Key Takeaways
Focused Purpose
The KNIPEX BiX 90 22 10 BK is a compact, specialised cutter designed for plastic pipes and sealing sleeves. It aims for fast, clean, chip-free cuts, particularly in tight spaces where larger tools struggle.
Smart Mechanical Design
A rotatable knife block allows the tool to switch between cutting pipes and trimming sealing sleeves close to walls. A simple locking mechanism keeps everything safely closed during transport, and two spare blades are stored inside the body so they are always on hand.
Materials and Build Quality
The housing is made from reinforced plastic combined with a zinc cast blade unit. The cutting blades themselves are made from special stainless steel produced in Solingen, known for high-quality cutting tools.
Cutting Capacity and Limits
The cutter is designed for unreinforced plastic pipes with diameters from about 20 to 50–56 millimetres and wall thicknesses up to 2.4 millimetres. For softer plastics and foam-cored pipes, it can handle diameters from 20 to 56 millimetres with wall thicknesses up to 3.5 millimetres. It can also trim sealing sleeves to roughly 2–3 millimetres from the wall.
Compliance and Product Identifiers
According to product information, the tool complies with REACH requirements and contains no substances of very high concern. It is marked as not applicable under RoHS. The article number is 90 22 10 BK and the EAN code is 4003773087311.
Who Benefits Most
The cutter is aimed at plumbers, electricians, installers and demanding do-it-yourself users who work with plastic drainpipes, electrical conduits and sealing sleeves near finished surfaces and need precise, repeatable cuts.
Story & Details
A Tool Shaped by Modern Installations
Modern building and renovation work depends heavily on plastic systems: drainpipes under sinks, conduits hidden in walls, and sleeves sealing cable or pipe penetrations. In these situations, space is limited and access is awkward. The KNIPEX BiX 90 22 10 BK is built for that reality. It is small enough to slip into cramped voids yet precise enough to leave clean, square cuts that help fittings seal correctly.
Rather than trying to serve every possible material, the tool is dedicated to plastics. Manufacturer descriptions and distributor catalogues stress its use on thin-walled drainpipes and plastic conduits, especially in domestic and light-commercial settings. The focus is on speed and cleanliness: cuts are intended to be chip-free, reducing the small fragments that can interfere with seals or snag cables.
The Rotatable Knife Block in Practice
At the centre of the BiX design is the rotatable knife block. In one position, the tool functions as a conventional pipe cutter for plastic tubes. The user positions it around the pipe, applies pressure and rotates to achieve a clean cut in a controlled, repeatable way.
Rotate the knife block and the geometry of the cutter changes. Now it is optimised for trimming sealing sleeves close to a surface. This is particularly useful around wall or ceiling penetrations where a sleeve must be cut back neatly without damaging the surrounding surface. Technical descriptions emphasise that sleeves can be cut to within a few millimetres of the wall, providing a tidy finish ready for sealing or cosmetic work.
The benefit is straightforward: a single tool can move from laying out pipe runs to performing final trimming around penetrations, without the need to change tools or improvise with knives and saws that leave rough edges.
Materials, Dimensions and Handling
The BiX combines a reinforced plastic body with a zinc cast blade unit. This blend keeps the overall weight low while maintaining rigidity where it matters most, at the cutting interface. The stainless steel blades from Solingen add a further layer of quality, drawing on a long tradition of blade manufacturing.
Different catalogues list slightly different figures for size and weight. The length is generally given as around seventy-two millimetres, with width and height varying depending on how the tool is measured. Weight is typically cited at about seventy grams, while some sources give higher numbers that include packaging. What all sources agree on is that the cutter is very compact and light, making it easy to carry in a pocket, tool belt or small pouch.
The compact form factor is not just about convenience. A smaller body makes it easier to position the tool around pipes tucked close to walls, behind cabinets or inside boxes, where bulky cutters simply do not fit.
Cutting Ranges and Real-World Limits
The published cutting capacities show clearly where the BiX is meant to be used. For unreinforced plastic pipes, such as common drain lines and conduits, it is designed for diameters from about 20 to 50–56 millimetres with wall thicknesses up to 2.4 millimetres. For softer pipes and those with foam cores, the diameter range remains 20 to 56 millimetres, but the allowed wall thickness increases to 3.5 millimetres.
These figures align with everyday installation practice. Typical high-temperature plastic drainpipes and many electrical conduits fall comfortably within these dimensions. The BiX does not attempt to cover metal pipes or heavily reinforced composites, and product information is clear that it is intended only for plastics. This clarity helps prevent misuse and sets realistic expectations for performance and blade life.
In sleeve-trimming mode, the tool is used for cutting sealing sleeves close to a finished surface. The approximate distance from the wall after trimming is in the range of 2–3 millimetres, enough to keep the sleeve functional but visually tidy and ready for sealing or finishing.
Safety, Transport and Maintenance
The BiX includes a transport lock that keeps the cutter closed when not in use. This reduces the chance of the blades being damaged in a crowded toolbag and helps prevent accidental contact with the sharp edge.
Inside the body, two spare blades are stored so that replacements are available on site. This is a practical detail: it prevents downtime caused by a dull or damaged blade when working away from the workshop. Swapping to a fresh blade restores cutting performance without a trip to a store or warehouse.
