Plastic Razor Blades — 'Non-scratch scraping'

Who knew?

I love it when things are made from unlikely or unexpected materials.

Consider people — I mean, just a bunch of atoms arranged in such a way that somehow a miracle — the material world — appears around them.

And even more miraculous: consciousness to realize it.

Who'd a thunk?

But I digress.

Here's the scoop on these blades, as featured in this week's edition of Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools (edited by Steven Leckart) in a review by David King.

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ScrapeRite Plastic Razor Blades — Non-Scratch Scraping

Along with opening blister packages, removing product labels from items is an unavoidable annoyance of contemporary life. After years of scratching with my fingernails and scraping with a sharpened tongue depressor (works well, dulls easily), I’ve discovered the ultimate solution: ScrapeRite Plastic Razor Blades, double-edged plastic blades designed for light scraping, not cutting. The blades are available in three materials of varying hardness; my experience is with their General Purpose Blades, the softest of the three, which is said to have the consistency of a fingernail and are relatively safe to use on just about any surface, including the paint on your car.

Two years of experience validates these claims: I've used mine on everything from a stainless steel soup pot and wooden cutting board to countless items from Home Depot or Lowe's. I use mine a few times a month and I'm still on my first blade. The two blades of harder, more rigid compounds are supposed stand up to rougher use, such as paint removal on glass, but may scratch delicate surfaces. Their main advantage over razor blades appears to be safety. (note: I have no experience with these blades).

While the plastic razor blades will fit into most standard blade holders, for around-the-home use, I use the manufacturer's inexpensive and compact plastic holder, which I store under a rubber band stretched around a bottle of Goo Gone. Since I still use my standard metal holder with razor blades for glass, I see no reason to buy an extra standard holder for these blades.

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5-pack with holder: $3.99.