A utility knife includes a handle and a blade carrier mechanically coupled to the handle, the blade carrier being configured to support a blade. The utility knife also includes a blade hood mechanically coupled to the handle facilitating manipulability of the blade hood to an extended position over the blade, a pushrod mechanically coupled to the blade hood, and a blade release member including a button that extends through a slot in the handle, the blade release member being repositionable by moving the button along the slot, a portion of the blade release member within the handle coming into contact with a protrusion of the pushrod when the blade release member is moved along the slot such that the pushrod is repositioned within the handle and the blade hood is retracted from the extended position to allow the blade to be removed from the blade carrier.