Let's talk about the Fiskars FiskarsPro "Drywaller's knife" - maybe not so "pro"

[six-point socket II]

So for years now I'm a pretty happy Fiskars customer. It all started during my youth when I spent a bit of time "outdoors", you could say in the woods with some older friends. Someone gave me a Fiskars splitting axe, they had just come out with the composite handle. That thing rocked. (Albeit there were unproven? claims that on the first batches the composite wasn't as reliable/ robust as it should have been. In fact, I have seen one of those old ones with a broken shaft - but I never got to know how that really happened.

Years later, with our backyard, I bought some of their gardening tools.

A X5 Hatchet, which is pretty much like this but way shorter:https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/garde...-mauls-and-machetes/x7-hatchet-14-378501-1005

The Leaf Rake, like this but with a wooden handle:https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/products/rakes/leaf-rake-396560-1001

The Ergo D-Handle Shovel:https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/garde...ols/ergo-d-handle-steel-shovel-49-331410-1001

The Snow Shovel:https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/garde...gging-tools/snow-pusher-shovel-60-343000-1001

The Weed Puller:https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/garde...eders/stand-up-weed-puller-4-claw-339950-1001

The Super Pruner:https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/garde...s/powergear-super-prunerlopper-15-379721-1005

The Pruning Stik:https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/garde...runers/pruning-stik-tree-pruner-5-392341-1005

All of these tools make gardening/ owning a house and life in general so much easier. They are anything between great to fantastic. I have one complaint with the weed puller though, the collateral damage it creates makes this one sit idle in the shed, most of the time.

In November I was watching a few Youtube videos in which the creators/influencer went to big box stores to shop & show the Black Friday offers to kill some time. My wife caught me, and I told her that I'd like to get small, tool related item for Christmas. That's where the FiskarsPro Drywaller's knife came in, it seemed to make a neat stocking stuffer since I would do a bit of drywalling in the new year. So we got that.

Basically it's a foldable jab-saw with built-in utility knife, or a utility knife with built-in foldable jab-saw.

This is what it looks like.

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Utility knife.

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Jab-saw. Nice, sharp but rounded (I guess for longevity and ease of starting the cut) teeth, and a pointy tip for penetration.

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(In case someone is wondering what the folding ruler says: A tradesman doesn't take a break, he merely gives his tools time to recover.)

Internal view on mechanism and blade storage. The blade sits on a carrier and is held by magnets. When pushing the blade out, the whole carrier moves downward and the blade is exposed. The blade it comes with is Made in U.S.A., but the knife itself is Made in China.

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So far so good. Knife has great fit and finish, offers an ergonomic and secure grip - feels good in hand. 2k handle. Black is hard, orange is soft(er). No complaints here.

Everyone who has worked with drywall knows there is a reason why when installing it you cut it once or twice and then snap it. It's the least dusty and overall easiest way of working with it. Now when it is already installed or when making cutouts that doesn't always work, obviously.

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Note: I'm using the dust extractor here because I wanted to see the line where I needed to make my cut.

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And last, the packaging.

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At this point I have some complaints, and please keep in mind this was only a minor tear out - replace drain pipe - patch up project.

After using the folding saw overhead, obviously the whole knife was covered in drywall dust. Without blowing on the pivot area and locking mechanism, it went from smooth action to rather notchy. After blowing it out, it was OK. But I did not drywall a room or a house, I was taking out a small piece. Duh.

When I patched it back up, I made a couple of cuts, retracted the blade and installed the first parts of my patch. Then I needed the blade again and ugh, I had to push hard to overcome a certain threshold, dust came out and then it worked again rather smooth.

Obviously this process kinda repeated itself multiple times when changing from blade to saw or vice versa.

Now if they had marketed this as a hobby or DIY product for someone who mainly needs a nice utility knife and maybe once or twice in his lifetime makes a small cutout with the saw I wouldn't have said anything.

But given my experience with Fiskars and the fact they label this professional, I would have expected a more thoughtful design/ protection against ingress of dust or whatever.

I honestly can't begin to imagine how this would hold up with someone who does drywall for a living. I think someone like that would clean it once, maybe twice - and then leave it in the desk at his shop or make it a paper weight. And I also can't begin to imagine what happens if this gets wet because said Pro has it in his cargo pocket when picking up materials or whatever. Or it's left outside in a designated work area and it gets simply a little humid ...

