Introduction: X Acto Knife Pen

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About: I miss the days when magazines like Popular Mechanics had all sorts of DIY projects for making and repairing just about everything. I am enjoying posting things I have learned and done since I got my first to…

Sometimes carrying a knife is bulky. Most often I used a knife to trim a troublesome cuticle or open a package. An X Acto knife would do what I need, especially if it were encased in a pen. I am mounting an X Acto blade in an old Sharpie shell.

Supplies

Materials

  1. Old Sharpie pen
  2. X Acto knife blade

Tools

  1. Coping saw
  2. Vise
  3. Pliers
  4. Grinder
  5. Chisel
  6. File

Step 1: Out With the Old

I used a pair of pliers to pull the felt tip from the old Sharpie.

Step 2: Cut a Slot

The thin blade on a coping saw is very near to the same thickness as the X Acto blade. I put the body of the old Sharpie into a vise and sawed a straight line to split the front section. I made the cut about 3/4 inch long.

Step 3: Fit the Blade

Grind the blade to make it narrower. I made it taper toward the back end, too. Narrow the blade until it will fit nicely into the slit your prepared in the old Sharpie.

Step 4: Insert the Blade

I pushed against my workbench to avoid an accident that might make a cut on my fingers. I ground on the blade until it fit into the pen section. It fits fairly firmly. I thought I might need to secure it with hot glue or epoxy, but the blade anchors firmly without those extras.

Step 5: Trim the Pen Case

The blade interfered too much with the cap, so I removed the thinner part of the front section so I could push the blade farther into the pen case. I used a chisel to snap off the thin portion from both sides.

Step 6: Final Items

The cap does not close as fully as normal, but it works pretty well. I did grind a little on the top edge of the knife blade to make it resemble a drop point knife just a little. That also helps the cap slide into place a little better.

I know people usually think of an X Acto blade as disposable, but they are made of good steel and can easily be sharpened with a fine stone or fine sandpaper. I have an X Acto knife I have been using now and then for four decades without changing the blade. Admittedly, I use it only a little, but I have also sharpened it multiple times and it works just fine.