Re: pen knife
Interesting OT thread - finally, a subject I know! I suppose I qualify as Methuselah - I've carried a pocket knife daily since fourth grade (~1953). I settled on one with one blade, and a bone handle. I believe the pen knife was(is) used for pen nibs - or clarinet/oboe reeds. - John F. Edwards, Vancouver, WA On Tue Jan 08 00:26:50 CST 2008, Katharine Thayer <kthayer@pacifier.com> wrote: > I've always thought of a pen knife as smaller than a man's pocket > knife, more the size of a lady's or child's pocket knife, meant > for small cutting jobs like sharpening pencils (or pen nibs, > hence the name) or whittling a whistle from a willow branch. > When I was a kid, I had one with a mother-of-pearl handle that > I thought was pretty neat. > kt > > On Jan 7, 2008, at 7:56 PM, Richard Knoppow wrote: > >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judy Seigel" >> <jseigel@panix.com> >> To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca> >> Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 7:41 PM >> Subject: pen knife >> >> >> >>> >>> Contrary to the actual words, a pen knife is like a Swiss Army >>> Knife but with only 2 blades -- a big one at one end and a >>> little one at the other end, that fold into the handle. >>> ...Boys & men would carry them in their pockets in case they >>> had to sharpen a pencil or play a quick game of mumblety peg, >>> scrape some chalk off a pastel stick, or other chore around >>> the house. In other words, a "pocket knife" (Is that term >>> still in use? I feel like Methuselah !) >>> >>> J. >>> >>> >>> On Mon, 7 Jan 2008, Dave S wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> It is sort of fun to read old articles. For example, to make >>>> the powder for >>>> the process, the articles say you can scrap pastel with "pen >>>> kr ife." I >>>> checked the article. It looks like it does say that, but I >>>> think it probably >>>> means "pen knife." The author probably wrote the article by >>>> hand, and >>>> perhaps the typsettor didn't understand the writing. But what >>>> is a "pen >>>> knife?" I am guessing it must be something like what we call >>>> X- Acto knife >>>> today if it is used for scrapping pastel to make powder. But >>>> that is just my >>>> interpretation. Reading old articles (or any article) always >>>> involves some >>>> interpretation. >>>> >>>> >>>> >> I rather think the origin of the term comes from a small >> knife used for sharpening pen nibs rather than to any >> resemblance to a pen. I always associated the term with the >> sort of knife Judy describes, i.e., a small folding knife. >> >> --- >> Richard Knoppow >> Los Angeles, CA, USA >> dickburk@ix.netcom.com >> > > > |