The little pen knife that could

S

ShaiHulud

Joined
Jul 21, 2022
Messages
1,163
Slipjoint Pen knives and like-size are amazing little doers, since my switch to these cat claws, I've never found myself needing anything larger than 2.75 inches in blade length. They are extremely useful, with hundreds of uses, yes i believe that includes SD.
Please feel free to share pictures, stories, and/or comments about your little pen knives.
Please keep the conversation to pen knives and slipjoint/traditional pen knives only.
 
The airlines certainly agree! My favorite is this 3⅛" closed Robeson from between the world wars. This old carbon steel gets sharper than anything!
The tip bolsters are mighty cute, too.

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I ink I can, I ink I can. Err,

A small/pen can certainly handle most of my daily tasks . I tend to pair with something more substantial. Case Pocket Hunter (not a pen knife) in watch pocket today was easy to grab to open some packaging at the office, and slice into snacks before a late lunch.

That's a really nice example, Jeff black mamba black mamba .
 
little pen knives are my favorite type of pocket knife to carry.


The Buck 305 is my favorite, but I also really love the ubiquitous equal end pen and the thin advertising type is especially nice.


I'm still trying to find a nice example of a classic jigged bone equal end pen, I had a nice USA BOKER #72 I think it was but just didn't like the swedge or the tip bolsters.
I don't know why but I just don't really like the look of tip bolsters.
 
My favorite pen knife is the US-made Schrade Old Timer 104OT (I believe it’s called the Minuteman). My first pocket knife, given to me by my grandfather, was a 104OT. The blades will take a wicked edge, being ground so thin, and their carbon steel takes a great patina. I also love the look and feel of the two-tone faux sawcut Delrin scales. They’re easy to lose, though; I lost at least three of them when I was a kid.

Coincidentally, I literally just got another vintage Minuteman yesterday.

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Hickory n steel said:
little pen knives are my favorite type of pocket knife to carry.


The Buck 305 is my favorite, but I also really love the ubiquitous equal end pen and the thin advertising type is especially nice.


I'm still trying to find a nice example of a classic jigged bone equal end pen, I had a nice USA BOKER #72 I think it was but just didn't like the swedge or the tip bolsters.
I don't know why but I just don't really like the look of tip bolsters.
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I wish they still made the lancer and the companion
 
Hickory n steel said:
Yes I absolutely wish they still made the 305.
The only 309 I've had was a fairly modern example that I didn't like that much, but I do like the 80's-90's 305's more and I might just like a 309 from that era as well
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Sadly, people want 9 oz 110s with thick back locks and thick stocks, they don't want little 305s or 309s anymore. We'll after my 4th 110 with wiggle and wobble and rattle, they can take those 9 0z pocket weights and put them back on the shelf, buck would be surprised how many people would buy a 305 or 309 if they bring them back and maybe change the steel or handle material or something
 
ShaiHulud said:
Slipjoint Pen knives and like-size are amazing little doers, since my switch to these cat claws, I've never found myself needing anything larger than 2.75 inches in blade length. They are extremely useful, with hundreds of uses, yes i believe that includes SD.
Please feel free to share pictures, stories, and/or comments about your little pen knives.
Please keep the conversation to pen knives and slipjoint/traditional pen knives only.
Click to expand...

Yes, the humble pen knife is both a super handy little knife as well as a hugely underestimated little knife. Its enduring popularity was based on how well it cut things in the course of a normal day outside of an action movie, and how little room it took up in a pocket. I grew up with a father that carried a small pen knife sized cutter that was named after a legume, and it was surprising how much a small 3 inch closed pocket knife would handle. If small blades didn't work week, I doubt Stanley, Husky, and Milwaukee would be selling all those utility knives to construction workers, electricians, warehouse workers, and others who need a knife for real world dirty work.

As for my personal use of knives, my decades long addiction to the little Case peanut is well known. I ran into very little in the course of my day that I couldn't cut, or the legions of pan fish that got cleaned for the frying pan.

Like a very smart man once told me, ' It doesn't have to be big, just sharp.'
 
ShaiHulud said:
Sadly, people want 9 oz 110s with thick back locks and thick stocks, they don't want little 305s or 309s anymore. We'll after my 4th 110 with wiggle and wobble and rattle, they can take those 9 0z pocket weights and put them back on the shelf, buck would be surprised how many people would buy a 305 or 309 if they bring them back and maybe change the steel or handle material or something
Click to expand...
I will always like the 110 because it was my grail as a kid, but I don't carry it as much as I used to because I favor small pocket knives.

I hate to say it but I'm guessing they just weren't selling that well, and if they returned they'd probably sell at first then drop off.

