The hook on a cane knife is not mandatory, but it does help. Once you cut the sugarcane, you will need to gather it before moving on to the next lot. The hook has the primary role to help you gather the cane. Based on the environment and the amounts of sugarcane around you, you may not always need it. Therefore, some manufacturers ignore this aspect when creating sugarcane knives. Without that hook, the cane knife looks more like a machete and can be used as a weapon as well.