Milwaukee48-22-1901 Fastback Press and Flip Utility Knife with Belt Clip and Onboard Wire Stripping

My favorite utility knife for how quick the action is and how durable it is. Fits great for small hands.

I recently started working in a warehouse in shipping, a little receiving, and some delivery. I used to work in jobs that called for a solid fixed blade so I always kind of looked down my nose at utility knives as basically just box cutters that retail workers carried. You know, not a real knife.Well I ate those words because this "not a real knife" has become my go-to for everything! The construction is all metal with a flip-out blade housing and it has a wire clip and a slot to cut thin stuff.I've been using it for a few months now and don't regret it at all. I don't use the thin slot cutter but it being there doesn't hinder functionality. This knife has taken everything I've thrown at it and still works great.Update: I've been using this every day and it takes a beating and keeps working. I just got a new one for my dad and he likes his tooI definitely recommend this item.

This thing is kick ass.Silky smooth operating flip lock mechanism.One hand operation no problem.Sturdy, solid feel.Not too thick or thin.Not too heavy or light.Super quick and easy to change the blade. No tool needed, just a button.Great index finger notch for safety and leverage.Built in wire stripperBuilt in gut hook.Nicely designed belt clip that's easy to replace if you destroy it.Anything else?? Humm...Haven't had it long enough to comment on durability or service life, but I love the thing so far.Update: I just found something this knife DOES NOT do well. Cut thick fiberglass insulation. Was insulting an attic last night with R30 and this is not the knife for the job. The little protrusion right behind the bottom of the blade, and the wire stripping notch, catch and tear the fiberglass batts and rolls something fierce!! Really sucks. Easy fix would be a wrap or two of guerrilla tape or duct tape to temporarily smooth the area out, but then you can't close it for the duration of the project. For me, I'll just use my trusty 30 year old retractable blade knife that has a completely smooth and slightly rounded body. Kind of emotionally attached to that knife anyway. Oh well, I still love the new knife, just not for this chore.Update: fast forward two years. Serious problem. I still enjoy the knife, however, as I believe a couple other reviews pointed out, the tiny screws that hold the cover plate over the razor blade need to constantly be checked. After a few months of daily use they came loose and nearly fell out before I noticed it and tightened them. Should have used thread lock, or even a drop of super glue on them because I finally lost one after tightening them many times over many months. I'll see if Milwaukee will do anything about it. Definitely a major design flaw because there is no reason you'd ever need to take that plate off anyway. Functioning Screws make no sense there. The knife is almost useless now since that cover plate is always moving making the blade loose. Disappointing.

I've been using mine, the 48-22-1901, for 6 years now, and it is definitely one of the best.Some negative reviews are about a lack of blade storage. If that's what you want, get the 48-22-1903. There's a dozen or so models with the name Fastback, all different, so choose wisely.Also, some reviews are concerned about plastic parts. The 48-22-1901 is all metal, so unless they have a counterfeit knife, not sure what they are talking about.Lastly, some negative reviews are about the blade slipping or being held loosely. There are two types of blades: 2 notch and 3 notch. This knife will securely hold the 2 notch blades it was designed for (Stanley type). If you're not paying attention and use the 3 notch blade (Craftsman type, which was the standard years ago), you will have an improper fit with some slop and potentially pull-out.As with everything, homework and RTFM!

UPDATE - after several months of use, I have to bump up the rating on this product. It's the utility knife reached for every time. Reason - ergonomics. Yes, it's more expensive than comparable import folding boxcutters, and no, there's no onboard blade storage, but all in all, this is a good quality knife, despite the rather loose blade pivot (and no, there is no way to tighten up on the pivot screw - it comes from the factory at max torque already. Recommended.Nice ergonomics, but ... pivot is WAYYY too loose (blade just falls open), although I have not yet taken a Torx to the pivot screw to see if any of the slack can be taken up. Yeah, I get the questionable "flip open" concept. Overall, a "nice" utility knife, but better quality is available for well under ten dollars at any of the big box stores. This includes a beefier blade carrier, a better blade latch/release, a more solid lockup, and more solid construction overall. Similar design competitive knives also offer a real belt clip, rather than a flimsy wire loop as provided on this knife.This knife should be priced under ten dollars to be competitive. Compare to house brand folding utility knives at "L****" or "H*** D****". Is it worth the trouble to return it? No, but if you're looking for one of the folding-type utility knives, save your money and pick up a generic store brand for about half this price locally.It's a matter of personal preference, but you are probably better off with one of the newer-design retractable utility knives, which now have better ergonomics, tool-less blade change, and of course -- onboard blade storage. With the folding type knives like the Milwaukee, you've got two blade edges to work with before you need to go home to get another blade .....