Cutting apparatus having a pivotable blade holder

A cutting apparatus comprising:

• a blade housing having forward and rear ends, left and right sides, an upper surface, a lower surface defining a guiding surface along which the cutting apparatus can be drawn across a material to be cut and an internal blade cavity including a blade opening through the guiding surface to the outside of the housing, the upper surface including an actuator slot in communication with the blade cavity;
• a blade holder adapted for removably retaining a cutting blade having a cutting edge, the blade holder being pivotally mounted within the housing for pivotal movement within the blade cavity about a lateral pivot axis between a fully retracted position in which the cutting edge of a cutting blade retained by the blade holder does not protrude through the blade opening to the outside of the housing and a cutting position in which at least a portion of the cutting edge extends through the blade opening to the outside of the housing, the cutting position being such that the cutting edge of the blade inclines rearwardly with respect to the guiding surface such that, when the cutting apparatus is drawn rearwardly with the guiding surface in contact with the material to be cut, the cutting edge advances through the material at an acute angle;
• a biasing member that normally biases the blade holder toward the fully retracted position;
• and
• a blade actuator depending from the blade holder and extending upwardly through the actuator slot for access from outside the housing, the blade actuator including an upper side that extends at least partially forward of the pivot axis of the blade holder such that a downwardly directed force applied forward of the pivot axis to the upper side of the blade actuator urges the blade holder toward a cutting position.