I guess then you would spent a lot of time cleaning this.

I think it's a shame because basically it is a really comfortable utility knife with a useful, sharp and well working jab-saw. But for the life of me, I can't see how this would perform well in a professional/trade environment.

I do have quite some drywalling to do in the not so distant future beside that "quickie" shown above, and I will use it until it either gives up under real world conditions without half-hourly maintenance - or proves me wrong - I'll update this thread then.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[MikeGE]

The Weed Puller: https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/products/weeders/stand-up-weed-puller-4-claw-339950-1001

All of these tools make gardening/ owning a house and life in general so much easier. They are anything between great to fantastic. I have one complaint with the weed puller though, the collateral damage it creates makes this one sit idle in the shed, most of the time.

I have the same weed puller, and it does create substantial holes in the lawn when used as Fiskars recommends.  I got around this and only partially tilt the handle back, just enough to cause the lump of lawn and weed to move.  Then I pull out the Fiskars without the clump of lawn and good grass. 

I can then pull the weed out of the ground, roots and all, without leaving a gaping crater and push the raised lawn down with my foot.

(The link to the Super Pruner in your post is the same as the weed puller)

 

[six-point socket II]

I'll try that once spring comes around, thanks Mike!

Oh, and I fixed the link.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[afish]

I did metal stud and drywall work for many years as union carpenter. This would never fly on a job site. opening/closing blade and saw each time is enough to chuck it in the trash.  For pros or whos job depend on speed its stanley 10-550 fixed blade and sheath and a dedicated keyhole saw. With a good set of pouches it becomes second nature

 

[Packard]

I have a pair of Fiskars scissors.  I am not sure how they attach the blades to the plastic, but these are definitely “light duty” scissors.  Thick cardboard broke the blade from the handle. 

But fine for light duty cutting (read “paper”, “fabric ribbon”, “light cotton fabric”, etc.

 

[RussellS]

Regarding Fiskars calling this tool Professional.  Advertising liberty I would guess.  Everyone does it when promoting their products.  So I would say you are taking it too literally.  As for combining a utility knife and jab saw in one, no thanks.  I have a Stanley utility knife I use all the time.  And a jab saw in my toolbox.  It does not see much use, but I have it when it is needed.  I don't like to use the jab saw on drywall because it makes such a rough edge.  I like neat clean cuts when doing drywall.  So I will use a hacksaw blade or a regular handsaw to cut drywall.

This Fiaskars thing seems to be an attempt at a Swiss Army knife.  Swiss Army knives are interesting contraptions.  But for every blade or flip out thing in a Swiss Army knife, a separate tool is better at everything.  The appeal of a Swiss Army knife is you can sort of have every function in a tiny package when you are in the middle of the jungle 1000 miles away from civilization.  But drywall is done in a house where you should have all your tools near by.  So why combine them?

 

[Packard]

[…]After using the folding saw overhead, obviously the whole knife was covered in drywall dust. Without blowing on the pivot area and locking mechanism, it went from smooth action to rather notchy. After blowing it out, it was OK. […]

It seems like everyone and his brother is marketing a folding jab saw.  And Fiskars is also marketing a non-folding “Pro” jab saw with a holster. 
https://www.google.com/search?q=drywall+jab+saw+folding&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj6g-vi5878AhWIL1kFHecfBsAQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=drywall+jab+saw+folding&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoFCAAQgAQ6BwgAEIAEEBg6BAgAEB5QzQ1Y4htg8iJoAHAAeACAAUCIAfQDkgEBOZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=FbDGY7qlOYjf5NoP57-YgAw&bih=714&biw=1121&client=firefox-b-1-m

The problem with attempting to make the saw/knife dust proof, is the attendant corollary that making it dust-proof will not make it truly dust-proof and will make cleaning out the dust frustratingly difficult.  I would much rather see a “compressed air dust port” where a simple blast of compressed air would be directed to the mechanism to thoroughly clean it out. 

I do have a problem with their advertising blurb that says “Stays sharp 24 x longer”.

Fiskars uses a decent grade of 400 series stainless steel for their scissors.  The 400 series SS can be hardened because it contains a decent amount of carbon.  But less nickel and chrome, so you might see rust spots on occasion. 

