X Acto Knife Pen

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
- Old Sharpie pen
- X Acto knife blade
Tools
- Coping saw
- Vise
- Pliers
- Grinder
- Chisel
- File
Out With the Old

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