Hyde Tools 50050 Square Point Knife #1

Cut on a sacrificial surface — a poly board or a lift of scrap under the line — never on a bench top that matters; even a square-nosed knife cuts through to what is beneath. Grip for control. Choke up: thumb and forefinger close behind the ferrule, with the blade working like an extension of your fingertips. On the #1, that is the point — it is a short knife made for control, not leverage. Angle the blade. Lay the edge low to slice on the draw; a steep blade chatters and hops on leather. The square end is useful: ride it against the board to work into corners and stop a cut clean. Edge care matters. This is hardened high-carbon cutlery steel, made to be maintained: hone it back to keen on a stone, strop it true, and it will trim for years. The trade-off is rust — carbon steel plus moisture can bloom overnight, so wipe the blade dry after any damp, oily, or cased-leather work and it stays clean. That maintain-don’t-replace choice separates this heritage knife from snap-off and utility knives elsewhere in the line, whose blades are consumables.