(Above a variety of equal end penknives by Camillus, Boker, Victorinox, and Rough Rider)

Among knife collectors a pen knife normally refers to knife patterns which have blades that open from both ends of the knife.  A Jack knife normally refers to knives that have a blade or blade that open only from the top of the knife.  This means a wide variety of knives can be classified as penknives.

The equal-end penknife, however, refers to a particular type of penknife (we'll get to that in a little bit). Originally the term penknife did not even refer to a folding pocket knife! The original pen knives were small scalpel like fixed blade knives that were used to turn large feathers into writing quills or pens.

 By the 17^th and 18^th century, the early fixed blade  penknives had small blades, perhaps two inches long, sometimes with a slight curve similar to a hawkbill or wharncliffe blade.  The handles on these knives were simple wood dowels about 3 to 4 inches long.

At the beginning of 18^th century, British cutlers began making penknives that had sliding blades that could be slid back into the handles.  By the middle of the century they began making penknives with blades that folded into the handle.  The blades on these folding knives were between 1 and 2 inches long while the handles were around 3 to 4 inches.

As people became more literate and the need for penknives exploded.  By the 19^th century, cutlers were making penknives that the average person could afford but also more elaborate versions for the well to do.

The folding penknife proved to be a very popular and also very common knife.  The standard pattern we have today probably dates to the late 18^th century.  It features  3 ¼ inch an equal-end slim oblong handle with a spear master blade measuring approximately 2 ½   inches and secondary pen blade that is approximately 1 ¼  inches long.  The smaller blade, the pen blade was used in preparing the large feather, typically taken from the left wing of a large goose.  The writer would use the pen blade to remove the barbs and after feather to create a barrel where they could grasp the quill or hollow shaft of the feather.  The writer would then cut the proper angle at the tip and cut the nib into the quill; which would allow the ink to flow properly.   The larger spear blade was not actually used for making or adjusting pens but was actually a fruit blade and used for general utility.  So in reality the larger blade was actually the original secondary blade!

Around the same time, the graphite pencil came of age. This added to the popularity of the penknife as it was an ideal instrument to carve the wood barrels of the new writing implements. 

Soon after the equal end penknife became standardized the new dip pen was invented and quill pens became slowly lost favor. The dip pen was a small ready-made pen tip that was dipped into a bowl of ink similar to the way the quill pen was used.  The difference of course is it did not wear out quickly nor did you need a blade to shape it as they were usually made of bone or a soft metal such as brass.

While the original purpose of the penknife is a thing of the past, the usefulness of the simple design has lived on.  In short its simplicity of design and small compact design made it a perfect companion for the pocket, especially as society switched from largely agrarian to more urban environments.  These small nimble knives were lightweight and barely noticeable in the pocket and still capable of doing the lighter cutting chores of the leisure gentleman. 

By the 19^th century, reliable pocket knives became affordable and the penknife soon had a bail added  and became the perfect watch fob.  And as knife makers sought even more opportunities to increase sales, the concept of using the simple knife for advertising also kept the pattern alive. Today, equal-end penknives continue to be made primarily as novelties.  When it comes to collecting knives, equal-end penknives are a terrific option as they come in virtually every price range!  This means that even collectors on a budget can find  unique equal-end penknives they can afford.  So let’s see some equal-end penknives!

Above: The Victorinox Pocket Pal, a modern equal-end penknife with a spear master (right) and pen blade (left).