How the Hell do You Open Plastic Packaging?

Chris Pirillo What’s Your Favorite Party Favor?How the Hell do You Open Plastic Packaging?Do You Want to Have your Own Internet Radio Station? Are You Watching YouTube on Your TiVo? Are You a Geeky Driver?

I have an extremely sharp serrated knife that glides through everything like butter. Extremely sharp but that isn’t an issue since it never slips.

I’d have to agree with the LifeHacker comment wrt to leatherman tools. I thought it part of the geek aesthetic. However, I think I have also used the can opener when it was closer at hand:

http://is.gd/1dQR

As a petite female geek I am often the only one packing the proper equipment w/my leatherman which may be the only good that came out of one former job.. (And when it was a choice between going in the American Museum of Natural History or having it permanently confiscated by a guard because the longest blade exceeded acceptable length, I was prepared to have the family proceed w/o me! Luckily it was short enough.) But I think my fav was when I loaned it to a DC bus driver to clear the change stuck in the collection chute.

Now, my non-geek-SAS programming spouse may find the Open-It in her holiday stocking.

–aet

Chris… No offense… but it isn’t THAT hard to open a Microsoft office pack, or a windows vista pack for that matter…. but that would arise the question… why would you even WANT to buy windows vista :P

(just in case you still haven’t been able to open it… make sure all the tape is gone from around the curved edge and on the top of the box. then, on the top of the box, there should be a curve which leads to a point, pull the edge of the point and the inside ’sleeve’ should open out.
cheers,
Sam

Chris, I keep a small collection of tactical nuclear weapons handy for just this purpose. Sometimes it takes no more than two or three to get the job done.

Why did Chris Pirillo buy Microsoft Office for ??

I found a device some time ago at Wal-Mart called “OpenX” (http://www.myopenx.com/home.htm) which allows easy opening of those darn Clam Shell packaged items. That form of packaging annoys me to no end, but I do understand the reason it came about. It helps deter shoplifting and it allows the item to be shipped with less chance of damage. The OpenX is a rather unique device that allows you to open them extremely easily.

I had the exact same problem when I tried opening my copy of Microsoft Outlook 2007… Companies need to find a way that will make it easier for consumers to open, without compromising on the security of their product while in stores…

First, get rid of that tubular-steel-handled hammer – they’re worthless.

Granted, I don’t know what the plastic you were wrestling with was like (or why you htought hammering it would help), but a Swiss Army Knife (the bigger the better) has never let me down.

Failing that, one word: BANDSAW.

Always carry a small “sharp” knife. It is so handy so many times. If you cannot do it yourself, have it professionally sharpened.

That was seemingly harmless.

Leatherman tools are awesome. I have a Swiss Army Knife which is also very good. The geek model of course. But to be honest, that video says it all!

Amazon has the “Package Shark Pro Opener” (with “Bonus Scissors”), which can currently be seen on TV advertisements. The reviews don’t look promising. http://tinyurl.com/62rcp4

However, there is a WikiHow on the subject that offers a few options:
http://tinyurl.com/2p433v

The packaging is to keep shoplifters at bay more than to protect the product. Some world we live in, huh? I use brute force and massive ignorance, a combination that has always worked well for me.

To open hard plastic packaging I use a pair of sheet metal cutting shears called Tin Snips.I also use them to crack open a cooked lobster.Of course I clean and sterilize the shears before using.

I fumed about this earlier this year – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKuWFQBSuaY

take a knife to it.. even if you don’t open it you can vent by stabbing it!

Horrible things to open. I use a pair of garden scissors, GARDENIA 370. Strong with a 2.25 inch blade. Seems ot be made in Germany as it is EDELSTHAL ROSTFREI. Costs just over $15 in South Africa

I use Open-X which is specifically designed for opening plastic packages. You can find it at http://www.myopenx.com. I think it sells for $4.95. It WORKS!

Chris,

Get an OpenX – They are great.

http://www.myopenx.com/home.htm

Best thing to fight BlisterPack scars and wounds.

Thank you, Chris:

I was having a bad day, and then I watched you trying to open the MS Office package. I was almost on the floor in hysterical laughter. Why you say? Because I had just been thru the same g…d… process. I had never seen a package that slid open from the corner like that.

Whoever designed that packaging should been draw, quartered, salted, and made to listen to rap music for 24 hours solid.

Still LOL,
Christopher

“How do open stuff that comes sealed in that hard plastic? Well you use scissors of course!
BUT, what if you don’t have scissors? Then you a some.
And what do the new scissors come wraped in?
HARD PLASTIC!
Now what?”

Sounds like someone watched the same episode of Sinefled I watched.

I find this extremely entertaining.
Thank you Chris.
=)

I use a house key. Drag it along a long flat part of the thing and I can generally get through the plastic but don’t run the risk of cutting myself.

Swiss army knife dude!

I second using an Open-It. The thing works great! I got mine at Fry’s for $10.

