Let’s be real — you already carry a knife. You probably already carry a pen too, and if you’re honest with yourself, half the time you can’t find the pen when you need it. The Knafs Doodler solves that problem by hiding a working micro pen inside the handle of an actual, honest-to-god quality folder, and it’s the smartest two-birds-one-stone EDC release I’ve seen this year.
Photo: Knafs
I’ve said it before — living out of a bag or just living out of your pockets teaches you the same lesson: every item has to earn its spot. A knife earns its spot easy. A cheap pen that leaks in your jacket or vanishes into a hotel nightstand does not. That’s the gap the Doodler is built to close, and it’s why this thing is already selling out of every colorway Knafs has put up.
Here’s what you’re actually getting for $129.99: a 6.91-inch overall folder with a 2.85-inch S35VN blade, G10 handle scales with swappable inlays so you can change the look without buying a second knife, and a front-flipper or thumb-stud deployment depending on your mood. Closed, it’s roughly four inches long and just 11mm thick — thinner than most single-purpose gentleman’s folders. It weighs 2.4 ounces. The pen doesn’t hang off the end like an afterthought — it’s built into the base of the handle, and unless someone points it out, you’d never know it was hiding there.
Photo: Knafs / Awaken Outdoors
This isn’t a novelty gimmick bolted onto a mediocre blade to sell a Kickstarter. S35VN is a legitimate premium steel — the same tier you’d expect on a knife twice this price on its own. Knafs just decided a second tool didn’t need a second pocket. That’s the whole philosophy in one product: buy once, buy right, and stop carrying redundant gear. Big credit to Gear Patrol for putting this one on my radar — their breakdown of the multi-deploy mechanism is worth a read if you want the full engineering story.
Photo: Knafs
The verdict: if you carry a knife and a pen every single day, this is the upgrade you didn’t know you were waiting for. It’s not for the guy who needs a 4-inch tactical blade for hard use — this is an office-and-errands knife that happens to be sneaky-capable. For everyone else who’s tired of patting three pockets down looking for something to sign a receipt with, the Doodler earns its spot.
Would you actually use the hidden pen, or is this one of those features that sounds great until you’re standing at the counter fumbling with a knife handle in front of a stranger? Drop your take in the comments — and if you’ve already got one of these in hand, tell me which inlay you went with.