A little slice of information on pen knives
Posted by Marie-Bernadette on July 15, 1998 at 19:55:11:
In response to Perfect!, written by Jenna M on July 15, 1998 at 15:25:36
About how much longer would a pen knife be when not folded? And what kind of blade does it have?
The blade could vary and not all of them folded. Here is an exerpt from a chapter on quill pens from the book Tidings from the 18th Century (by Beth Gilgun, Rebel Publishing Co., Inc., ISBN 1-880655-04-7)--
...the knife for cutting quills should be of good steel, well-tempered and well-ground. It should be pointed. The handle must be rather sturdy and square so that it does not twist about in your hand when you are using it. It should be three times as long as the blade, though it can be more or less, depending on the length of the blade, provided that it is comfortable and can be firmly held. The blade should be rigid and not hollowed. It should curve a little forward. The back should be square, not round, with somewhat sharp edges so that you can scrape the quill. Do not use it to cut paper or hard substances that blunt the edge, but keep it exclusively for the job of cutting your quills.
- Wow . .Thank you so much! (nfm) Jenna M 21:33:55 7/15/98
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