Olfa

OLFA

OLFA

Japanese utility knife company

OLFA Corporation (オルファ株式会社, Orufa Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese manufacturer of utility knives, founded in 1956 in Osaka, Japan. The name is derived from the Japanese words oru (折る, bend and break) and ha (刃, blade). The company is known for inventing the snap-off blade and the rotary cutter.

Quick Facts Native name, Company type ...

Snap-off blade

Founder Yoshio Okada and his younger brother Saburo worked for printing companies where they cut paper with razor blades, but the blades quickly became unusable as their edges wore out. The brothers invented blades with scored lines which could be snapped to reveal sharp unused sections of blade. This idea came to them when they recalled how a chocolate bar given to them by an American soldier in childhood had also broken off in sections.[3]

These snap-off blades and their associated handles are now made by many manufacturers in two standard sizes (9 and 18mm).

  • OLFA cutter

Other products

Their products include heavy-duty and specialty cutting tools for the building industry, safety tools for industrial applications, rotary cutters, self-healing mats, art knives and rulers for the crafting industry.

The company's products are frequently recommended for use in crafts such as book repair,[4] calligraphy,[5] quilt making,[6] modelling,[7] sewing,[8] picture framing[9] and appliqué.[10]

OLFA tools and cutting mat

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "About Olfa". Olfa Corporation. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  2. [2]
    "Company Profile". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  3. [3]
    "Birth of OLFA cutter". Olfa official website.
  4. [4]
    Schechter, Abraham A. (1999). Basic Book Repair Methods. Libraries Unlimited. p. 36. ISBN 1-56308-700-6.
  5. [5]
    Wong, Frederick (1999). The Complete Calligrapher. Dover Publications. p. 149. ISBN 0-486-40711-X.
  6. [6]
    Shedletsky, Andrea L. (1986). Making a Traditional Applique Sampler Quilt. Dover Publications. p. 3. ISBN 0-486-24999-9.
  7. [7]
    Schmidt, Norman (2005). Great Paper Fighter Planes. Sterling Publishing. p. 5. ISBN 1-895569-77-X.
  8. [8]
    Coffin, David Page (1998). Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing. Taunton Press. p. 15. ISBN 1-56158-264-6.
  9. [9]
    Welden, Dan; Muir, Pauline (2001). Printmaking in the Sun. Watson-Guptill. p. 20. ISBN 0-8230-4292-8.
  10. [10]
    Delaney, Kathy (2003). A Heartland Album: More Techniques in Hand Appliqué. Kansas City Star Books. p. 35. ISBN 0-9722739-7-2.
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