Milwaukee’s FastBack utility knife has been quite popular, and it’s easy to see why – it is a very effective, well-designed, and compact enough for pocket-carry. But it’s not perfect, most notably in how it doesn’t have on-board blade storage. The good news is that the FastBack 2 does.
The FastBack 2 is a slight redesign that includes on-board replacement blade storage for those who want it. I handled a prototype FastBack 2 in June of last year, and found that the knife was only slightly thicker than the original FastBack.
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Official press materials confirm that the FastBack 2, or II, expands upon Milwaukee’s utility knife segment, and is not a replacement. In other words, if you don’t care for on-board blade storage, the original FastBack is slightly thinner. If you want the option for on-board blade storage, go for the II.
As with the FastBack, the FastBack 2 also features an integrated cutting hook, wire stripper, and wire form belt clip. Blade deployment is also as quick and easy with a press of the button and flick of the wrist.
Blade storage is accomplished via a flip-out magnetic dock that can hold one spare blade at a time. This helps keep the knife profile as slim as possible.
Buy Now(FastBack2 via Home Depot)
Buy Now(FastBack via Home Depot)
The FastBack 2 is available now for about $15, and the FastBack has dropped in price to $10. Both are available at Home Depot with free shipping ($45+ orders), or with free in-store pickup.
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This post was first published as a sneak preview on June 18th, 2012, and republished on May 13, 2013 with new information.
jeff_williams
I love the original fast back but my only complaint ever was lack of blade storage.
Russel
Didn’t Milwaukee recently have a recall of their knives though? After that recall, even if this product was decently built, I would not ever buy any knife from them again.
Stuart
There hasn’t been any recall that I know of. I’ll search around, maybe I missed it.
Update: no recall. A search brings up this post as the top result in Google.
jeff_williams
The only recall info I could find in the last 5 years for Milwaukee was a battery recall in 2007 for batteries manufactured between 1999 and 2005. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07234.html
Do you remember where you saw it?
Russel
Looking back, I might have been thinking of that Irwin circular blades that were recalled, my mistake. Although in that case, I have yet to hear any more news about that Irwin recall, so maybe that why I thought that.
So chances are this blade hasn’t been recalled, but due to some not so fun incidents with utility knives, I personally stick with the Ofla brand.
Maikeru
It could have also been the Greenlee ones that you were thinking of.
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/greenlee-utility-knives-recall/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Tool Fan
You are probably thinking of the Gerber or Greenlee Knife recalls.
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/greenlee-utility-knives-recall/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> http://edcguyd.com/gerber-instant-knife-recall/
Daniel Reetz
Have they done anything to reduce the total “blade play”? I don’t use mine very much because the blade slips around.
Stuart
My FastBack wobbles a little bit, but doesn’t really slip. I didn’t notice slop in the FastBack 2, but the one I handled could have been a perfect pre-production prototype.
robert robillard
This is my favorite closing utility knife out there. As a carpenter I only use fixed blades in my belt but in the shop I use the Fastback.
The blade storage makes it better.
OhioHead
I wished Milwaukee would have also made the belt/pocket clip reversible (like a Spyderco), I can’t buy the knife since I am a lefty and knife is designed for the right pocket.
Fred
I’m lefty too, and usually I can solve that one of two ways; back left pocket or on your belt far enough back that your hand grabs it at (or close to) the orientation you will hold it.
Or if you wear a tool belt, it’s a matter of shifting all the righty things around. Put the ‘pouch’ where you keep your pencil & square on the left side, since you’ll grab those from your left anyway. Then you can put the knife in the inside part of the pouch that would be clipping it the same way it’s clipped to your right pocket, so when you reach down into the pouch its already correct.
I showed that to my friend when I was setting up my belt for a new job, and he asked me where do you put that drill holster if you happen to have a lefty (or clumsy universal) one? When I wear the belt with the pouch on it, I use a righty holster around the back of my belt, so when I reach back to grab it like you would an IWH pistol, it’s oriented correctly.
I also have a belt with just a lefty holster and maybe one other pouch on it for some jobs, but I prefer to carry one with the pouch, and since it’s full like Batman’s belt, I wear suspenders on it. The suspenders give you plenty more places to clip righty-oriented stuff like (most) tape measures, those extra gas/nails pouches that Paslode doesn’t make anymore, any specialized scissor/pliers holster (I have a really nice set of Fiskars shop shears that has a plastic sheath), etc. I don’t like those tape measure belt pouches because they tend to smack into doorways more than anything else on my belt.
Robert
This would be particularly nice if they made a specialized sheath for it. Given the compact nature when folded, it screams for it’s own belt holder. This doesn’t belong in a pocket or non-dedicated case that is occupied by other tools.
Robert
Demp
The Fastback II is now out!
Just picked one up at the Home Depot.
Magnetic extra blade compartment that can only hold one extra blade.
I did put another blade into the blade compartment and it did hold when I closed it.
I tried sending pictures but the images are too large.
Do you have an email address I can send them to?
Napolean
It’s too bad that NYC banned those type of utility knives. Home depot won’t sell it here. I guess I’ll wait till amazon starts selling it.
Stuart
NYC banned these types of utility knives? Yikes. Just checked a NY area Ace online store, and there was a “not sold in New York disclosure.” That’s a shame.
Amazon might not start selling it, as it appears that Milwaukee has discontinued distribution through Amazon.
Matthew
I’ve noticed that as well.
Went to search amazon for the Milwaukee m18 circular saw & couldn’t find it in stock through amazon.
Tyler
Hey, check out that new milwaukee flashlight!!!