Milwaukee's Folding Utility Knife Has A Feature You Probably Didn't Know Existed

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At this point in its storied history, Milwaukee Tools pretty much makes a device for any job a DIYer wants to tackle. While the brand is well regarded among its competitors in the powered tool arena, Milwaukee also offers a full range of non-powered offerings that some regard equally well. Some of those non-powered tools even have uses that owners may not be entirely aware of, as one knowledgable Instagrammer recently displayed with Milwaukee's Fastback Utility Knife.

Users atlas_site_services and buildersrx described a hidden feature on the Fasback knife that wowed even self-proclaimed Milwaukee diehards. The trick makes using a 16-Foot Milwaukee Tape Measure in conjunction with the cutter a breeze whenever you're working on your own. As the video shows, each Fastback flip knife is designed with a small slit close to its exposed blade. All you need to do to connect the knife to the tape measure is slide the part of the blade with the slit to the pull tab that allows you to extend the tape measure to the desired length.

When the blade is connected, you can actually use it to extend the tape measure. Once you've settled on the desired length, you can simply lock the tape and cut with precision. This design feature proved revelatory to many in the video's comment section, most of whom noted they'd never even considered pairing the tools in that way before. 

If you've got a Fastback Flip Knife and tape measure from the Techtronic Industries-owned outfit in your tool chest, you might already be counting down the minutes until you can utilize this Milwaukee pairing on the job. If not, the Instagram video might have you wanting to buy them just to test the trick out on your own projects. Neither tool is particularly expensive, with Amazon selling the Fastback Knife for $18.99 these days, and a 16-foot tape measure like the one used in the video for $18.85.

For the record, those tools may be available through other online retailers. Amazon shoppers have, however, rated both of the items quite well, with the Fastback knife at 4.8 stars and the tape measure at 4.6 stars. Though some users noted functional issues and toughness concerns, they largely praise each item for its functionality and pro-grade durability, a fact that seems to be bolstered by the number of laborers who claim to use the tools in their day to day work lives. 

As for the Fastback Knife, the popular but controversy-skating blade promises an easy-flip one-handed opening, an all metal body and a blade holder that can be used for scoring. The knife is also designed with a wire stripper and gut hook built into the handle, along with a belt clip and lanyard hole. The tape measure is a pretty standard model, though Milwaukee has designed it with a better-holding pull tab hook and a finger-stop slot built into the base.