Fiskars Package Opener Review: A Simple Two-in-One Tool for Blister Packs

Introduction

Few things are as universally frustrating as heavy plastic formed packaging. Rigid clamshells require significant effort to open, and the stakes are real: people regularly end up in the emergency room or cut themselves trying to break products free, or damage the product itself in the process. The usual workarounds, whatever knife is handy, razor blades, or a pair of ordinary scissors, all carry their own risks.

The Fiskars Package Opener aims to be a safer, purpose-built answer to that problem. It is inexpensive, it combines two tools in one, and it promises an easier way into just about any sealed package. We spent time with it on a range of real packaging, from clasp attachments to insulated screwdriver sets, to see whether it lives up to that promise.

What the Fiskars Package Opener Is

At its core, this is a pair of scissors with a little screwdriver attached to the handle. That is essentially the whole product. The target audience seems to be someone who does not have much of anything on hand, no pocket knife, no dedicated cutting tools, and might otherwise reach for a steak knife to attack a package.

It comes in cardboard packaging of its own, which is a thoughtful touch. The cardboard sleeve offers essentially no resistance, and the tool practically falls out of the bottom of the package. The implication is clear: the makers assume you need this tool to get into all the rest of your packages, so they make sure you are not trapped by their own.

Design and Features

The build quality is better than the price suggests. The blades are heavy duty, and there is a strong spring that keeps the handles open, so be careful when first handling it. It is easy to operate and includes a lock for safe storage. The handles are nicely grippy, which helps when you are applying real pressure to thick plastic.

The screwdriver is the extra trick. It pops out of the handle and is reversible, offering a small slotted tip on one end and a small Phillips tip on the other. Most people already own plenty of those sizes, so this is clearly designed more as a gift-oriented convenience: a way to always have a tool on hand to open a battery compartment on a new product or swap in fresh batteries.

How It Performed in Real-World Testing

Results varied depending on the package. On a set of quick-lock tool attachments in light plastic, it worked well: for a ten-dollar tool, it opened a nineteen-dollar product without drama. It also handled Phillips screwdriver packaging fine, cutting a gap in the sealed edge without trouble, and managed a two-piece insulated screwdriver set with a different packaging style reasonably well.

The packaging notes that the blades have fine teeth intended to get into zip ties, and it did open those successfully as well.

Where It Falls Short

Some packages defeated it. A clamshell holding a clamp meter was genuinely tough to start, requiring real hand strength to crack open, and the verdict there was a fail: too hard, and a knife would have been easier. A slim-line insulated screwdriver package caused the plastic to spread apart rather than cut cleanly, with some spots resisting entirely, and a heavy-duty OEM thread repair system package simply would not cut through at all, with one blade appearing to shatter during the attempt.

There is also a genuine safety concern with stiff plastic: when the tool struggles and you push against the packaging, the plastic edges themselves can cut you, not just the tool. Heavier-duty shears or an electric snip grip were needed to finish some of the packages this opener could not handle.

Buying Advice

At around eleven dollars, this tool suits its designed purpose: a cheap, safe, two-in-one starter solution for someone with no cutting tools at all. If you already own a decent knife or a sturdy pair of scissors, you may find those serve you better on the toughest clamshells. Anyone searching for the perfect do-everything package cutter should keep looking, because this is not quite it, but as an affordable gift or a backup drawer tool, it has real appeal.

Conclusion

The Fiskars Package Opener is an honest, inexpensive tool that handles light to medium packaging well and adds a handy reversible screwdriver for battery compartments. It struggles with the thickest, toughest clamshells, and there is a small chance of breaking a blade on heavy OEM packaging. For the price, it is a reasonable first tool for opening everyday packages, as long as you keep a stronger cutter on standby for the serious ones.