Shoemaker’s knife
A shoemaker’s knife is a leatherworking knife used for tasks including bevelling edges and trimming sole edges. It belongs to the broader family of leather knives. A characteristic form has a straight cutting edge set obliquely to the blade's length. Tool museum MOT documents both leather-wrapped grips and wooden-handled versions.
The blade may widen towards the cutting end or curve slightly along its length. Shapes and grips vary, so a leather-wrapped metal blade is not the only correct form. Related knives could also serve other leather trades, including bookbinding. The tool type alone therefore cannot prove its owner was a shoemaker.
Record the cutting edge, blade profile, corrosion and markings before cleaning an older example. Repeated sharpening may have altered its shape. A replacement grip or reground edge does not date the rest of the tool. Preserve workshop and ownership information where available.
