Paper knife

A paper knife is a knife-like tool used to cut open the pages of hand-bound books, where the folding of the printed sheets leaves some edges closed and in need of severing before the book can be read. It is often confused with the letter opener, which evolved out of it into a longer, blunter implement made for opening envelopes rather than cutting book pages. Paper knives themselves are no longer in common use, surviving mainly among antiques enthusiasts, while the letter opener that grew from them is made from materials such as wood, steel, silver, plastic, or ivory, with the handle typically carrying more decoration than the blade.