10 Best Utility Knife Blades of 2024 – Top Picks & Reviews

Few tools are as versatile as a utility knife. Whether opening boxes or cutting drywall, utility knives are the go-to tool for many jobs. Unlike a regular knife, you can easily replace the blade of a utility knife in a matter of seconds.

Since the blades are so replaceable, you end up going through them pretty quickly. After going through several hundred blades, we decided to see if there was any difference between brands. To our surprise, there were quite a few differences in the prices and features, but the blades were relatively similar.

We’ve narrowed the vast selection of available blades to 10 popular choices and our three favorites. We’ll share everything we learned about these blades in the following reviews so that you can make an informed decision about which blades to put in your knife.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Goldblatt G08283 Utility Blades	Precision double-honed edges Blade indicator makes it easy to tell how many are left Can remove up to 5 blades at once	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		CRAFTSMAN CMHT11921A Utility Knife Blades	The dispenser makes it easy to remove blades Thicker than other blades we tested Precision-honed edge offers a long cutting life	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		LENOX 20350GOLD5C Utility Knife Blades	Features a high-speed steel edge with titanium coating 4-notch design lets you set the blade deeper or more extended Bi-metal construction is shatter-proof	CHECK PRICE
		Rapid Edge Serrated Utility Knife Blades	Sharper than standard blades Tips don’t break as easily Cuts deeper and more easily than a straight blade	CHECK PRICE
		WORKPRO SK5 Utility Knife Blades	Affordably priced Made from durable SK5 steel A light coating of oil prevents corrosion	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Utility Knife Blades

1. Goldblatt G08283 Utility Blades – Best Overall

We tested several blades for this list, but our favorite set was the Goldblatt G08283 Utility Blades. They are crafted from durable SK2M steel, making them longer-lasting than other blades we tested. They feature precision double-honed edges that stay sharp for a long time, regardless of what you’re cutting through.

We really liked these blades, but it’s the case that clinched the deal. This dispenser is very easy to use and safe for your fingers. You can remove a single blade or 5 blades at once, allowing for more versatility than any other dispenser we tested. There’s even a blade indicator that makes it easy to tell how many blades are left so you know to order more before you run out.

Because of the high quality of these blades and the dispenser, Goldblatt’s 100-blade pack is more expensive than some of the other options we tested. But for our dime, the increased price is worth it. Overall this is the best overall utility knife blade available this year.

2. CRAFTSMAN CMHT11921A Utility Knife Blades – Best Value

In truth, all of the blades we tested are pretty similar, with only minor differences separating them. One of the most noticeable differences is the price, and considering how affordable the CRAFTSMAN CMHT11921A blades are, we think they’re the best utility knife blades for the money.

You’ll get 100 blades with a hard plastic dispenser that makes it easy to remove them individually. Each blade features a precision-honed edge that extends its usable cutting life. Compared to other blades we tested, these seem a bit thicker, making them less likely to snap under pressure.

Most utility blades feature an oil coating to prevent rust and corrosion. These CRAFTSMAN blades do too, but there was too much oil in the case, and it gets on your hands every time you remove a blade. But that’s a minor complaint, and our hands are usually dirty when we’re using a utility knife anyway, so it’s something we can easily look past.

3. LENOX Utility Knife Blades – Premium Choice

Most of the blades we tested look pretty much identical. However, the LENOX Utility Knife Blades have a unique appearance that sets them apart. It’s not their looks that make them special, however. The first thing you’ll notice is the bright gold cutting edge of these blades. That’s a high-speed steel edge with a titanium coating that’s meant to keep it sharp for a longer time than other blades, and in our experience, it’s quite effective.

These blades feature shatter-proof bi-metal construction, eliminating the most common type of blade break. You’ll also notice that there are 4 notches on the top of these blades, rather than the standard 2. This lets you mount it deeper or more extended in your knife, providing more versatility.

With all of these great features, it shouldn’t be surprising that these blades are more expensive than most of the competition. But considering how long they last, it feels like a worthwhile tradeoff.

4. Rapid Edge Serrated Utility Knife Blades

Most of the blades we tested featured straight edges, but the Rapid Edge Serrated Utility Knife Blades have a serrated edge instead. This edge gives it improved cutting power and makes it much sharper. We found that the edge cuts deeper and easier than a straight-edged blade in some materials. However, we also noticed that drywall wore these blades out just as fast as standard blades.

