Roofing

Frequently Asked Questions about knives and blades for roof repair and installation

What kind of knife do roofers use?

Roofing utility knives and blades are indispensable and important tools in the work of a roofer. These utility tools are usually used for roof installing, repairing and replacement. It is common for roofers to have a universal utility knife with them to use it with  both straight utility blades and hook blades due to cutting different thick materials. Materials that are cut while roof repair are roofing felt (other names of the material are asphalt roll roofing, rolled roofing, sanded bituminous felt, asphaltic felt and many others), asphalt shingles, fiberglass, different insulation and underlayment.

What is a hook blade?

Hook blade is a utility blade that has hooks on its both ends and is meant for cutting thick materials such as roofing felt. The user can reach areas where it is difficult for a standard utility knife to go without damaging the surrounding area. Among all blades that we offer to use for roofing, hook blades are the strongest and provide more precise cutting. Coated hook blades ( for example with titanium TiN) are even more robust and have a longer durability and better performance.

How and when is a hook blade used by roofers?

The main cutting method of using the roofing knife combined with a hook blade is to pull. That is, the user hooks to the end of the material with the hooked edge of the blade and pulls gently downward. There is a video below where we show how this works with the utility knife 2000.

Usually a hook blade is used with a utility knife or roofing knife to cut roofing covering such as roof underlayment, roofing felt, shingles.

How and when is a straight utility blade used by roofers?

Straight utility blades can be used for cutting wood, wire and drywall with ease.

What is a 2-in-1 utility knife? Does Sollex have such a knife in stock?

At Sollex we offer a utility knife 2000 to use as the 2-in-1 knife or even better all-around utility knife that goes well with the most standard utility, concave, hook blades, long knife blades. Dimensions of the blades that fit perfectly in the knife are just standard (for example: concave blade - 59 x 19mm, hook blade - 51 x 19mm, 54 x 19mm, straight utility blades - 52 x 19mm and 59 x 19mm). The utility knife can be easily accessed by the user and comes with a holster to keep your blade by your side at all times safely. The different types of blades on this knife are perfect for easing the work on projects that require cutting or slicing through different  materials including roofing felt, cardboard, rubber or polystyrene foam insulation panels and more.

What is good with Sollex knife 2000? 

It is perceived as a stable knife with a good grip. Changing blades goes very easy and it takes max 15 seconds. In the knife can be stored a dispenser with up to 10 extra replacement blades. Roofers often change the blades of their knives because the blade gets sticky while cutting the roofing felt and then the sharpness gets lost. But although they often have to change blades, it is not very important that the blade change quickly. The most important thing is that the blade sits stably in the knife and it does so with Sollex 2000. In the area of the blade in the knife is a magnet that attracts the blade and improves its stability. Among other things, it is the most versatile knife, which fits almost any utility blade, such as hook blade, straight utility blade, concave blade, long blades etc