Remember when we all used to cut carpet with those heavy steel blades?

Back in the 90s, my old boss in Phoenix insisted on using a 4-inch steel blade for everything, even tight cuts around vents. Now I use a 2-inch carbide-tipped knife and it feels like cheating, the cuts are so much cleaner and the blade lasts three times as long. Anyone else switch over and find it hard to go back to the old way?

3 comments

3 Comments

keithlane14d ago

Those old steel blades had a heft that gave you control, you could feel the cut. Carbide tips are brittle and snap on a tough backing, leaving you stranded mid-job. Sometimes the old simple tool that bends instead of breaks is the right one for the work.

the_parker14d ago

Ever try a bi-metal blade?

chen.casey14d ago

Used to swear by carbide for the clean lines, but Keith's got a point about the snap risk. Had a blade shatter on some nasty commercial backing last month, and a steel one would've just flexed. Now I keep both in the truck for different jobs.