Unfortunately, Rapid Edge blades are about twice the price of similar straight-edge blades. If you’re only cutting cardboard, the improved cutting life might be worth the extra expense. But for cutting drywall and other hard materials, these blades are simply overpriced since they last about the same as regular blades.

There is one thing we liked about these blades; the tips don’t break very easily. The tips of utility blades usually snap pretty easily, but these are more durable. Still, that’s not enough to earn these blades a spot in our top three.

5. WORKPRO SK5 Utility Knife Blades

Altogether, the WORKPRO SK5 Utility Knife Blades are great, but they’re held back by an awful dispenser. At first, the dispenser seems pretty decent. It has a plastic slide-out that safely dispenses a single blade so you won’t cut your fingers. But the slide-out got jammed up very quickly, and the dispenser was practically useless.

Aside from the garbage dispenser, the blades are suitable. You’ll get 100 in a package that’s priced affordably. They’re made from durable SK5 steel, ensuring they last as long as any blades we’ve tested. They feature a light coating of oil to prevent corrosion but not so much as to make a mess. If it weren’t for the cheap dispenser failing on us, these blades would have likely ranked much higher on our list.

6. DEWALT Utility Blades

We’ve used a lot of DEWALT tools with great success, but their utility blades aren’t favorites of ours. They’re too expensive for what you get, and the blades aren’t the highest quality. The edges are ground unevenly, which doesn’t affect their use but shows low-quality craftsmanship.

Though we weren’t impressed with these blades, the dispenser is great. It holds all 75 blades in a pack and dispenses them safely so you won’t get cut. The blades are heat-treated, making them 20% stronger. They also feature induction-hardened cutting edges that are supposed to last 75% longer, though that wasn’t our experience.

If they had lasted that long, they would be at the top of the list. Instead, we got a similar lifespan from these blades as we did from all the others we tested. Considering that, these feel pretty overpriced, making it seem like you’re mostly just paying for the DEWALT name.

7. Stanley 11-921T Utility Blades

The Stanley 11-921T Utility Blades offer precision-honed edges for consistent cutting life. They don’t last longer than other blades we tested, though we hoped they would, considering their high price. These are quite a bit more expensive than other options, but they offer nothing special except for a decent blade dispenser.

The dispenser is small and only holds a few blades, but it has a nice slide-out mechanism and fits easily into your pocket. You won’t accidentally cut yourself with it, and it’s one of our favorite dispensers.

But a quality blade dispenser isn’t what we purchased these for. We wanted quality utility blades, and these were just average. You get 10 blades in a pack for only slightly less money than 100 blades from other manufacturers. That’s just too much of a price difference for us to overlook.

8. IRWIN Tools 2084200 Blue Blade Utility Blade

With just 20 blades in a package that costs as much as 100 blades from other manufacturers, we think you can safely call the IRWIN Tools 2084200 Utility Blades overpriced. For the price, we were hoping to get a quality blade dispenser. Unfortunately, the case is cheap, and we threw it away after using it once.

When we pay more for a tool, we expect it to be better built and longer-lasting. But these blades are neither. They offer the same cutting ability and lifespan as much cheaper alternatives we tested. Since they’re the same quality, we’d rather save money and get more blades for the same price.

9. IVY Classic 11172 Utility Knife Blades

These basic utility knife blades from IVY Classic come with 100 in a package. They’re housed in a hard plastic dispenser that we could never get to dispense blades easily. We wasted more time wrestling blades from the package than we would have liked.

Despite the low-quality case, these blades are pretty expensive. With this in mind, we expected some superior performance from them. However, they dulled very quickly in our experience. On the bright side, they feature an edge that can be resharpened. But even at this high price, who will actually resharpen their utility knife blades?

10. BAZIC Utility Knife Replacement Blade

For the number of blades you get, the BAZIC Utility Knife Replacement Blades are priced rather reasonably. You’ll get 240 blades, but you won’t get a dispenser. Instead, they come in packs of ten just housed in cardboard and plastic wrapping. Be careful with your fingers!

