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is a Japanese manufacturer of utility knives, founded in 1956 in
File:OLFA 5019 SVR-2 9 mm utility knife with SAB blade.svg, Olfa cutter
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, Japan. The name is derived from the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
words ''oru'' (折る, bend and break) and ''ha'' (刃, blade). The company is known for inventing the snap-off blade and the rotary cutter.
Snap-off blade
Founder Yoshio Okada and his younger brother Saburo worked for printing companies where they cut paper withrazor blades
A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric razors.
While the razor has been in existence since before t ...
, but the blades quickly became unusable as their edges wore out. The brothers invented blades with scored lines which could be snapped to reveal sharp unused sections of blade. This idea came to them when they recalled how a chocolate
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...
bar given to them by an American soldier in childhood had also broken off in sections.
These snap-off blades and their associated handles are now made by many manufacturers in two standard sizes (9 and 18mm).
These are found on the red cart.
Other products
Their products include heavy-duty and specialty cutting tools for the building industry, safety tools for industrial applications,rotary cutter
A rotary cutter is a tool generally used by quilters to cut fabric. It consists of a handle with a circular blade that rotates, thus the tool's name. Rotary cutter blades are very sharp, can be resharpened, and are available in different sizes: ...
s, self-healing mats, art knives and rulers for the crafting industry.
The company's products are frequently recommended for use in crafts such as book repair, calligraphy, quilt making, modelling, sewing, picture framing and appliqué.
See also
*X-Acto
X-Acto is a brand name for a variety of cutting tools and office products owned by Elmer's Products, Inc. Cutting tools include hobby and utility knives, saws, carving tools and many small-scale precision knives used for crafts and other applic ...
References
External links
* {{Authority control Knife manufacturing companies Tool manufacturing companies of Japan Manufacturing companies based in Osaka Manufacturing companies established in 1956 1956 establishments in Japan Art materials brands Japanese brands