This year’s Holiday season Milwaukee Fastback utility knife bundle is a little more expensive than last year’s, but it does come with different tools.
You can buy this deal at Home Depot online or at your local store’s tool gift center.
With this deal, 48-22-1502GR, you get:
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- Fastback folding utility knife with blade storage (48-22-1502) $15
- Fastback compact folding utility knife (48-22-1500) $9
- 50pc general purpose blade pack (48-22-1950) $10
So with this deal you get ($15+$9+$10) or $34 of tools in a $20 value pack. The display says the deal is a $33 value — maybe they are rounding down or using slightly different pricing.
These knives are both updated models, part of Milwaukee’s late-2019 refresh of all Fastback utility knives, confirmed by their model numbers.
Here’s what the 2018 deal included:
- Fastback folding utility knife (48-22-1901) $12
- Fastback compact folding utility knife (48-22-1906) $9
- 50pc general purpose blade pack (48-22-1950) $10
So with the 2018 deal, you got ($12+$9+$10) or $31 of tools for $15.
While the new Fastback knives are priced the same as their predecessors, there are some subtle styling differences and functionality updates.
Here’s Milwaukee’s summary about the changes:
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The [updated Fastback] utility knives have been enhanced with improved, durable wire belt clips for reduced pocket-tearing and lanyard holes for easy tethering. The quick change function has been moved to the back and a metal extension has been added to prevent accidental blade removal.
Both of the Fastback knives have the following features:
- Press-and flip opening
- Tool-free blade change
- Wire belt clip
- Lanyard Hole
- Blade holder for scoring
The Fastback folding utility knife with blade storage has on-board storage for up to 5 blades and what they call a gut hook, which is actually for cutting twine or other cord without having to open the knife.
Price: $19.88
The 50 pack of general purpose utility knife blades is the same as last year. The blades you can buy off the shelf at the store are made in the USA, and the ones in these bundle packs are made in China. Stuart discussed this last year if you want more details.
Greg
I’ll definitely be buying a couple of these. I keep FastBack knives everywhere in every tool box or bag. I also keep multiples in the main tool bag with the different types of razor blades for different usages so I’m always ready to go.
For everyday knives you can’t beat them. They flip out as fast as an automatic knife would (if you’re local state allows you to have one; my state just made them legal again), you don’t worry about sharpening, and they are rugged.
Good deal I’d say.
Jared
We have the same deal on right now in Canada – or near enough. Same package is $19.98 here – oddly similar in price when usually things are 20-30% more in CAD.
Another Guy
Have you checked in store? Online they’re showing the older model but it could just be an old photo.
Jared
No I didn’t. Good catch. I just checked the price after seeing the post here – wondering what it was selling for in Canada.
Jared
Well now I can confirm, it is the older model. Only one of the two has the wire clip and the 50 pack of blades also doesn’t have the ability to store the used ones.
Still, I bought it when I went to HD today. It just struck me as a good deal and I always seem to need more knives.
jayne
I HAVE AN OLDER STYLE OF THIS KNIFE AND I LIKE IT BUT THE BLADE IS NOT RIDGID IT MOVES A LITTLE DUE QUICK TOOLESS BLADE CHANGE. I STILL LIKE IT. AND WILL TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THIS ONE…
Stuart
ALL CAPS ARE HARD TO READ, PLEASE DON’T DO IT.
DC
huh?
Vards Uzvards
Back in the USENET days using all-caps in a post was considered as yelling.
Frank D
IT STILL IS!!!
PETE
I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE’RE YELLING ABOUT!!
LG
Will y’all just Quit yelling!
Joe H
Why doesn’t the new model allow the blade to lock at 45 degrees? I liked that feature.
PETE
Always like that milwaukee blade dispenser has a used blade storage to keep things nice and safe for everyone- IE- people taking the trash out.
Jared
Just FYI, if you follow the link Ben included at the very end of the post that discusses the package from last year, you will find that the blade dispenser included with this “special buy” does not have that feature.
Tom D
It’s hard to tell in the photo – the finger is in the way – but it seems it does. Would have to check in store I guess.
I wonder if I should get these; my leather man does most of my quickwork.