To get consistent results and long service life, users are advised to check that the pipe diameter and wall thickness are within the stated limits, select the correct knife block position (pipe or sleeve mode), keep the tool clean, and apply light lubrication as needed. These simple habits help the cutter maintain smooth motion and crisp cutting over time.
Compliance and Chemical-Safety Context
Beyond mechanical performance, the BiX is backed by information on chemical safety. It is described as compliant with REACH requirements and as containing no substances of very high concern. Under REACH, such substances include chemicals that are carcinogenic, persistent in the environment or capable of building up in living organisms.
At the same time, the tool is listed as not applicable under RoHS. RoHS focuses on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, and a hand-operated cutter like the BiX falls outside that category. The mention of RoHS in the documentation serves more as a clarification than a claim, signalling that the tool has been considered against that framework but does not fall under its scope.
Everyday Users and Typical Scenarios
On site, plumbers rely on the BiX when cutting thin-walled drainpipes under sinks or inside service shafts where large cutters are hard to position. Clean cuts with smooth edges help push-fit and glued joints seal properly and reduce the risk of leaks.
Electricians use the tool on plastic conduits and sealing sleeves, particularly around cable penetrations where the visual finish matters as much as function. A neat cut around a sleeve, close to the wall, helps maintain a professional look for visible penetrations while still protecting cables and providing a base for sealant or finishing materials.
Distributors present the BiX as a compact, professional-grade choice for both tradespeople and serious home renovators. It sits in a clear niche: not a general-purpose cutter for every material, but a focused solution for the plastic pipes and sleeves that define modern building services.
Conclusions
A Specialist That Earns Its Space
The KNIPEX BiX 90 22 10 BK is a specialist tool with a sharply defined role. It does not claim to cut every material or handle every situation. Instead, it concentrates on a common set of tasks: cleanly cutting plastic drainpipes, conduits and sealing sleeves in the tight spaces typical of modern installations.
Why It Stands Out
Its combination of a rotatable knife block, compact reinforced body, Solingen-made stainless blades, integrated spares and clear cutting limits gives it a strong identity. It is designed to make a familiar but often fiddly job simpler, faster and more controlled.
For plumbers, electricians and committed do-it-yourself users who regularly work with plastic pipes and sleeves, this small cutter offers a practical, precise answer. It slips easily into a toolbag yet has a clear, well-defined purpose once it is in hand. In that sense, it is a quiet but persuasive example of how focused design can make a routine task feel smooth, clean and confidently under control.
Sources
Product and Technical Information
- KNIPEX official product page for the BiX 90 22 10 BK:
https://www.knipex.com/products/pipe-cutter/pipe-cutters-for-plastic-pipes-and-hoses/pipe-cutters-plastic-pipes-and-hoses/902210BK - KNIPEX BiX overview page:
https://www.knipex.com/bix - KNIPEX BiX data sheet (English, PDF):
https://www.knipex.com/sites/default/files/Product%20data%20sheet%20EN%2090%2022%2010%20BK.pdf - RS Components product listing with article data:
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/pipe-cutters/2473271 - TME catalogue entry confirming EAN and technical range:
https://www.tme.eu/no/en/details/knp.902210bk/shears-scissors-knives/knipex/90-22-10-bk
Regulatory Background
- European Chemicals Agency – “Understanding REACH”:
https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach/understanding-reach - Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland – REACH substances of very high concern overview:
https://www.hseni.gov.uk/reach-substances-very-high-concern - “Substance of very high concern” – general encyclopedic overview:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_of_very_high_concern
Video Demonstration
- KNIPEXofficial – “The KNIPEX BiX PVC pipe cutter: the cutting tool for your installations”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpIh9SobJn4
Appendix
BiX Cutter
BiX is the model name used by KNIPEX for this compact cutter series, focused on thin-walled plastic pipes and sealing sleeves where clean, chip-free cuts are required in confined spaces.
KNIPEX Werk – C. Gustav Putsch KG
KNIPEX Werk – C. Gustav Putsch KG is a German manufacturer of professional hand tools, particularly pliers and specialist cutters, responsible for designing and producing the BiX 90 22 10 BK.
Plastic Drainpipes and Conduits
Plastic drainpipes and conduits are thin-walled tubes used to carry wastewater or to protect and guide electrical cables; in this context they generally fall within the diameter and wall thickness ranges specified for the BiX cutter.
REACH
REACH is a European Union regulation that governs the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals, designed to protect human health and the environment from potential risks posed by chemical substances in products.
RoHS
RoHS, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive, limits certain hazardous materials in electrical and electronic equipment; it is noted as not applicable for this hand-operated cutter because the tool is not classified as electronic equipment.
Sealing Sleeve
A sealing sleeve is a flexible element placed around pipes or conduits where they pass through walls, ceilings or floors, creating a tight, often watertight or airtight seal while allowing the pipe or conduit itself to remain functional.
SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern)
Substances of very high concern are chemicals identified under REACH as particularly hazardous, such as those that are carcinogenic, persistent in the environment or capable of accumulating in living organisms; the BiX cutter is described as containing none of these substances according to current listings.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 