OLFA

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OLFA Corporation is a Japanese maker of utility knives and cutting tools. It was founded in 1956 in Osaka by Yoshio Okada and his brother Saburo. The name comes from the Japanese words oru (to bend) and ha (blade). OLFA is famous for inventing the snap-off blade and the rotary cutter. The snap-off blade idea came from cutting paper with razor blades that wore out, so OLFA created blades with scored lines that could be snapped to reveal a sharp new edge. Blades and handles come in three standard sizes: 9 mm, 18 mm, and 25 mm.

OLFA makes a range of tools for construction, industrial safety, and crafts, including heavy-duty cutters, specialty cutting tools, rotary cutters, self-healing cutting mats, art knives, and rulers. Their products are widely used in crafts such as book repair, calligraphy, quilting, model making, sewing, picture framing, and applique. The company is headquartered in Osaka and serves customers worldwide. The President is Shinichi Okada. In 2022 OLFA reported revenue of ¥86.9 billion.