Amazon has them too and they are called “Zibra ZPCOPEN-OR Open It Universal Package Opener”

I don’t like the idea of using the serrated knife on my Leatherman, Sometimes the package is double-layered. Things can get ugly if the knife slips.

There are lots of specialty tools you can buy on eBay or Amazon or other places online that are specially designed to open those stupid packages. A Google of ‘plastic packaging opener’ reveals at least a half dozen different variants on the first page of search results alone.

They all feature pretty much the same design with different twists. They’re all some sort of an x-acto blade in some sort of custom designed plastic guide. The PROBLEM with those is that when the blade goes dull, you’re up the creek without a paddle.

I have one of these in my desk. http://xrl.us/netnomad. It’s sold by Canadian Tire but I’m SURE they just buy it from another tool company in the states. It comes with a large package of blades that are easily found at your local hardware store if you ever run out, but I’ve had this knife for two years and I’ve only used two blades (each blade has two ends on it, so you use it twice before disposing of it.)

Plastic packages are just ONE reason that you want an ULTRA-SHARP knife in your desk. There are tons of other uses, but this little baby just DEVOURS plastic packaging. I hope you can find the American (or Chinese!) manufacturer!

I found it!

I believe this is the manufacturer of the knife I linked earlier.

http://sheffield-tools.com/piece-professional-pocket-knife-p-1244.html?cPath=3

YES! WHY? I have one word for the manufacturers and it is not K_N_I_F_E or S_C_I_S_S_O_R_S. It is becoming increasingly obvious that users of this packaging would rather get a few more days of shelf life than satified customers. Something has to be done about this!

[...] How the Hell do You Open Plastic Packaging? [...]

I have to agree with Wayne Schulz – Zibra’s Open It! kicks ass. We bought one for my father in law as a joke (’cause he always has problems with opening packages) and it was so good we bought one for ourselves. Everyone should have one. Their product site is: http://www.enjoyzibra.com/openit/

For most packages, I use a Swiss army knife I inherited from my grandfather, and it works great. However, on things like Microsoft’s new packaging, there’s no way I’d be able to get a blade through that plastic easily. And those things are a pain in the neck for me to open.

You Can’t Go Wrong With A Box Cutter.
Works Everytime For Me.

Hope This Helps!

Hello,

I have used an OpenX in the past and while it works okay, I have not been overwhelmed with it. I have seen the Zibra Open It for sale in stores and am wondering if it might be a better choice.

Normally, I take Angela’s route and use whatever pocket knife or multi-tool I happen to have on me to open a package, or, if I am at home, I use some EMT bandage scisssors I bought at Walgreens for a couple of dollars.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

You and me and a billion others man.

Yeah, I really must agree with you here. It’s one of the reason’s I love digital distribution.

Blast? chainsaw? Costco blister packs are the worst it’s insane how tight they package those things. Thanks for bringing this subject out in the open Chris.

I usually use just a pair of scissors to open the packaging at the top, but still always end up cutting my fingers trying to reach in and grab whatever product is in the package. However, recently I went to Sam’s Club and bought an SD card. First of all, you have to take a piece of cardboard to the register and pay for it. Once you do that, you have to take it and the receipt to the photo center (conveniently placed by the entrance, although the registers lead to the exit). The card is enclosed in another piece of cardboard that has a layer of plastic (the plastic most devices are sealed in) covering the card that stretches from the top to the bottom of the cardboard center. This requires you to use some type of knife or sharp point to cut through the cardboard and plastic.

Talk about a headache…I should’ve went next door to Wal-Mart, where it’s still glued plastic to a piece of paper.

I think that opening Window’s software is very hard(in my opinion). But the thing that verifies my opinion is that on Microsoft’s website there is instructions on of all things How to open a freaking BOX. The other thing that this verifies is that Apple trusts people with there software.

In the end Microsoft “fanboys” wonder why people are switching to the Mac(Apple boxes there this so much better the Microsoft and other OEMs)

Evan

i really hate it when the edges are sharp on the packaging, when that happens i can’t even grab the sides to tear it (like i could anyway). That is usually on harware though. I sometimes have to use giant kitchen shears though because regular siccors actually start to seperate. I guess they really could cut down on the plastic though i mean we probably would save tens of thousands of dollars per yer because the packages aren’t as elaborat.

software isn’t as difficult to open as hardware expecially if the harware is small. it seems like the little thump drives are impossible to open, but when you get up to a comper it is all tape and cardboard

I have a sturdy pair of chicken boning scissors in the kitchen. Works wonders on that d**n plastic. Cut just inside the welded seam and then pull apart. You might want to use a pair of gloves while you’re separating the welded inner pegs some of these packages contain.

Once slipped many years ago trying to use a utility knife to open one and that heat welded, serrate plastic edge on the packaging cut to the bone. It was more dangerous than the sharp new blade on the knife which I was using carefully so as not to cut myself. Got one of my fingers and the wrist on the other arm. Steel 0, Plastic 2.

Thankfully didn’t hit any major blood vessels, but it sure took the charm out of the gift received. I’ve cursed package manufacturers ever since.