EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass.— LENOX, a leading manufacturer of premium power tool accessories, hand tools and band saw blades, today announced the introduction of a new line of utility knives and blades designed for the safety market. The LENOX Blunt Tip Safety Blade is constructed using patented bi-metal technology that makes the blades shatterproof and longer lasting than other safety blades on the market. A proprietary blade design gives the tip a safer, blunted profile that also permits the blade to easily penetrate cutting materials. The LENOX Self-Retracting Safety Knife offers a host of special features that ensure optimal safety, performance and convenience. The exclusive designs of the LENOX Blunt Tip Safety Blade and LENOX® Self Retracting Safety Knife make cutting boxes and other industrial materials safer and easier.
LENOX Blunt Tip Safety Blades
Bi-metal LENOX Blunt Tip Safety Blades are made by a patented welding process that fuses together two different types of steel. Flexible spring steel is used to form the backing material which allows the blade to bend without breaking. High speed steel is used to form the edge and it provides an extremely durable blade that has been independently proven to deliver longer blade life than regular carbon steel blades. The blade′s shatterproof construction means that workers are subject to less risk of injury from broken blades. "An additional safety benefit also accrues from longer blade life. Longer blade life minimizes blade changes, which further reduces the chance that workers will injure themselves opening knives and mishandling the utility blades" according to Web Shaffer, LENOX senior product manager for utility knives and blades.
The LENOX Blunt Tip Safety Blade incorporates a 90 degree blade junction, a design that reduces the risk of accidental puncture wounds yet still provides excellent penetration of the cutting material. "Our field research showed that end users don′t think rounded blades cut very well, and most safety blades are rounded," continues Shaffer. "The 90 degree blade junction gives LENOX Blunt Tip Safety Blades a design that workers will enthusiastically embrace because the blades deliver superior cutting performance without compromising safety." The blades are configured with the industry standard two-notch design, which will fit most utility knives.
LENOX Self-Retracting Safety Knife
To complement the enhanced safety features of the new blade, LENOX developed a Self-Retracting Safety Knife with many industry-leading features. "A spring loaded shuttle makes the blade retract by itself when not in use, which greatly reduces the risk of injury from exposed blades," Shaffer said. The compact size and curved handle give the knife a comfortable feel and also impede finger slippage. Constructed from durable, lightweight aluminum, the LENOX Self-Retracting Safety Knife is ideal for use on the production line or in the shipping and receiving departments of any business operation.
"A clear advantage of the new knife is the Dual Function Blade Position feature that gives users a choice regarding the length of the blade that extends out of the knife: A utility knife setting [full blade extension] or box cutter setting [shallow depth blade extension] can be selected by the placement of a small screw included inside the knife. This makes the knife suitable for all areas of a manufacturing and distribution facility, and makes it easier for tool cribs to standardize one knife across an entire facility," Shaffer said.
Other knife features include a bail screw that eliminates the need for a tool to open the knife to change blades. The bail screw provides convenient access for up to five utility blades that can be stored in the handle. An overlapping nose eliminates knife splitting. With this array of features, the new LENOX Self-Retracting Safety Knife suits a wide range of industrial applications.
The combination of the new LENOX Blunt Tip Safety Blade and the LENOX Self-Retracting Safety Knife offers both improved safety and blade performance to manufacturing plants, paper mills, retailers and distributors. LENOX® safety knives and blades are sold at industrial and construction supply houses, building supply centers, hardware stores and home centers nationwide.