A penknife, or pen knife, is a British English term for a small folding knife.[1] It was originally used to describe a knife used for cutting or sharpening a quill to make a dip pen nib.[1] Originally, penknives were used for thinning and pointing quills to prepare them for use as writing instruments and, later, for repairing or re-pointing the quills. 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.