This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|

Aballpoint pen knife is amulti-toolpocketknife consisting of a blade concealed inside an ordinary-lookingballpoint pen. The blade, typically 50 to 125 millimetres (2 to 5 in) long, is hidden when not in use. They first appeared as custom-made pens from various custom knife makers, and were later mass-produced by other companies.
Not the be confused with tactical pens, which are a multi-purpose pen that can write but also shatter glass etc., pen knives such are designed forself-defense due to their ease of concealment. Their small size renders them impractical as weapons in elaborate combat, but their slim profile allows them to cause great harm in close-range combat with an element of surprise.[citation needed]
A knife of this type can be used as a standardletter or package opener, or for any purpose suitable for a knife of its size. There are many versions, including variants with special purposerazors for shaving.[citation needed]
All ballpoint pen knives come with straight blades, which are easier to conceal than curved blades. These 51-to-127-millimetre (2.0 to 5.0 in) blades are fixed to the topmost part of the pen, hidden inside a hollow cap, serving as both the pen's end and the knife'ssheath. Common blades may be the single-edged thrusting type or the double-edgeddagger type, or even an unsharpenedstiletto type point that can only thrust. Blades can be smooth-edged orserrated. The Swiss Army Spectrum Series S.A.S.S. Ballpoints look like ballpoint pens and can write. They have an array of foldaway blades and tools including knife, scissors, file, opener, screwdriver and battery-powered light.
Ballpoint pen knives, because they allow a knife to be disguised as an innocuous object, are subject to restrictions or prohibitions in some jurisdictions which could be deadly. For example, they are not available for sale inCalifornia orCanada.