But I cannot think of any grade of stainless steel that will yield a 24 x advantage over even the worst choice of stainless.  I am sure they have rigged some sort of test to justify the blurb, but it is almost certainly a lie on the order of “they stole the election”. 

When they first came out, Fiskars had an uphill battle.  They were using stamped stainless steel and plastic, where the traditional scissors used forged high carbon steel exclusively.

It is probably a bad management decision to make claims that will not stand up to the realities of the professional drywaller’s environment.  They risk damaging their reputation for the products that do work.

 

[six-point socket II]

So, nine months in and I did quite a bit of drywalling and more importantly, installed 50mm Calcium-Silicate-Boards. I am actually quite a bit surprised that with minimal care (compressed air & wiping it down) this knife/ foldable saw combo-tool still lives and works.

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The impact/ hammer knob came in quite handy when I needed to break especially small strips/pieces.

The saw is great on drywall, not so much on the Calcium-Silicate-Boards as that materials clogs the teeth in almost no time, especially on the 50mm thick boards. The 20mm have been easier on the saw.

Now for the reasons stated in my first post and laid out by other contributors to this thread, I still fail to see this in the hands of a professional.

But it is holding up.

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And since we are on the FOG

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Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[Packard]

I struggled with taping drywall the first few times I tried it.  It all came down to the viscosity of the mud. If you got that right, all my drywall blades worked great.

If it was too viscous, then I would end up with voids and pinholes in the mud. 

I don’t have enough experience to say that one drywall knife is better than another.  But by far, the viscosity is key.

Note:  The pre-mixed stuff in plastic tubs is way too thick for taping.  I had to mix my own (and burn out one drill doing so) to get this right.  I did buy a Harbor-Freight mixer-drill (300 rpms) for mixing.  Don’t try to mix with a regular drill.  The motor won’t take the stress.

 

[woodferret]

I'm not sure why it'd be called Pro especially if you can't replace the blade.  Tajima GT series is what comes to mind.  But then again, plumbers and electricians, anyone incidentally plunging through drywall, are still 'pros' and folding blades are better in their box than in the drywaller's bucket.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Only my opinion, but the best way to cut perfect clean holes in drywall/plasterboard is with a multi-tool and a curved plunge blade. Jabsaws are great for rough hackouts which won’t ever be seen, but if you need to replace and re-fix the bit you just cut out? MT every time.

 

[Packard]

I would use a hole-saw.

 

[six-point socket II]

I agree that the Multitool makes an excellent cutter for drywall, calcium silicate boards, (...) ... It's also an excellent way to wear down used blades until they're really gone.

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The Fiskars is still going strong and through quite a few blade changes by now. It's quite cool that the blades that are coming from my Stanley edge plane (set to 1/4" / 6.4) and are dull in the middle, still work like pristine/new blades in the Fiskars because of placement. It's not much, but still saves some $ along the way.

The Fiskars is really growing on me.

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Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[Packard]

Fiskars can be blamed for the world-wide degradation of scissors and shears. 

Prior to the arrival of Fiskars, virtually all scissors and shears were produced from forged castings of high carbon steel.  There were differences in quality, but the starting point. For all quality scissors was that forging.  Fiskars changed that.

They came out with a decent quality, semi-disposable pair of scissors.  They were cheap enough that it did not pay to have them professionally sharpened.  You just replaced them. 

But the copycats had to undersell Fiskars, so they went with lighter gage steel, cheaper plastic molding, and the cutting ability vanished rather quickly.

Wiss has a long history of making quality scissors.  My 50 year old pair still cuts remarkably well with just one sharpening.  About 10 - 15 years ago they were bought out by Crescent Tool and there were complaints about the quality after that.  I don’t know if they have resolved those problems

Gingher has since taken up the mantle of the top scissors manufacturer, though I have not checked on their reputation lately.  Beautifully nickel plated, unlike the Wiss which were always painted black.
https://gingher.us/

Fiskars is still a good option.  They seem to engineer their products well.  It is the copycats that they spawn that we have to avoid.  (Though I bought 3 pair of 3M branded scissors in a package last year for paper cutting in the office and they seem OK for that type of work.)

But my Gingher shears cut leather and fabric very well.  Leather requires a beefy build, and fabric requires extremely sharp blades.  Combining both in one pair eludes most scissor makers.

