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.