<P> A penknife, or pen knife, is a British English term for a small folding knife . One popular folk etymology makes an association between the size of a penknife and a small ballpoint pen, however the phrase "penknife" is much older . Originally, penknives were used for thinning and pointing quills to prepare them for use as dip pens and, later, for repairing or re-pointing the nib . They did not necessarily have folding blades, but resembled a scalpel or wood knife by having a short, fixed blade at the end of a long handle . </P> <P> Today the word penknife is the common British English term for both a pocketknife, which can have single or multiple blades, and for multi-tools, with additional tools incorporated into the design . </P>

Why is a pen knife called a pen knife
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