so go blunt almost instantly. When I need a sharp knife I either use a proper knife or put a new blade in. So I always buy fairly cheap blades and replace often.
Mahalo
I have to largely agree with Dan. I did receive a free sample of the Stanley Carbide blade after Stuart provided the link awhile back. I did feel that it lasted longer, and seemed to be more durable in terms of not chipping or permanently deforming under normal use. As far as retaining an edge, perhaps it was nominally better.
Tomonthebeach
Ditto. At over 4 times the price of regular blades (if you buy a 100 pack), do they really last 4 times longer? and, does 4 times longer justify the price? It might if you lay up drywall all day, but I use my utility knife for numerous tasks. Many are likely to encounter a brad, a staple, or concrete. I can swap or change the blade in my Milwaukee knife in about 3 seconds. Thus, the new blade lasting 4 or 5 times longer is saving as many as 30 whole seconds over conventional blades. Is 30 seconds worth 4 bucks?
jason. w
All I know is I go through my kobalt blades way faster then Stanley. But those are all I have used in my short tool using life.
Jimmie
A couple thoughts about these blades in no particular order:
* It was always my understanding that carbide is too brittle to be sharpenable to an edge as sharp as can be achieved with steel. Seems to me that a utility knife or razor blade would be one application where you’d want as sharp an edge as possible.
* Since the edge is carbide, I’m guessing there are some applications where these blades won’t be appropriate. Scraping paint or residue off glass comes to mind. The carbide edges will probably scratch glass.
* That negativity aside, I can see where carbide blades might be useful for drywall or floor covering installers.
Stuart
Carbide is indeed so hard that it’s brittle. My understanding of these blades is that yes, they are slightly less sharp than competing blades out-of-the-box. With use, the carbide-edged blades maintain consistent sharpness while the regular steel blades dull quicker and lose their advantage.
joe
I bought a pack from home depot. I chipped the cutting edge in a day from stripping wire. Not cool.
Sarah
My company uses these to cut composite sheets. We usually go through over 50 blades in one day, but with the DeWalt blades we use one to two blades in an 8 hr shift. They are pricey, but I do believe they are worth every penny.
John G
That’s it? Where’s the review? First thoughts, end of article, REALLY???? What am I missing?
Stuart
It’s a news post, not a review. If you look at the date and what the post says, Dewalt was “launching” the blades, meaning there was nothing to review yet.
That said, it’s what I buy and they work great.