What's great about this product:

• This letter opener is very compact with dimensions of 5.25" (length) x 2.375" (height) x 1.75" (depth). It will feel very comfortable in your hand because it was designed to be ergonomically friendly. It is light too, with a weight of only 4.46 ounces.

• Due to the 1624's small size, it's very portable and will be able to fit in some very small spaces. It will easily fit in your desk drawer or briefcase.

• This little device operates quickly and will open up any letter within a few seconds. It will begin operating automatically when you insert an envelope into it.

• This letter opener is much safer to use than the traditional knife-like opener. That is because the 1624's blades are fully enclosed so you'll never come into contact with them.

• The 1624 runs on four AA batteries, so you won't need to plug it into the wall.

And a few caveats:

• The 1624 can only open one envelope at a time, so it's not ideal if you need to regularly process a large volume of mail. However, it would be ideal for individuals who regularly need to open a small pile of envelopes.

• This device was designed to open standard envelopes, i.e. #10 ones. Therefore, if you try using it to open large packages, you're probably going to run into problems and might even damage the machine.

• This machine works by essentially cutting off the top of the envelope with which you're working. Because of this, you'll need to tap the envelope on a hard surface so that the contents settle to the bottom. If you don't, you risk ruining the enclosed document(s).

• Finally, you'll need to clean up any scraps of paper in the machine so that it doesn't get jammed up.

Conclusion:

The Martin Yale Handheld Letter Opener is a nifty little machine that makes opening mail a lot easier. It operates cleanly and quickly, so you can read your mail sooner. Plus, it's great that the blades are fully enclosed so that injuries won't be a problem. The small size also makes this product appealing. But while the 1624 is great for individual use at home or at work, you should choose a different device if you need to open mountains of mail on a regular basis since this machine can only open one envelope at a time. Also, be careful when using it so you don't accidentally cut up your documents. If you keep these things in mind, you're going to find that the 1624 is a welcome device that makes one aspect of life a lot easier.