P

Parang

Malay for Jungle knife, many versions.

Peanut

Very small jack knife with serpentine handle, two blades at same end.

Pearl

The shell of the pearl oyster from the South Pacific, a popular knife handle material; expensive.

Pen Blade

A very small spear point blade originally meant for trimming quill pen points.

Pen (knife)

A small pocket knife with small blades intended for trimming quill pens

Pewter

Originally an alloy of tin & lead, now pewter dishes are made lead free.

Philips-Screwdriver

A screwdriver meant to fit the philips screw with its cross slot.

Phosphorus

Improves strength, machinability, and hardness. Creates brittleness in high concentrations. Expressed as P.

Physician's/Doctor's Knife

Pocket knife with one or two blades, with a square butt for crushing pills.

Pillow Sword

Meant to be by the bedside as the name implies.

Pliers Knife

Early attempt at a pocket tool, hinged at one end to make pliers

Pocket Blade

See Main Blade

Pocket Clip

A clip intended to keep a knife or other tool at the top of the pocket for easy access. Made popular by Sal Glasser of Spyderco.

Pocket Knife

Any knife that can be easily carried in the trouser pocket. Common Pocket Knife, a legal term, at one time it meant any folding knife from pen size to folding hunters up to 4 ½” closed that could be carried in the front pocket of a man’s trousers. Today it includes all forms of folding knives that fit in or hang in trouser pockets.

Point

The extreme end of the blade where the line of the back and the line of the edge come together.

Pommel

A Middle English word for the butt end of a sword or knife handle.

Poniard

A small dagger with a blade of triangular, round or square cross section cannot cut. Fit only for thrusting or stabbing. Also poingard.

Pouch Sheath

An improved sheath, the handle is half covered; friction holds the hilt and or the handle, keeping the knife safely in the sheath. The pouch sheath will not work with double hilted knives.

Powder Metal

Patented by Era Steel in Sweden and Crucible Metals in U.S.A. in the 1970's.

This is a method of making steel by blowing finely divided powdered iron, carbon, and other materials into a billet and then applying heat and pressure until a steel is achieved with finer grain, finer carbides, therefore greater strength and better wear resistance.

The Swedes went on to invent a method of blowing the particles into patterns; the result is "Damasteel". It has the look of pattern welded Damascus yet is actually a superior, powder metal stainless tool steel.

Premium Jack

Slight serpentine handle, 3 1/2 " or larger

Premium Pen

Slightly serpentine handle, 3 1/4" or shorter

Premium Stockman

Slightly serpentine handle with clip, sheepsfoot and spey blades

Pruner (see Hawkbill)

Blade is full recurve edge shaped like a bold raptor's bill

Pull, Long

See Mark, Long

Puma Knives

German trademark: these knives were made popular in America by importer Kurt Guttman in the years following WWII.