Pen-knife (writing)

A pen-knife is an instrument intended to work the end of a feather of goose to make it ready to write with Encre.

Several kinds of Pen-knifes were used: knives, canivets and mechanics.

Knives

The first instruments of size of the feather S were knives probably as well used to cut the feather as to scrape the support of writing to make corrections there. It is at the 17th century that seems to appear a specialization in the knives used for these two tasks, pen-knife and scraper. The blade of the pen-knife will take a form increasingly fine and curved to facilitate the size of the feather. The handle itself will evolve/move of a cylindrical form to a form more punt with a point at its end intended to make draw aside the slit of the nozzle.

Canivets

At the 19th century the “canivet will develop” which will replace the knives. It has a dimension smaller than the knife and has a blade, generally in form of Faux. Some canivets have to four blades, each one adapted to a particular function: removal of barbelures, cuts feather, size of the nozzle, cuts slit. The canivets can have their fixed, or returning or folding blade like a penknife. The handles of the canivets can be made out of various noble materials: invaluable wood, money, ivory.

Mechanical pen-knifes

The mechanical Pen-knifes appear at the 18th century, they make it possible each and everyone to suitably ensure the two delicate operations which are the cutting of the nozzle and the realization of the slit. They include/understand a matrix and a Poinçon which is made of two blades in the shape of V to cut out the nozzle as well as a very fine blade located between the two blades of the punch to carry out the slit.
They can be:

with Guillotine or lever (Grip or Chisel)

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