Do you use your pen blades?

I use mine frequently but not primarly. Especially when "dirty" work has to be done and as long as I use the main blade (mostly clip & spear) food prep.

"Dirty" means in this relationship - cutting up packages, opening mail, tape, plastics. I like the strong tip, but it´s still nicely pointy. That´s an attribute I miss on some spear main blades.
 
Before I came to this site, I never had a knife with a pen blade. After being introduced to many of the attractive traditionals here (which had pen blades) I started a thread on what is a pen blade good for? I got quite a few responses! I decided to try one and got a GEC Canoe and that knife has had the most pocket time since I got it..... I started using the pen blade quite a bit.... probably as much as any blade.

I'm now looking forward to the Texas Jack which is on it's way. I'd also like to see the too small spey blades on the medium and small stockmans replaced with a pen (though I like a longer spey).

Daily tasks? If it weren't for the Traditionals subforum, I'd never know the joys of the pen blade.
 
It's interesting to me that people reserve the pen blade on a knife for the "dirty" work. I guess that makes sense, considering that it's the "secondary" blade on most knives. My dirty work is usually done with whatever sheepsfoot/wharncliffe blade I have with me, or with my non-traditional Spyderco Tasman Salt (rust proof). It's interesting to me because others seem to "abuse" the pen blade to preserve the main blade, while I prefer to preserve the pen blade. I guess that's one thing that fascinates me and draws me to multi-blade traditional knives. Some people like finely-honed spay blades for extra sharpness, some like them coarsely honed for extended utility. If you ask me, a humble pocketknife with 2-4 blades is far more useful to a man than the latest and greatest modern "tactical" with its unobtanium steel blade and spine-whack impervious lock.
 
pertinux said:
These guys do. ;)

(Sorry, SHS, I'm really not picking on you. Rembering what I read is both a blessing and a curse.)

~ P.
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You didn't do anything wrong, third time's the charm . :foot:

I'm beginning to resemble this shirt...
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Everyone has some good points here.
 
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Jack Black said:
I probably use my pen blades more than any other design, it's a good everyday design, and being smaller tends me more discreet when I'm doing things like walking down the street opening my mail :)
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I'd have you figured for walking down the street opening your mail with one of these, Jack.
DieppeDagger.jpg
 
I have to admit that I'll go with my coping 9 times out of 10 on my whittlers. BUT I wonder if that's more because I am right handed and hold the knife in my left hand which leaves the coping blade nearest to me? I have used the pen blade at times but mostly for cleaning under my nails. I honestly can do without a pen blade.
 
I'm afraid I am guilty. Don't use a pen much, except when carrying a two-blade jack where the primary is a spear or spey blade (wide tip), then the pen comes in handy. If my knife has a pointy clip blade (my favorite), then the only thing a pen would be used for would be surgery (splinters, etc.) or really fine detail work.
 
protourist said:
I tend to keep my pen blades sharper than any other blade. I use them a lot especially for the minor surgeries that I tend to do on myself digging out splinters and other things.
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I do the same thing keeping them sharper than my main blades. I also tend to use them more often than my larger blades (like some other old codgers around here. ;))
Try this. Purchase 2 things in the same blister pack. A sharp thin pen blade will open it up like you are unzipping it. Just smooth, low drag, safe and easy. A lot easier than a wider blade in my experience.

Funny, there is a stockman on the table I just used it to open some boxes of Dog shampoo that came in today. The sheepsfoot is open. :)
 
Bastid sighting!

(What, and miss the one time I get to say "bastid" in Traditional?)

:)

I need to update this picture, but of these--
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-- the pen blade on the #25 (bottom) sees the most use, with the Swayback Jack's coming in second.

The mini copperheads' pen blades are good for push cuts, least handy for pull-toward-you paring and the like due to their angle out of the handle.

~ P.
 
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I use the pen blade for scrapin' and fine detail work, if it's got a decent point than I'll use it for openin' blister packs to.
 
Use them a lot for precision work. There's a reason surgeons scalpels aren't built like bowie's.
 
I like my pen blades for fine, careful cuts. I used my Tinker's pen blade to make a few new cutouts in this toolbox foam.

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The pen is probably my most used blade. I tend to use it in most situations, if it will save the main blade. I strop or sharpen at the end of the day, so it stays pretty sharp too.
 
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