 

[leakyroof]

Oliver, I too don't do much Drywall work. Most of that is due to living in a house that's over 100 years old and almost all plaster and lath... [big grin] [big grin]
  But, this Dewalt saw/rasp combo, along with a sharp utility knife, is all I need. Plus my Festool Drywall Screw Gun... [wink] [wink]
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-5-25-in-Jab-Saw-with-Composite-Handle-DWHT20123/203040547

 

[rst]

I have Fiskars heavy duty scissors, they can even be used on light gage metals.  I keep one in my van and one in my house.

 

[hdv]

The father of my wife was a tailor. She inherited his scissors and we are really really careful with them. Even though they are almost 100 years old they are by far the best scissors we have and know. They cut leather and fabric like it is nothing. I suspect our goddaughter will be very happy with them once we have left this earth. They may last for another couple of generations, if their owners will take proper care of them. I have to admit I wouldn't know the brand though. I should take a look.

 

[Packard]

My house was built in the early 1950s and was owned by the builder himself of all the houses on our street (16 houses).

He offered complete houses, houses that were just a shell and houses with all the electrical and plumbing roughed in.  This allowed some buyers to save money by finishing the house themselves. 

He used drywall for those houses he completed.  But my house he used a predecessor of drywall.  It is made with factory produced metal lath and plaster in 36” x 12’ sheets. 

On the walls, it worked great (except it is a WiFi killer).  But on the ceilings, where the material did not call for taping, the plastered seams are letting go.  I guess I will have to tape the ceilings when I paint next. 

Mostly, the plaster and wire is a nuisance.  Hanging pictures is a nuisance, the afore mentioned WiFi issues are too.  I live alone, but I imagine that the room to room sound transfer is minimal. 

On the plus side, he used 3” x 8” floor joists where only 2” x 8” are required.  The floors are rock solid. 

He used something the house inspector called “hardened concrete for all the poured floors (full basement and garage floor).  The 22 caliber nail guns, even with the strongest load, will not penetrate, so I have to drill all anchors (and go through a bunch of bits at that).  I don’t know what the advantage of the hardened concrete is other than it is especially smooth and nearly non-porous. 

At any rate, aside from some sense of nostalgia, I can’t see a meaningful advantage for plaster + lath. 

 

[leakyroof]

My house was built in the early 1950s and was owned by the builder himself of all the houses on our street (16 houses).

He offered complete houses, houses that were just a shell and houses with all the electrical and plumbing roughed in.  This allowed some buyers to save money by finishing the house themselves. 

He used drywall for those houses he completed.  But my house he used a predecessor of drywall.  It is made with factory produced metal lath and plaster in 36” x 12’ sheets. 

On the walls, it worked great (except it is a WiFi killer).  But on the ceilings, where the material did not call for taping, the plastered seams are letting go.  I guess I will have to tape the ceilings when I paint next. 

Mostly, the plaster and wire is a nuisance.  Hanging pictures is a nuisance, the afore mentioned WiFi issues are too.  I live alone, but I imagine that the room to room sound transfer is minimal. 

On the plus side, he used 3” x 8” floor joists where only 2” x 8” are required.  The floors are rock solid. 

He used something the house inspector called “hardened concrete for all the poured floors (full basement and garage floor).  The 22 caliber nail guns, even with the strongest load, will not penetrate, so I have to drill all anchors (and go through a bunch of bits at that).  I don’t know what the advantage of the hardened concrete is other than it is especially smooth and nearly non-porous. 

At any rate, aside from some sense of nostalgia, I can’t see a meaningful advantage for plaster + lath.

  Wood lath on ours, so not a WiFi killer as much as I've heard Metal Lath to be.  Since built in 1918, there was no Drywall,  [big grin] [big grin] [big grin],  so Plaster just comes with the territory.  I DO like its Sound Deadening quality though compared to Drywall.  Plumbing noises are much more muted within walls.
Could be worse,  Lime Plaster is older than our Gypsum Plaster, and a different animal too...  There's probably some older houses here in Chicago that survived the Chicago Fire ,and had Lime Plaster if old enough of a build date.
  [scratch chin] [scratch chin]
  Wall studs are actual 2" x 4"s. So there's that... [smile]

 

[cpw]

I DO like its Sound Deadening quality though compared to Drywall.  Plumbing noises are much more muted within walls.

Of course, in a 1988 house you can combine drywall with the fun of a copper DWV system that has your retrofitted attic A/C condensate line plumbed into it.