Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Hook blade for carpet

Updated: October 2026

You are choosing the next pack of blades, and the card in your hand says hook. A hook blade for carpet is one profile UK flooring sources name, and they do not agree that it is the only one. Re-new Flooring Tools uses a straight blade for even section cuts, a hook for hidden trims and tough sheet, and a concave blade for vinyl. Flooring Tools Direct calls hook blades essential for carpet. Ulster Carpets tells retailers to cut in with a straight or concave blade after the carpet is stretched. The six handles, with prices in GBP, are on the [carpet knife comparison](/hub/cutting-tools/carpet-knife). Peter F. checked those listings and UK sources on 19 October 2026.

You are choosing the next pack of blades, and the card in your hand says hook. A hook blade for carpet is one profile UK flooring sources name, and they do not agree that it is the only one.

Our top picks

TradeUnderlay TradeUnderlay orange carpet fitter knife

Best overall

TradeUnderlay TradeUnderlay orange carpet fitter knife
8.0/10about £12.99
View offer
STANLEY Stanley FatMax heavy duty trade knife FMHT10501-0

Alternative

STANLEY Stanley FatMax heavy duty trade knife FMHT10501-0
5.0/10about £17.52
View offer
LuLuxinxin LuLuxinxin sprung-arm carpet cutter

Best value

LuLuxinxin LuLuxinxin sprung-arm carpet cutter
5.4/10about £4.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why the advice conflicts
  2. 2.Hook, straight, and concave
  3. 3.The blade still has to fit the knife
  4. 4.Match the profile to the cut

Why the advice conflicts

The split is about the cut. Flooring Tools Direct treats a hook blade for carpet as the pack a fitter should have. That claim comes from a seller of blades. BuildWiz says a hook keeps the edge from diving into carpet and into a damp-proof membrane. Re-new keeps the hook for hidden trims and tough sheet, and a straight blade for even section cuts. Ulster Carpets says not to cut until the carpet is stretched, then to cut in with a straight or concave blade. If you are breaking up a lifted carpet, Re-new’s straight-blade job is the closer match. A hook is the profile Re-new and BuildWiz describe when the pile hides the edge. Ulster’s line is for a carpet being fitted, not one being thrown away.

Hook, straight, and concave

A hook blade is a pull cut. You set the point under the sheet or a hidden lip and draw it so the edge stays in the material. Re-new gives that job to hidden trims and tough sheet. BuildWiz notes a trapezoid at about 62 mm, and a hooked 10-pack at about £2 to £3 at Screwfix. None of the six listings is a counted hook-blade pack. A straight blade is Re-new’s tool for sectioning, and one profile Ulster allows for cutting in. A concave blade is Re-new’s vinyl profile. Ulster also allows it after stretching. Re-new does not give vinyl to the hook.
TradeUnderlay TradeUnderlay orange carpet fitter knife

Testsieger

TradeUnderlay TradeUnderlay orange carpet fitter knife
8.0/10about £12.99
View offer

The blade still has to fit the knife

A hook with the wrong notch does not become the right profile. A UK review of the £4.99 sprung-arm cutter B0GMWP8B3Z said notched Stanley-style blades would not fit, and that a blade with a hole seemed to be required. That test was cardboard, so the note is about the mount. Reviewers of the orange and yellow £12.99 knives say those knives take Stanley-style blades. That is not a blade code in the specification table. Buy one blade and seat it before you buy the 10-pack. The handle checks are on the carpet knife buying guide. Stanley’s UK page for FMHT10501-0 lists a 1996 large hook blade, two other blades, and a sheath. The amazon.co.uk include line says the knife only, at £17.52. Do not read the 1996 hook as something that parcel contains. The £12.99 include lines name a holster, not a blade. Change the hook when the cut tears the backing instead of slicing it.

Match the profile to the cut

Use a hook when the pile hides the edge or the trim is hidden. Use a straight blade to section a lifted carpet, or to cut in after stretching, where Ulster also allows a concave blade. Use concave for the vinyl line Re-new describes. A qualifying purchase from the comparison links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Common questions

Do I need a hook blade to cut carpet?
Not for every cut. Flooring Tools Direct calls a hook essential, and BuildWiz uses one so the edge does not dive into carpet or membrane. Re-new keeps the hook for hidden trims and tough sheet, and uses a straight blade for even section cuts. Ulster Carpets tells fitters to cut in with a straight or concave blade after stretching. Match the profile to that cut.
When is a straight blade the better carpet blade?
Use a straight blade for the even section cuts Re-new describes, or for cutting in a fitted carpet the way Ulster describes, where a straight or concave blade is the stated tool. A straight blade is the weaker choice for a hidden trim, because the edge can leave the cut. It is also the blade most retractable utility knives already hold, if the notch matches the slot.
What is a concave blade for?
Re-new assigns a concave blade to vinyl, where the curve helps a line in the sheet. Ulster also allows a concave blade, with a straight blade, for cutting carpet in after the carpet is stretched. It is not the profile those sources give to a hidden carpet trim. Re-new does not give vinyl to a hook, so a hook pack is the wrong consumable for that vinyl edge.
Will a hook fit a dolphin knife?
It fits if the mount matches, not because the handle is curved. Reviewers of the orange and yellow £12.99 fitter knives say those knives take Stanley-style blades. That is not a printed blade code. Trade dolphin knives are often sold without blades, and these include lines name a holster. Seat one hook in the slot before you buy a pack.
Does the Stanley Amazon listing include a hook blade?
Stanley’s UK page for FMHT10501-0 lists a 1996 large hook blade, two other blades, and a sheath. The amazon.co.uk include line in this extract lists the knife only, at £17.52. Those are different sources. Do not expect the 1996 hook in that parcel unless the include line you are paying against names it.
Why did my notched blades not fit?
The mount is not one pattern. On B0GMWP8B3Z, a UK reviewer said notched Stanley-style blades would not fit and that a blade with a hole seemed to be required. The test was cardboard. Try one blade in the knife you own before you open a 10-pack.

Related pages

How to use a carpet knife

Carpet knife

Best carpet knife for fitters, one-offs and Stanley

Carpet knife buying guide: five checks before you pay

Carpet knife vs utility knife: keep yours or add one

Sources

Public UK sources and amazon.co.uk listing lines; retrieved 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE, Hand knives (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Buying and carrying knives (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Criminal Justice Act 1988 section 141A (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Stanley Tools UK, FMHT10501-0 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Screwfix, Stanley FatMax FMHT10501-0 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Ulster Carpets retailer fitting guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)