Stanley 1-10-099 Knife "99E" with retractable blade, Silver

What started this whole foray into box knife utopia for me is the 99E at work got taken off some where, I took in my 10-499 from home and it drove me nuts with the rattling and blade setting not staying where I put it.Figured why not get the Pro. Pro is too big for my pouch (but not for the workshop peg board at home ) and I use the short blade settings all the time (see comment on Pro bellow ) so I ordered another 99E because I knew I liked it. If they had cheapened the knife I was all set to order the Milwaukee with the blade advance on the side but I don't need the bulk so since the 99E is still very well made I am all set.The 99E* has a stout solid feel* rattles if spare blades are in it but not nearly as much as the 10-499 A small piece of foam stops the rattle.* has five VERY distinct blade settings.* has the firmest button spring for the blade settings.* super easy to feel the blade setting notches* They added some thing to cause friction to hold the screw for opening the case so the screw won't rattle loose. That was a nice touch.The 10-499* is the lightest by far but strong enough* I find that how ever I grasp it the button gets pushed and the blade advances to the longest setting while cutting up large boxes (many bicycle shipping boxes ).* It rattles a lot* Three blade settings with a slight extension on the forth but that is to remove the blade using the side blade release button.The "Pro-Grade"* It is a very substantial box knife* It is "defend your castle from invaders" substantial (if it is a small castle and there are only half a dozen invaders ).* As you can see from the photo it is way larger. If you are wearing gloves and can't hang onto a smaller box knife the Pro is made with you in mind.* When I slipped it into my small tool pouch on my belt I was concerned with how much room it took up and it is heavy.* The blade changing mechanism works really , really well. Never a snag. Just run the thing back after pulling out the worn out blade and it grabs and advances another blade as you run the button forward again.* This knife comes with eight blades ! ! ! The 99E comes with three.* ONE small problem . . . the spring for the blade advance setting lock is very weak so it is hard to tell were the notches are. It takes a knack and practice to even find one consistently and it is not quick. For the most part this knife will be used with the blade fully extended so not a big deal. Once in a notch it stays put.There is a metal flap spring with a coil spring reinforcing it that pushes against the side of the spare blades to hold them tight against the self loading feeder. This seemed to effect the blade advance lock so I used it with only the one blade being used. Still hard to find the notches.* There are three blade settingsThe photo shows the minimum setting for each blade. A bit longer on the Pro than the rest.

The Stanley 99 Classic is a solidly built utility knife that gets the job done. I like having extras around so there’s always one within reach. While you do have to unscrew it to access the replacement blades, this keeps everything secure without fragile tabs. Sometimes, the classics really are the best!

This utility knife is still Manufactured in the United States and is competitively priced with foreign made utility knives. Looking through the other reviews prior to purchase, there were several that complained about the difficulty of installing one of the three supplied blades. I did not find that installing the blade was any more difficult than it was with Stanley utility knives that I bought 30+ years ago. Simply set the blade holder so that the blade will be fully extended, place the blade into position, reassemble the body of the knife, and then retract the blade. This approach worked for both knives in the set, just as it worked 30+ years ago. Reassembling the body of the knife so that both halves of the body are flush required two attempts per knife, as the parts had to be shifted back and forth a bit when pushed together and the screw was tightened; this process might have added an extra two minutes to the reassembly time, but that reassembly time should be much less during future blade changes, once the knife’s components have endured a bit of cutting stress.

I had a bunch of boxes in my basement thanks to a combination of Ikea and Amazon. They wouldn't fit in my recycling container on the curb. Instead, I flattened the boxes and just left them there for awhile. They sat there for awhile, starting at me, reminding me of my rampant consumerism. At some point in time, they may have mocked me a bit. They were nasty boxes, horrible things. I had to get rid of these things.I tried cutting them with scissors and ended up impressed as the rich quality of the cardboard boxes themselves; no mere scissors would comfortably dismantle such boxes. In order to get those boxes out of my basement, I needed a more efficient tool. I needed a tool that was just as strong as those boxes were resilient.So I ordered this box knife. I installed the blade. I went down to the basement brandishing my new trusty tool. I'm rather certain that I could see the boxes start to sweat, nervously chittering to one another about their impending doom. They knew that the end was near. They spewed insults. They told me that I could get rid of them, but I'd always want more. They were in my head. It had to end.I told those boxes, "No more." I cut them apart as quickly as the Mountain dispatched his enemies in Game of Thrones. Like a hot knife through butter.I highly recommend this box knife. It is a weapon worth acquiring. A sturdy tool to pass down from generation to generation like a quality sword. Mount it above your mantle. Admire it. Respect it.It is mighty.

These are almost the same 99 that Stanley used to make, except now they've got Shareholder Value. Both of the pair that I ordered came with excessive mold flash right where the ring and little fingers grip the body, making the experience something akin to road rash. So I took a file to them, wrecking their appearance but recovering their functionality.Edited to add: I've since taken files and sandpaper to all of the joints and the corners of the blade carrier recess with an eye toward making the thing more comfortable in the hand, and by golly it is just that: far more comfortable in the hand. The pretty grey finish ain't what it used to be but the knives are a joy to use now and I feel less bad about placing the one in my shop down next to my Sweetheart era Stanley tools.On the upside, these handy little utility knives will outlive whoever finds them after you lose them. Would buy again, in spite of my burning hatred of the shareholders of the holding company that Stanley Black & Decker has become.