Abstract: A bag cutter for opening a sealed package using at least one of a blade and a piercer. Preferably, at least one blade is disposed partially within a cutout of an arm in a manner that exposes an edge of the blade. A piercer can comprise an extension of a cutout edge or be located on any other suitable portion of an arm. Another blade can be provided that is substantially perpendicular to the blade within a cutout, and juxtaposable against a cutting surface.

Abstract: A multi-blade bag cutting apparatus for opening a sealed package using one of at least two methods has a first arm partially enclosing a first blade and a first or second arm having a cutout exposing a second blade. The two arms can be injection molded as a single piece of plastic or comprise two separate pieces coupled to a pivot. Preferably, the first blade is partially juxtaposable against a cutting surface, which can be, among other things, a raised portion and/or an anvil.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus for opening a sealed package has a first arm partially enclosing a first blade that is at least partially juxtaposable against a second arm having a cutting surface. The two arms can be injection molded as a single piece of plastic or comprise two separate pieces coupled to a pivot. Preferably, the cutting surface comprises a raised portion at least partially enclosing a hard anvil.

Abstract: A bag cutter for opening a sealed package using at least one of a blade and a piercer. Preferably, at least one blade is disposed partially within a cutout of an arm in a manner that exposes an edge of the blade. A piercer can comprise an extension of a cutout edge or be located on any other suitable portion of an arm. Another blade can be provided that is substantially perpendicular to the blade within a cutout, and juxtaposable against a cutting surface.

Abstract: A tool system is presented. The tool system includes a tool body sized and dimensioned to fit comfortably in a human hand, and includes a plurality of interchangeable tool cartridges. Some of the tool cartridges include a tool bit cover capable of remaining in a closed, locked position sheathing a tool bit. Once installed, the tool bit cover can be unlocked via actuation of a trigger disposed on the body of the tool or on the cartridge. Preferably, the tool bit cover unsheathes the underlying tool bit due to pressure or force of a work surface.

Abstract: A safety mechanism for a utility knife is provided to prevent more than one retraction of the blade shield for each trigger actuation. A separable linkage extends between an actuator and a strut, and has a seat member and a deflecting member that are linked together when the actuator is not depressed and the strut is in the safety position blocking the retraction of the shield. The separable linkage is configured to transmit the pressing action of the actuator to the strut to disengage it from the bracket. The separable linkage is configured to delink as the shield retracts. If the actuator continues to be pressed in after the shield returns from being retracted, the safety mechanism prevents relinking of the seat member and the deflecting member, due to the deflecting member being deflected away from the seat member in a substantially longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A utility knife having a disposable blade cartridge is presented. The cartridge can include a stem having catches, where the stem can be inserted into an opening of the knife's handle. The cartridge can be releasably attached to the handle by allowing the catches to latch on to a shoulder portion of an opening in the handle. The opening can be defined by the shoulder and a rib that separates the opening from a neighboring opening.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus has a unidirectionally-locking blade cover that automatically snaps back over the exposed blade after each cut, and a dependent, index finger operated unlocking trigger.

Abstract: An elastic overshoe has an outer layer through which extend a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are preferably carried on an inner layer, which is sandwiched between the outer layer and the shoe upon which the overshoe is placed. Inner layer segments can run the length of the overshoe, or more preferably include only a ball region of a toe region. The openings can have any practical size, shape, orientation and arrangement of openings, although of course at least some of the openings must be aligned with at least some of the protrusions, and ideally the protrusions will fit snugly within the openings to avoid tearing of the openings. The inner and outer layers can advantageously have different chemical compositions. The inner layer, for example, can be tougher, while the outer layer could be more stretchable.

Abstract: Safety cutting blades and utility knives having such blades are presented. Safety cutting blades include safety features that protect users from contacting a cutting edge. Preferred blades comprise a stem and a cross bar that orthogonally intersects with the stem. One or more cutting edges can be disposed within a notch made into an edge of the blade. Safety features can include safety guards located at one or more ends of the cross bar where the safety guards cooperate with the stem of the blade to form the notches. The notches can be sized and dimensioned to reduce a risk of a body part from contacting a cutting edge.

