Do you ignore the pen blade on your slippies?

I will use it to do stuff like sharpen pencils, open envelopes, and clean my fingernails but otherwise it doesn't see much use. I like to keep it nice and sharp though for those tasks. I've always preferred having more than one blade in my knife just in case.
 
Hi,

I must admit, I do tend to ignore the little pen blade more than I should. I do use them when I feel the need for a smaller blade with more control. But I do not use them much.

I think will have to re-think my lack of use!

dalee
 
Well I am like all the other people here. I really like the pen blade and I wish more of the stockman knives had a pen blade. Right now I carry quite a few jack knives because they have a pen. That small blade can do a bunch of stuff that a large blade struggles with.
 
Well it must make me the odd one because I have always stayed away from the pen blades and spear blades. Just too old school and like the stockman with clip, spey and sheepfoot. Wanted one of the square bolster stag stockman from Case but seen that it had a pen. Always thought the BUCK Swiss was great SAK because it has a point.
 
FLymon said:
If I am reading your post correctly you don't like pen blades, not becuase of their size, but the actual shape of a pen blade. If so I can relate, because I am not crazy about spear point blades, and I don't own any knives with the main blade being a spear point, and pen blades are kind of like mini spear points, so I get where you are coming from on that.
Just sharpen it at a steep angle and use it for more abusive tasks that might dull the main blade. That is what I do.

If you don't like them because they are small, I can't relate to that.
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I wanted to answer your questions regarding my non use of pen blades. I guess it is the characteristic of the primary blade of the knife. I find I like to carry my moose knives so I have a choice of spear or clip but large none the less. On my whittlers, I only open the large blade. I enjoy spear, clip and wharncliff equally, so I guess it is the smallness of the pen blade that makes me not use it much. I use my knives for: breaking down grocery (Costco boxes) opening boxes, cleaning my fingernails, scraping or trimming for wood working tasks, or home improvement tasks to name a few. So, I guess the few opportunities I have to use my knives, I always want the big blade with character. I am a swedge freak of sorts. So, I am going to start using my pen blades for fingernail cleaning. I think also for splinter taker outers. My kids come to me for that instead of mom!:D I do it painless they tell me. I am glad I started this thread, it has been great fun reading all the replies, pro and con.
Thank you my friends.
 
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I'll keep any pen blades that are on my slippies sharp, but I'll admit I don't use them as much. For me, it has more to do with its shape than its size. I have a GEC Barlow wharncliffe & the smaller 2nd blade is a clip point. I use that blade quite a bit. However, I have a couple Whittlers & a Stockman & now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I've ever used the pen blade on any of them. I love using the small coping blade, though.
 
I often find on Peanuts and Barlows, and I guess it's the same on other types of slippies, that the pen blade is harder to open as it is working on the same strength spring as the main blade. :grumpy:
 
I EDC a 2 blade Swyaback Jack most of the time and find that I use the pen blade allot. The shorter blade length gives me more control when sharpening a pencil, whittling or opening a package. The longer Wharncliffe blade gets used for food, and other longer blade tasks where control is less an issue.
 
jacknife said:
I often find on Peanuts and Barlows, and I guess it's the same on other types of slippies, that the pen blade is harder to open as it is working on the same strength spring as the main blade. :grumpy:
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On my GEC Barlow, the pen blade has a smaller spring, but it is still stiffer to open than the main blade.

I use pen blades only a third as much as the main blades, but I still like to have them just in case. One time though, I was imagining the possibility of something like a Canoe but with s SAK-style screwdriver/bottle opener instead of a pen blade.
 
I have a little SchradeUSA 33OT; when I carry it, the main blade gets all the regular jobs, but the little pen blade is perfect for sharpening pencils, opening plastic packages, and any job where even the main (2.5") blade is a little too big.

A while back, a member posted a story about the family taking a roadtrip, and the father using a two-blade jack to make a gasket out of a box of some sort. Main blade to trim to size, pen blade to cut the holes. It was the perfect tool for the job.

thx - cpr
 
I have been carring either a two blade swayback Jack or a peanut for a while now and I actually find that I use the pen blades the most.
 
Do you ignore the pen blade on your slippies?

Nope, I keep it extra sharp in case I need it. But I mostly use the main blade.
 
I use my pen blades often, for small accurate cutting.

On my Boker Congress, it has two pen blades.
And two of the same is redundant.
So I sharpened one flat to almost a warnie shape, taking out the belly on the edge of the tip.
I find it to be a very useful shape for a small blade.

I might do this on my Case Pen knife, but it has quite a high point, so i would have to remove quite alot of blade.
 
I love pen blades and it's always my first "go to" blade. I always ask myself in any cutting situation, do I really need a big blade? If I can do it with the pen blade I do, so it tends to get about 75% of my daily cutting tasks, from slitting the tape on packages to peeling an orange.
 
Bastid said:
I use the pen blade more often than the larger blade.
They zip through clam shell packs like they are buttah :D and are great for controlled cutting through tough stuff with their thin profiles.
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Double amen to that, Bastid - I'm a big pen blade fan. In fact that's one of the reasons I'm not more into the Victorinox alox models, because they don't have a pen blade.

On both my 33OT Old Timer (my main carry of late) and my Case peanut, more often than not, the pen blade is my go-to. I generally will use the larger blade for stuff like whittling through a stout stick (for instance a sapling I'm going to make into a sausage-cooking stick for the kids), or breaking down cardboard boxes, or quartering and peeling apples. But for day-to-day stuff like trimming spare threads off sweaters, opening packages, etc., I like the control and leverage you get from that little (and sharp as hell) blade.
 
mnblade said:
Double amen to that, Bastid - I'm a big pen blade fan. In fact that's one of the reasons I'm not more into the Victorinox alox models, because they don't have a pen blade.
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Victorinox Pioneer "Settler":

vm_53966_sol_a03.jpg
 
I always carry a Jr. Stockman, always with a small pen blade rather than a spay. That’s my splinter-picking, fingernail cleaning, thread-cutting, delicate work blade. It’s the sheepsfoot I sharpen to handle rough work.

I don’t know why they call it a pen knife. Every time I use it to sharpen a pen, the pen stops working and I have to put a new edge on the blade. :D
 
rmfnla said:
I sort of agree by default because I prefer single-blade knives.
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I'm the same way; I love my single blade slipjoints!

When I do carry a stockman pattern I find myself using the sheepsfoot blade the most. I don't have a particular reason why I don't use the pen blade, I just find the sheepsfoot more useful.

For me the perfect knife would be a peanut/small trapper with a wharncliff blade.
 
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