Are there any Alternatives to Pocket Knives?

3rd March 2020

Are there any alternatives to pocket knives?


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		Pen knives
		The pen knife is often confused with the pocket knife, but is actually very different; pen knives usually incorporate multiple tools. You may have heard them referred to as ‘Swiss Army Knives’ – after the most famous example of pen knife design, which incorporates many additional tools.

		While a pocket knife’s primary function is to cut, with any additional functions secondary, a pen knife is more akin to a ‘multi-tool’ – with no one primary function, but multiple equal functions.

		For example, a pen knife may incorporate, in addition to a cutting blade, a corkscrew, fork, awl, nail file, pair of tweezers, pair of scissors, screwdriver, spanner, ballpoint pen, or, on modern models, even an LED torch, USB memory stick or phone charging cable!

		As an alternative to pocket knives, pen knives have the obvious advantage of wide-ranging multi-functionality, vastly reducing the number of tools the user must carry. If you will be carrying out a number of different tasks in a narrow time frame, it is worth looking into purchasing a pen knife.

		However, due to the complexity of the tool, the blade on a pen knife is often much harder to replace than the blade on a pocket knife. This is worth considering if you expect your blades to wear out quickly, or become damaged during the course of your task.

		Additionally, pen knives can cost many times more than the most expensive pocket knife!

		Pocket knife alternatives for specific tasks
		Some cutting tools exist which are designed for specific tasks. As they are often cheaper than pocket knives, it is worth considering one of the following options if you will only be carrying out a very limited or specific range of tasks. However, if you require more versatility, it is highly recommended that you choose a pocket knife.

		Box cutters This type of knife is designed specifically for opening boxes and packaging. The blades used in box cutters are segmented, with sections intended to snap off when the blade wears down, exposing a new cutting edge; however, they have been known to snap off at will!

		Wrap cutters A wrap cutter is a small, hooked blade with a plastic liner which protects package contents and other surfaces from contact with the blade. Inside the hook, a small section of the blade’s cutting edge is left exposed, which is used to cut through plastic wrap, adhesive tape, and similar materials.