Does your pen blade do anything your other blades don't?

I use the pen blade more than the main, for the reasons that everyone mentioned previously.

Plus, if you use your knife in public, that little blade is less likely to be noticed or demonized.
 
Macchina said:
...................
That tiny blade takes up the same space (width) as another full size blade: what have I been missing?
Click to expand...

That "tiny" blade when razor sharp act like a scalp
You can use the point to cut detailed work
The tinyness of it gives you a huge amount of control in cutting
 
neeman said:
That "tiny" blade when razor sharp act like a scalp
You can use the point to cut detailed work
The tinyness of it gives you a huge amount of control in cutting
Click to expand...

This is a very interesting idea: if you have a blade that is only used for tip cutting: then blade length and height are wasted (or even detrimental) to that blades purpose. The blade length merely gives you a lifetime of tip sharpening ;)
 
The only knife I have with a pen blade is my SAK, I use the pen the most of all the knives I own, full stop. The stiffer blade and shorter length allow for more control and when you have to resharpen you only have to resharpen 1.5" instead of 3. :rolleyes:
 
dannyp said:
I find the shorter, stiffer blade to offer more control and it also works well for cutting sections out of cardboard boxes. The narrow profile offers slightly less resistance when cutting and it keeps the master blade from getting dulled quickly by the abrasive nature of the cardboard.
Click to expand...

Woodrow F Call said:
Great working blade with good control. I generally use the pen for real work and save the other blade for food stuff.
Click to expand...

Amen. I use the pen blade on my peanut and on my GEC 66 Calf Roper Slim to do some heavy-duty cutting. I find that I get better leverage when, say, breaking down cardboard boxes or cutting open the thick blister packages Carl referred to above.

Viva pen blades!

-- Mark
 
Last edited:
I like the pen blade very much, as well. I use it as my working blade, while the mainblade is mostly used for food prep. The small blades gives good control and I tend to like the statment that Mr. Bo Randall himself must have made: Big blades are for show and small blades are for work. - It was definitelly meant in different context but it limits it down somehow.
 
kamagong said:
Being a single blade enthusiast I get along just fine with the main blade on pens and jacks. Most of the time I don't even bother sharpening them to the same level as the main. That makes them a handy scraper, something I never do with the main blade.

- Christian
Click to expand...

I don't mind pen blades, but on my SAK's with pen secondaries, I use the pen blade in a similar way: as a scraper.
 
I have an old pre 1930's Hammer Brand Jacknife that has turned into my kitchen knife. The main clip has been broken at some point and shaped into a Wharncliffe. I use the Pen blade for opening food packages and it's perfect for cutting into those tubes of hamburger meat. I use the Wharncliffe for chopping up onions.
The spring for the pen blade on this particular knife is very weak but it makes it simple for opening and I actually like it this way.
 
DownloadedFile.jpeg


Exactly! It's a PEN blade, how else am I going to sharpen my quill prior to writing in my Macbook??:confused::confused:

It's not too bad for scraping nails and suchlike Man-manicure either! :D:thumbup:
 
Jut got a 78 and its pen blade is very long and robust. 2" from ricasso to tip, longer than the clip on my Pemberton.
 
The Texas Jack sports a Modified-penblade.
So you can modify stuff, not bad eh?:D

IMG_2205.jpg
 
If the pen blade magically disappeared from the few knives I own that have it, I wouldn't miss it. :p I'd rather have an awl in it's place. Maybe we'll see a Harness Jack with a Clip blade and awl.
 
Until a few years ago, the only pen blades (or, to speak more generally, secondary/smaller blades) were the ones on SAK's...and I was used to single bladed knives with no lack of pen blades at all. Then I entered the world of multibladed slipjoints...and I have come to realize that a shorter blade can be useful for "dirty" tasks (such as scraping, or opening cardboard boxes at the supermarket), being safer (from other people putting their hands in the way), and just as effective, and leaving the main blade for "cleaner" tasks or cuts that may require a longer blade.

Fausto
:cool:
 
I think I need to reconsider the pen knife a little more. i haven't given it a chance much but I see alot of good points here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top