A penknife, or pen knife, is a small folding pocket knife, originally used for cutting or sharpening a quill to make a pen nib. Originally, penknives 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. These knives were used for thinning and pointing quills to p... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penknife
Pen'knife` noun ; plural Penknives . [ Pen + knife .] A small pocketknife; formerly, a knife used for making and mending quill pens. Found on http://www.encyclo.co.uk/webster/P/46