Review: NexTool TaoTool KT5509

When NEXTORCH contacted me about reviewing their new lantern UL360 (review) they also asked me if I wanted to take a look at a tool for opening packages – TaoTool KT5509 by their brand NexTool. I figured why not, it’s a tool I’ll actually use.


I am not a “professional unboxer” and don’t open packages all day, every day, so having a specialty tool for this purpose never was a must, but TaoTool marketing material was spot on and reminded me of more than a few situations where I struggled with scissors and different knives.

Specs provided by the manufacturer:

TaoTool is packaged in a clear plastic box with the tool itself presented in the middle.

There are no accessories in the box, just the tool itself. TaoTool is key shaped, meant to go on your keychain.

The blade is made of Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel and coated with non-stick Teflon coating to repel glue from packaging. It locks tight with lockback mechanism.

To close it, latch must be pressed:

TaoTool is 5.4mm thick.

At 68mm, TaoTool is a bit longer than a regular key, about the length of a small AAA keychain light, like a Fenix E05.

Both hook and blade parts of the TaoTool came sharp enough to cut a padded envelope and a cardboard box, and it was breeze. I especially liked opening a box closed with sticky tape, just “hook it in” and drag.

Teflon coating seems to work, I haven’t noticed any gunk accumulating on the blade yet.

Overall, it works as advertised and does what it’s supposed to pretty well. TaoTool KT5509 is a handy little tool to have and it will be used for all my package opening requirements from now on.

TaoTool KT5509 was provided by NEXTORCH for review.
Thank you for reading.

Nice form
Though I have a Ganzo hanging on the pants that does the trick nicely a little knife on the keychain is a smart idea.
Thanks for the review!

Funny little thing…I have seen this type of blade on various knifes to either rip open fishes/dead animals or to cut a seatbelt but never have thought that this can actually be useful for opening packages…

Link? Looks like it’s actually a well-executed idea…

I wonder if this one can be used to cut a seat belt?

I could only find this on Amazon UK.
Not US.
(The tables are reversed for a change)

Any other sources for this?

Ordered from Nextorch China via Amazon UK. Amazon Germany and France have them to. After a quick Google search they seem to be the only outlets available at present.

I’ll stick with the scissors and some common sense.

But I can see that they’ll be useful for some.

Yes, it can.

My contact gave me this link on Aliexpress.

How well does the blade stay closed? Does it lock there? Though the tip seems well covered here, I’ve had more than one keychain knife open itself as I retrieved my keychain. Lucky so far but that’s why I stopped the practice! This would be a lot safer but it could still damage a pocket if it opened itself.

Phil

It’s held closed by spring tension, and as you said the tip is covered, so there’s nothing to snag on for the blade to open by itself.