Appreciation post: cutting mortar bags with a $3 hook blade instead of a utility knife

Avery Fox · 2026-09-16T07:10:03.212582+00:00

I've been laying block for 11 years and always opened mortar bags with whatever utility knife was in my pouch, usually a dull one, and I'd fight the paper for a minute or two every single bag. Last month on a job in Tulsa my knife was missing so I grabbed one of those folding hook blades from the bottom of my bucket, the cheap $3 ones they sell at the lumber yard counter. First bag opened in about two seconds flat and I didn't rip the paper at all, so no dust cloud and no wasted mortar spilling on the scaffold. I tried it for the rest of that wall, 60 something bags, and my hands weren't sore from fighting the knife either. Now I keep two hook blades in my pouch and the utility knife stays in the truck for cutting banding. Only downside is the blade gets gummed up after a while so I wipe it on a scrap block every few bags. Has anyone found a hook blade that holds an edge longer, or am I just buying the wrong brand?

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Appreciation post: cutting mortar bags with a $3 hook blade instead of a utility knife | Bricklayers - Guest Forum