Lol … as a kid one of my first jobs was working at a grocery store. I learned early on from older people at the same job how to separate the tape and peel it off as fast as possible. If the box had more than one strip of tape, you just used the pointed edge of anything to snap the tape … a pencil,a pen, a nail, a screw, a clipboard, sometimes just even a fingernail.
As soon as you remove the tape, you cleanly get at everything inside without damaging anything.
I once watched a friend of mine at the same job saying that he knew better and always used an exacto knife. After he ruined several boxes of merchandise, they took away his knife.
This depends entirely on the type of tape it is. There’s plenty of ripstop tech in packing tapes now and adhesives that are stronger than the boxes they’re bound to, both of which make a mess if you try to tear in a straight line.
Oh God, your comment triggered my PTSD… One of my first jobs I worked at, I had to restock, multiple times a day, a bin with a bunch of items that were very delicate and wrapped in super thin & delicate plastic. But the box they came in was made of super heavy duty cardboard. Like this shit was originally intended to be some kind of bullet proofing material but accidentally got used to make boxes. Even worse though was that each open end of the box was glued shut with enough glue to stick the Titanic back together and still have some left over and then stapled.
I hated those boxes.
You always have to be aware of what might be inside. If it’s a bunch of solid objects, chances are you have some room to use a knife. If what’s inside is big and fluffy and soft, chances are you’re going to do damage.
The friend I talked about nearly got fired because he once ruined several big downy brand new winter jackets because he thought he was an expert with an exacto knife.
Easily opened for sure, but cleanly? I bet not. The knife will be clean and smooth, and satisfying. The cardboard will never see it coming.
Less effort, too
Lol … as a kid one of my first jobs was working at a grocery store. I learned early on from older people at the same job how to separate the tape and peel it off as fast as possible. If the box had more than one strip of tape, you just used the pointed edge of anything to snap the tape … a pencil,a pen, a nail, a screw, a clipboard, sometimes just even a fingernail.
As soon as you remove the tape, you cleanly get at everything inside without damaging anything.
I once watched a friend of mine at the same job saying that he knew better and always used an exacto knife. After he ruined several boxes of merchandise, they took away his knife.
This depends entirely on the type of tape it is. There’s plenty of ripstop tech in packing tapes now and adhesives that are stronger than the boxes they’re bound to, both of which make a mess if you try to tear in a straight line.
They make safety openers for that which have the blade shielded.
https://www.primepac.co.nz/products/labels-mailing-stationery/knives-cutters/sterling-safety-box-cutters/
How stupid do you have to be to damage the contents of a box when opening it with a knife? Was he just jamming it in anywhere?
Many ex cops work in retail.
Oh God, your comment triggered my PTSD… One of my first jobs I worked at, I had to restock, multiple times a day, a bin with a bunch of items that were very delicate and wrapped in super thin & delicate plastic. But the box they came in was made of super heavy duty cardboard. Like this shit was originally intended to be some kind of bullet proofing material but accidentally got used to make boxes. Even worse though was that each open end of the box was glued shut with enough glue to stick the Titanic back together and still have some left over and then stapled.
I hated those boxes.
You always have to be aware of what might be inside. If it’s a bunch of solid objects, chances are you have some room to use a knife. If what’s inside is big and fluffy and soft, chances are you’re going to do damage.
The friend I talked about nearly got fired because he once ruined several big downy brand new winter jackets because he thought he was an expert with an exacto knife.