thumb|upright|A replica Arkansas Toothpick on display board
In modern terminology, the Arkansas toothpick is a heavy dagger with a pointed, straight blade. The knife can be used for thrusting and slashing. James Black, known for improving the Bowie knife, is credited with inventing the Arkansas toothpick.
Legal status
Although many jurisdictions worldwide have knife legislation regulating the length of a blade or the dagger-like profile of the Arkansas toothpick that can be owned or carried, certain locales in the United States have legislation mentioning the "Arkansas toothpick" in particular. These laws were passed in the late 1830s in Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia as an attempt to prevent dueling.