Benjamen
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HdyST2y3mcXqS98f7
Does this help? If you zoom in it looks like there’s a slot.
PETE
Looking at the picture below that picture clearly shows a disposal slot.
The What?
Probably one of the worst knives on the market bar none. This knife is awful. Dewalt knives are almost as bad. Definitely not meant to be used for anything construction related. They ain’t worth a damn for cutting
drywall, caulk lines for trim removal or much of anything else. It does not hold a blade at all. That whole quick blade change thing is absolute trash and I encourage anyone reading this to stay away from knives that are made with it. It can’t even run up a t square without the blade coming out. Milwaukee along with Dewalt are the leaders in making some of the worst utility knives around. They don’t understand the concept of the blade ain’t supposed to come out of the knife when cutting something. It can barely whittle a pencil. And btw any knife can be made into a fastback knife. You just have to know how to modify it. It’s very easy.
Vards Uzvards
Which utility knife(knives) is(are) some of the best on the market, in your opinion?
LG
I have a few, love them and use them for drywall & the such (will buy this year bc of updated locking button move) but still (2017-2018) blade pops out way to easy. I took it apart adjusted some screws and lessened that issue but that didn’t fix it completely. I would say a 25mm or 18mm OLFA snap blade is the best all around utility blade imo. 18mm w/ mini pry bar on the end is convenient but the big boy 25mm is a monster especially for drywall. Very rarely I am going ape shit on something and I snap the blade myself but then I shouldn’t of been using a utility knife for that…they aren’t pry bars. The Fastback gives me that EDC pocket knife vibe which Is why I like it. The blade storage version is key, otherwise though my OLFA 18mm snap blade and my s35vn steel edc blade are always in a front & back pocket. (Snap blades ability to choose size of razor is also extremely helpful & its sharpness is unmatched! BEWARE!)
OldDominionDIYer
That’s funny because I used them to install hundreds of square feet of drywall and ceiling tiles and never once had a blade disengage from either of them. Maybe you got a bad one? I of course used a T-square and other straight edges with no issues.
eric schiller
Sounds more like operator error. If the blade isn’t pushed in all the way, it will come out.
LG
That For sure and I have two that I use the most where it comes out still with a lot of pressure. If you open it up you will see how/why it will disengage the blade automatically with enough force. Different locking design then a “standard” utility knife.
Jason. W
If you hold it wrong you can easily slightly press the blade release button Wich will then allow it to come free
hangovna
That was the previous version. Give these new ones a try. The blade clearances have been tightened up, button spring stiffened, and a bent over tab to protect from accidental blade release. You may find these to work much better.
Frank D
Would it kill a MFR to actually show both sides of a product???
Every shot at MW & HD shows the left side.
Trying to see the quick knife blade change lock system …
Benjamen
Yeah, I couldn’t find good images of the knife open from the other side either.
It’s amazing how often we run into this problem, that and MFRs not providing high resolution images. It’s not like it’s the 90s, you can provide a something larger than a 320x250px image with tons of white space around the product.
Frank D
Completely agree!
ktash
I like these and still use them, but have gone to Olfa knives for many things, since the blades are so amazing. I just cut up some cardboard boxes and the Olfa knife was so much easier. Some of the olfa knives don’t lock well, though. It’s good they changed the quick change feature to the back, since occasionally, I’ve had the blade slip out when I was cutting, accidentally triggered it.
ktash
The blade slippage I meant was on the Fastback.
Robert
How do you change out a blade on these? I like the cheapo Kobalt knives because they fit in the hand pretty well (round) and the blade changes are fast since the whole thing opens up with a push of the lever.
Frank D
On the side of the knife that the manufacturer doesn’t allow us to see, there should be / is a press down button to release the blade forward.
B0R1K
HI Guys,
Can some one explain to me how from numbers 48-22-1903 vs 48-22-1502 you can easely tell witch one is newer?
I would think bigger number means newer, but not in this case…
Thank you.
Stuart
48-22-1502 is newer.
The biggest sign will be the blade change release. If it’s on the “left” side of the blade holder, it’s the older style. The blade holder color is also different.
Next, look at the lanyard loop hole. Triangle? Older style. Trapezoidal? Newer style. Also, the spine of the newer version is straighter.