March 2007
Tools you can use to crack the case
| Staffers and visitors to our Web site told us they’d wield just about anything to break into plastic packages. (We assume
they were joking when they cited bricks, blowtorches, and sledgehammers.) No wonder a cottage industry has developed among manufacturers looking to cash in on packaging angst. We took several of the more intriguing devices for a test drive. Most work, with limitations; a few pose their own hazards. |
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| Black & Decker 36V Cordless Powered Scissors, $20. | |
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| This rechargeable tool sawed through even thick plastic edges, though it took an effort. Sold at stores and www.blackanddecker.com. | |
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| iSlice, $5. | |
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| An almost imperceptible, safe-to-touch ceramic blade pokes out of the side. Press down, and the blade cuts. It worked OK on thin plastic; less so on thick. Sold at www.islice.com. | |
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| Pyranna, $10. | |
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| This one uses an internal blade and wheel. You grip Pyranna, squeeze it around the edge of the clamshell, and slide it toward you. It worked on straight edges, and it’s almost impossible to cut yourself. But it’s not maneuverable across bumps or around rivets, and it requires ample hand strength. Sold at www.pyranna.com. | |
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| OpenX, $5. | |
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| A short retractable blade digs into the plastic to create an opening (righties will have an easier time). Another embedded blade finishes the job. You might get nicked if you lose control, or hurt yourself on plastic edges, since your fingers are partly inside the package. It’s not easily maneuvered around corners. Sold at www.myopenx.com. | |
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| Ultimate Package Opener by Jokari, about $7. | |
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| We had trouble inserting it into a clamshell and dragging the tiny retractable blade along the edge. In fact, the tool slipped past the end of one package and into the leg of our tester. Sold at www.shopgetorganized.com and other sites. | |
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