Abstract: A utility knife has a counter-reciprocating blade and blade guard. Preferred utility knifes have an internal mechanism comprising several components that are advantageously coupled via one or more pivot points. Though an appropriate arrangement of pivot points, both stationary pivot points and translating pivot points, the blade and guard counter-reciprocate such that forced retraction of the guard results in forced extension of the blade. While the internal mechanism is in a locked position, the guard locked. Actuation of a trigger can unlock the internal mechanism, which releases the blade guard. Preferably a single actuation of the trigger provides for a single use of the knife.

Abstract: A tool holder is presented. Preferred tool holders include a holster for securely holding a tool. A tool bit can be operationally coupled to the holster so that the holster-tool bit assembly forms a complete tool, where the holster can function as a handle of the tool bit. The tool bit can be of the same type, or of a different type than that of the held tool. Some embodiments include tool locks that securely hold the tool within the holster when the holster is used to operate the tool bit.

Abstract: A tool system is presented. The tool system includes a tool body sized and dimensioned to fit comfortably in a human hand, and includes a plurality of interchangeable tool cartridges. Some of the tool cartridges include a tool bit cover capable of remaining in a closed, locked position sheathing a tool bit. Once installed, the tool bit cover can be unlocked via actuation of a trigger disposed on the body of the tool or on the cartridge. Preferably, the tool bit cover unsheathes the underlying tool bit due to pressure or force of a work surface.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus has a unidirectionally-locking blade cover that automatically snaps back over the exposed blade after each cut, and a dependent, index finger operated unlocking trigger.

Abstract: A knife includes a cartridge, a blade carried by the cartridge, a holder supporting the cartridge so that the blade projects from the holder, a shield for the blade, carried to be displaced relative to the holder and blade to expose the blade, for cutting. The cartridge includes a stem, and there are first side openings in the holder, and spring arms with catches thereon presented at opposite sides of the holder, via said side openings, to be manually pushed oppositely inwardly to allow slide out removal of the stem from the holder, there being additional manually graspable side openings sunk in opposite sides of the holder and spaced apart in a first direction, away from said shield, first side openings, and blade, the catches carried by the stem to protrude outwardly within two of the first side openings sunk in opposite sides of the holder.

Abstract: A utility knife has a protective guard that moves from a locked position to an unlocked position. Preferred mechanisms utilize a pawl that cooperates with a stop to reduce movement of the guard while the guard is in a locked position, and a simple latching mechanism that allows the pawl to bypass the stop. The pawl is disposed with respect to other elements of the mechanism such that the blade guard can only pulled back to a retracted position after operation of a trigger or other actuator, and then only for a single use. Both the stop and the catch can advantageously be carried in a fixed special relation to one another by operation of a trigger or other actuator.

Abstract: A finger guarding device, in combination a culinary finger guard plate, two finger guards upstanding from a side of the plate and having spacing therebetween to receive a user's middle finger to extend generally parallel to the plate, each finger guard having a finger retention portion overhanging the plate to provide adjustable spaces to receive the user's first and third fingers, between said overhang portion and the plate.

Abstract: A bag slitting apparatus for opening a sealed bag along an edge of the bag. The apparatus has a first arm having first outer and inner surfaces, and a second arm having second outer and inner surfaces. The arms are in tensioned movable opposed relationship to each other such that the first and second inner surfaces are movably positionable against each other. One of these inner surfaces is a bladed inner surface having projecting therefrom a bag cutting blade with a distal blade tip, while the other inner surface has a blade tip receiver. Exteriorly, the first and second outer surfaces are concavedly contoured for simultaneous opposingly-squeezing receipt of a finger and thumb of a user. Placing the edge of the bag between the blade tip and blade tip receiver, squeezing the arms together such that the blade tip pierces the bag and travels to the tip receiver, and thereafter sliding the apparatus along the length of the bag edge produces a slit in the bag through which contents can be retrieved.