Going Wider and Deeper as a Pioneer in Cutters

The world’s first snap-off blade cutter was developed 65 years ago, allowing users to reproduce thesharpness of a new edge multiple times on a single blade, by snapping it along the score lines.
As well as coming up with the idea, OLFA founder Yoshio Okada showed incredible tenacity indeveloping the product, allowing him to reconcile the contradiction of making a thin blade that is sturdy
but also easy to snap.
The angle of the cutting edge and the width and length of the blade, determined through trial and error,
later became the world standard.
Today, overseas sales exceed those in Japan, and the Osaka-born OLFA brand, which derives its
name from the Japanese for “snap-off blade,” has successfully established itself around the world.

The world's first snap-off blade cutter, invented in 1956.

As a result of expanding its user base in terms of both cutter knives as stationery for the general public
and as tools for professional use, it now has a lineup of about 200 products.
In the product development process, prototype models were created based on sketches and simple
drawings. Then, every time the usability and comfort of the product were checked, revisions were madeand incorporated into the design drawings.
In this way, the founder’s spirit of development has been faithfully passed down to the present day, andthe number of new OLFA fans continues to grow.

The mainstay X-Design Series, winner of the Good Design Award

The Kitta, released in 2018, is a cutter for children.
Many schools have banned the use of cutters, and as a result, children have fewer opportunities tohandle them compared to before.
This product was developed following an employee’s recognition of the problems, and their desire to letchildren experience the fun of using a cutter knife and to stimulate their creative talents.
The blade is covered with resin, leaving only the tip exposed to ensure safety. An egg-shaped device tosnap the blade was also developed, allowing students to learn the overall process of cutting, snappingoff, and tidying away.
“It was difficult to make the blade snap off easily while keeping the plastic bonded on,” says SeniorEngineer Kazuhiro Okamoto. It seems to bear a resemblance the struggles that the founder went
through.

Kitta, a cutter knife for children that minimizes the risk of injury by covering the blade

This cutter, developed to safely open packages, is known as “Kaikorn”
This cutter was developed in response to the needs of the North American market, which is highlyconscious of safety. It is designed to prevent fingers from coming into contact with the blade, while theresin used for the handle is mixed with glass for reinforcement.
The “Kaikorn” cutter became a hit product with over 500,000 units sold annually worldwide.

Kaikorn, a cutter knife for opening packages, designed to prevent fingers from coming into contact with the blade

The fourth product in the outdoor-focused line OLFA WORKS, to be released this April, is a knife thatcan be used not only for cutting and shaving, but also for chopping wood by using it to strike fromabove (batoning).

The 3.2 mm thick blade runs all the way through to the end of the handle, and the tip of the blade ispolished
into a clamshell shape for long-lasting sharpness.
.

The full-tang knife “Sanga,” the fourth product in the outdoor line OLFA WORKS

Mr. Okamoto says that "We would like to discover new markets by drawing on OLFA’s unique cutter
knife technology and offering a variety of use cases.”
It is looking more likely that OLFA’s activities will continue to expand.

Kazuhiro Okamoto, Senior Manager, Sales Planning Group, Sales Planning Headquarters

April 5, 2021
(Reporting and text: Hirofumi Yamaguchi)
OLFA CORPORATION
Senior Manager, Sales Planning Group, Sales Planning Headquarters
Kazuhiro Okamoto
https://www.olfa.co.jp/en/
Business: Manufacture and sale of blades and hand tools