At first, these blades seemed fine. They fit in our knives, and they cut various materials just like other blades. But we started breaking blades pretty quickly. These tend to snap off with less pressure than other blades. We were quite surprised when one of these blades slipped out of the knife it was in. This is a strange occurrence that we’ve never encountered before, but it’s likely because of how thin the blades are. They’re noticeably thinner than other blades we tested, which is probably why they break so easily.

Buyer’s Guide – Finding the Best Utility Knife Blades

Blades are blades, right? Well, that’s what we thought before we started testing so many blades for this list. After using and abusing utility blades from a wide range of manufacturers, we realized that there are some blatant differences between models.

In reality, any of these blades will work for most standard jobs you’d need a utility knife for. However, that doesn’t mean they all perform the same. Some last longer than others and a few brands snap easily. There are even blades that didn’t fit our knives right!

To help you avoid any of these issues, we’ve written this short buyer’s guide that should help you determine the differences between blades and assist you in figuring out which blades are the best fit for you.

What Are You Cutting?

The first and likely most important question to ask yourself when finding the best utility knife blade is, what will you cut with these blades? Utility knives are multi-purpose instruments, and the blades can cut just about anything. But that doesn’t mean all blades cut all materials the same.

We’ve noticed that some premium blades with precision-honed edges and hardened blades last longer when cutting through softer materials such as cardboard and Styrofoam. But when cutting through harder materials like drywall, all of the blades seemed to be destroyed within a similar amount of time.

So, what does this mean for you? Basically, if you’re cutting soft materials like cardboard, you can get the premium blades and expect a longer lifespan. But if you’re cutting drywall or other hard materials, you’re probably better off getting the basic blades because they’ll wear out in about the same time.

Quantity

The next thing to look at is the number of blades included. Some brands sell their blades in packs of 5, 10, or 20. But most manufacturers offer their blades in large quantities of 100 or more since they’re a disposable tool that many users go through pretty quickly.

For us, the higher quantity is always the better bet. A single person can easily go through a 5-pack of blades in a few hours, but 100 blades will always last much longer.

Price

The number of blades is only part of the equation, however. You also have to consider how much you’re paying for the blades. Some brands sell 100 blades for a reasonable price, but other brands might charge twice that. Are the blades twice as good? In our experience, the answer is usually no. So, in general, we’re looking for the most blades at the most affordable price.

Blade Dispenser

One of the final points to consider when purchasing utility knife blades is the dispenser. Not all blades come with a dispenser, but it’s something we always prioritize. A good blade dispenser does several things. First, it keeps your blades neatly organized, so they’re not rolling around loose in your bag, waiting to slice your fingers up. Next, they keep the blades clean, holding in the light oil coating and keeping mess to a minimum. They also make it much easier to remove blades without worrying about cutting yourself.

These are all important traits for a blade dispenser, but they don’t all perform these tasks. Some of the dispensers we used were great and allowed you to remove blades without issues. Others were jamming constantly, making it frustrating and somewhat dangerous to remove blades.

You should also consider how many blades the dispenser holds. Some blades came with dispensers that could hold 100 blades and safely dispense them. Others could only hold 5 or 10 blades. Smaller dispensers are great for keeping blades in your pocket, so you have them on hand when you need them. Larger dispensers are perfect for the toolbox, allowing you to keep plenty of blades on the job site, so you never run out.

In Conclusion

While all these blades serve the same basic function, they do so with varying degrees of effectiveness and longevity. Since we go through so many blades, we had to find the best ones on the market. You’ve already read about them in our reviews, but we’ll quickly summarize our favorites again, so they’re fresh in your mind.

Our top pick for the best utility knife blade overall is the Goldblatt Utility Blades. They come in a great dispenser that allows you to take 1 or 5 blades and have an indicator so you know when you’re running low. The blades are made from durable SK2M steel with precision double-honed edges for durability.

Looking for the best utility knife blade for the money? Check out the CRAFTSMAN CMHT11921A Utility Knife Blades. They’re affordably priced with a hard-plastic dispenser to keep them organized and a precision-honed edge that provides a long cutting life.

For professionals who demand the best, we recommend the LENOX Utility Knife Blades with a high-speed steel edge and titanium coating. They feature shatter-proof bi-metal construction and a 4-notch design for ultimate versatility.

See also:

• We also have a top 5 list of FOLDING utility knives. The page can be found here.
• Our Top 5 Utility Knives – An Overview & Buyer’s Guide