Maybe they could reintroduce them to make occasionally as special runs, but I know they'd run them in various modern steel types that are of absolutely zero interest to me.
 
Hickory n steel said:
I will always like the 110 because it was my grail as a kid, but I don't carry it as much as I used to because I favor small pocket knives.

I hate to say it but I'm guessing they just weren't selling that well, and if they returned they'd probably sell at first then drop off.

Maybe they could reintroduce them to make occasionally as special runs, but I know they'd run them in various modern steel types that are of absolutely zero interest to me.
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Well said. I use to ride the large folder gravy train until it got too messy and I hopped off. I'm sure many will disagree but I feel the super steels are turning into a marketing scam, part time at least
 
jackknife said:
Yes, the humble pen knife is both a super handy little knife as well as a hugely underestimated little knife. Its enduring popularity was based on how well it cut things in the course of a normal day outside of an action movie, and how little room it took up in a pocket. I grew up with a father that carried a small pen knife sized cutter that was named after a legume, and it was surprising how much a small 3 inch closed pocket knife would handle. If small blades didn't work week, I doubt Stanley, Husky, and Milwaukee would be selling all those utility knives to construction workers, electricians, warehouse workers, and others who need a knife for real world dirty work.

As for my personal use of knives, my decades long addiction to the little Case peanut is well known. I ran into very little in the course of my day that I couldn't cut, or the legions of pan fish that got cleaned for the frying pan.

Like a very smart man once told me, ' It doesn't have to be big, just sharp.'
Click to expand...
And to think, small is big, tiny is mighty, giant great white sharks have small teeth, rose bushes have little thorns, domestic cats have little claws all by design, not everything needs to have attachable Conan the barbarian swords
Since I ditched my kershaw and spydercos in favor of the pen knife, I never felt under prepared. In a way, the "pen knife is mightier than the sword" 😉
 
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This medium Case stockman is my favorite pen knife. it was my dad‘s and I believe it’s from the 90s. It’s on the smaller size as far as medium Case stockmans run which is perfect for me. I actually pulled it out today because I love that sheepsfoot blade to cut open those bulletproof space age plastic packages that are loved for some sadistic reason nowadays. That sheepsfoot blade is safer to apply enough pressure to open those god-awful packages. I had purchased a 6 inch wire wheel to replace one of the stones in my bench grinder. I’ll tell you the only time I’ve almost gotten myself in trouble with a knife closing on me is trying to pierce those plastic packages and the knife wanting to fold up on me.

I use the clip point for food cutting tasks or anything that requires just a little bit longer blade, the sheepsfoot for the majority of jobs (by far my favorite style blade) and the pen blade I keep a little duller to use for scraping tasks and cleaning out the bowl in my pipe. It’s definitely a handy little knife.

But don’t for a second think I didn’t have my rambler in my watch pocket.
 
shopdoc said:
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This medium Case stockman is my favorite pen knife. it was my dad‘s and I believe it’s from the 90s. It’s on the smaller size as far as medium Case stockmans run which is perfect for me. I actually pulled it out today because I love that sheepsfoot blade to cut open those bulletproof space age plastic packages that are loved for some sadistic reason nowadays. That sheepsfoot blade is safer to apply enough pressure to open those god-awful packages. I had purchased a 6 inch wire wheel to replace one of the stones in my bench grinder. I’ll tell you the only time I’ve almost gotten myself in trouble with a knife closing on me is trying to pierce those plastic packages and the knife wanting to fold up on me.

I use the clip point for food cutting tasks or anything that requires just a little bit longer blade, the sheepsfoot for the majority of jobs (by far my favorite style blade) and the pen blade I keep a little duller to use for scraping tasks and cleaning out the bowl in my pipe. It’s definitely a handy little knife.

But don’t for a second think I didn’t have my rambler in my watch pocket.
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Sheepsfoot blades I feel make heavier deeper cuts than other shapes. In this way, "blade shapes don't matter" isn't necessarily true. Because you can press down on thr Sheepsfoot foot with your thumb and really cut into the soul of that object, which is why I chose a gec Keychain in sheepsfoot over Spearpoint blade, overlooked because it's size rivals a classic but it sure is mighty
 
Hickory n steel said:
little pen knives are my favorite type of pocket knife to carry.


The Buck 305 is my favorite, but I also really love the ubiquitous equal end pen and the thin advertising type is especially nice.


I'm still trying to find a nice example of a classic jigged bone equal end pen, I had a nice USA BOKER #72 I think it was but just didn't like the swedge or the tip bolsters.
I don't know why but I just don't really like the look of tip bolsters.
Click to expand...
I was not aware of the Buck 305 and that sure looks like a knife I could love! I certainly don’t need any more knives, but I might just take a quick look on eBay lol.
 
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