The pen blade was functional for general use, but then again so was the larger blade. Though, does the extra utility of the knife cross the line from pen to pocketknife? The Victorinox Classic SD is likely what comes to mind when talking modern penknives. That is not something that has legs to stand on in the author’s opinion, as the entire original premise of the penknife has been thoroughly antiquated as quill pens fell out of use. Some would argue that a true penknife is simply that, a penknife and any added function beyond maintaining quills or pencils move it from this category. Victorinox and its classic SD model set up the penknife as a multi-function tool as opposed to a task-oriented specialty item. The tool aspect is something that blurs the line today, the original utility was as a tool, but in adding more tools to create more function, it moves into a new category…or does it? As we are about to discuss, the penknife isn’t one particular thing. Penknives can fall into either category depending on who you ask, some consider any small, sub-3-inch folder to be a penknife, while others would happily call a Leatherman tool a glorified penknife. Knives have always been used for regular tasks, however, as pocket knives changed they diverged from multi-tools. The penknife reached something of a crossroads in the modern era. The latter is referred to commonly as a ‘trapper’ style, itself a design that has a following even today. The penknife in its double-blade form became standardized into one of two categories, those being knives with blades mounted at each end of the grip and those with two blades mounted on one end. The pen blades were later combined with larger blades, usually, clip-points and the utility was expanded beyond simple maintenance functions. These knives rarely had any kind of locking mechanism, and even today many are simply opened with a nail nick and held open with a slipjoint design. The last major leap forward in design changes came in the mid-1800s when penknives commonly become folders, where they remain today as a standard design element. The British famously banned the use of mechanical pencil sharpeners in the war due to how quickly they consumed graphite and wood. Through World War 2 the penknife was considered the most functional and least wasteful means to sharpen a pencil. Interestingly, the knives excelled as the maintenance tool of the newer writing implement. They remained in their original form for much of history until the 1700s saw some variation as pencils began to appear on the scene, though in limited numbers. The penknife was small, usually only a few inches long with a fixed blade. On one end a small pen blade (in this case a coping blade) and the other a clip point. Though fairly modern, the Buck 375 Deuce closely resembles what most think of when it comes to a penknife. As the quill lost its integrity from use, the tip was reshaped until it was depleted. The tips of these pens were shaped with penknives. These were called dip-pens, as they were dipped into ink to write with. The original penknives were created to help maintain quill pens, the kind you see in movies made from feathers. The penknife is the ancient great-granddaddy of EDC knives, it was not just an EDC knife like we understand today in our assist-open or fixed blade defines knives, rather it was an edged tool that accomplished all daily chore-cutting, from maintaining writing utensils to working on small game. It used to be an item that was in the pocket or purse of just about every individual alive, but today is easily confused with multi-tools and ‘Swiss Army’ knives. The penknife is a tool that has grown to fit our needs for centuries. While no longer required to keep lines of communication open, the utilitarian penknife continues to prove its EDC cred.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |