A knife gift for a non-knife person

Why you would want to give a non-knife person a knife?
Has he expressed any interest in your knives or knives in general?

Seriously, You haven't given me enough information to even make a suggestion.
What non-knife things is your friend interested in? Is he conservative or flashy?
Outdoorsy or the stay indoors type? Would he be a collector or a user?

Find an activity he likes and look for a knife tailored to that activity.
For example, I believe Victorinox makes (or made) a SAK for golfers.
There are knives specifically made for cigar smokers as another example.
 
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I would call my wife a "non-knife person"; she does have a SAK Classic on her key-chain, but normally depends on me to do her cutting for her - to her a knife is simply a tool. Recently she asked me for my knife - it was my favorite Buck 303 X - her comment was "nice knife - it's really sharp". There will be one in her stocking this Christmas. I have also gifted many, many knives over the years; to every niece and nephew, and many children of friends at their HS Graduations, Eagle Scout ceremonies, as well as ARNG retirements, etc. - everyone has thanked me for the knife, whether knife person or not - what's not to like in a Case penknife or small Buck like a 303? OH
 


The Victorinox Alox Cadet (red, black, silver) would be my first choice. My second choice would be the Victorinox Classic SD, and my third choice would be the Leatherman Style (just discontinued but still available).
The Classic SD is available in a large variety of colors and even Alox. The Alox is much nicer than my photo. Sorry about the quality.
 
ellipticus said:
Why you would want to give a non-knife person a knife?
Has he expressed any interest in your knives or knives in general?

Seriously, You haven't given me enough information to even make a suggestion.
What non-knife things is your friend interested in? Is he conservative or flashy?
Outdoorsy or the stay indoors type? Would he be a collector or a user?

Find an activity he likes and look for a knife tailored to that activity.
For example, I believe Victorinox makes (or made) a SAK for golfers.
There are knives specifically made for cigar smokers as another example.
Click to expand...

Yup.

I think there are 3 ways to gift a knife.

If the goal is to pick a knife the person will use, I treat like buying my wife her diamond. We go out together and select the knife he or she likes, and not the knife *I* like. Or, if they don't know, I loan them several to use for a while.

If the goal is to give a keepsake, I give something that *I* like and think will fit the person and I never ever ask if it gets carried. I gifted one BIL a Camillus boat knife. He's a sailor. I gave another BIL a small Forge de Laguille. He's a business man who wears a Rolex. Picking a knife for a person to use is like picking out their socks. Way too personal. So, give and forget.

The last method is "the safe bet" for non knife people. For basic pocket knives, I give a basic SAK soldier. For small key ring sized knives, I give the Micra, which I find better than a Classic in every way. For outdoorsy types, I gift Opinels that I've tuned up. The #8 Inox is the safest one to give.



EDC Pair by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
Over ten years ago now, I gave away several Vic classic's for stocking stuffers at Christmas one year. As unbelievable as it seems, Ihad several non knife people in the family. Some of them openly couldn't see why I would carry a knife in "this day and age" as they put it. So I did the Giddeon bible thing.

I picked a SAK classic for a couple of reasons. One, it was tiny enough, that even an anti knife person couldn't object to it, and these family members were not anti knife. Just didn't want to bother carrying a knife. But a few of them were always the "Hey Carl, let me see your knife for a minute." Uh-huh.

On Christmas day, they all got their presents, and the non knife people were slightly pussled as to the knife and just what to do with it. I told them the glaringly obvious; you put it on your keyring. They did so out of politeness to me I think, and that was okay. In fact I was counting on it. The second reason I picked a classic; it was small enough to fit on the keychain and not be in the way, so once there, I knew to would stay there for while.

Funny thing happened. After a while, they got used to having a small sharp edge on them, and the couple of them that were of the female persuasion got really used to having a sharp little pair of scissors available, plus the nail file. Even the tweezers got used. The non knife people in the family got to be SAK carriers, and one to two of the several non knife people got to be knife people. But the bottom line is, the gifted knife has to fit into the lifestyle of the person. Where you live and what you do has a very very great influence on that. Someone in the big city will have a completely different knife need than a country boy living out in the wilds of nature. Someone past middle age will have a different knife need than a young stud full of vinegar and just starting out on his life adventure. What we think is cool may well be a dud for the other person. A person living in suburban Connecticut and riding the commuter train everyday into the concrete canyons of NYC and Wall Street, will not need or carry a sturdy Barlow, nor will a man running a large farm in Nebraska or Kansas have much need of a small lobster pen with a nail file tool.

A knife is a very personal gift, and it must fit the one being gifted, or all is for waste.
 
None of my friends are really into knives, but anytime they've seen my modified Opinels they've gotten really excited. I've gifted a few of these to them and now other friend have approached me and asked me for one or even bought a stock Opi and asked me to modify it for them. This is a good way to make the gift feel special and unique... and to create a small unlikely army of opinel carriers.
 
SAK Classic or Manager for the keychain.

Or an Alox Cadet: slim, unobtrusive, elegant and classy in a way that a non-knife person can appreciate.
 
I gave everyone in my family SAK Classics as well as small S biners for their keys. They all still carry them. The S-biners size 0 is about less than half the length of the SAK which pulls it a little away from the keys so it makes it easier to use imo. Also, easy to remove for those times when you can't carry a knife with you.
Here's a pic from Nite Ize
SBO_feature_18_l.jpg
 
jackknife said:
Over ten years ago now, I gave away several Vic classic's for stocking stuffers at Christmas one year. As unbelievable as it seems, Ihad several non knife people in the family. Some of them openly couldn't see why I would carry a knife in "this day and age" as they put it. So I did the Giddeon bible thing.

I picked a SAK classic for a couple of reasons. One, it was tiny enough, that even an anti knife person couldn't object to it, and these family members were not anti knife. Just didn't want to bother carrying a knife. But a few of them were always the "Hey Carl, let me see your knife for a minute." Uh-huh.

On Christmas day, they all got their presents, and the non knife people were slightly pussled as to the knife and just what to do with it. I told them the glaringly obvious; you put it on your keyring. They did so out of politeness to me I think, and that was okay. In fact I was counting on it. The second reason I picked a classic; it was small enough to fit on the keychain and not be in the way, so once there, I knew to would stay there for while.

Funny thing happened. After a while, they got used to having a small sharp edge on them, and the couple of them that were of the female persuasion got really used to having a sharp little pair of scissors available, plus the nail file. Even the tweezers got used. The non knife people in the family got to be SAK carriers, and one to two of the several non knife people got to be knife people. But the bottom line is, the gifted knife has to fit into the lifestyle of the person. Where you live and what you do has a very very great influence on that. Someone in the big city will have a completely different knife need than a country boy living out in the wilds of nature. Someone past middle age will have a different knife need than a young stud full of vinegar and just starting out on his life adventure. What we think is cool may well be a dud for the other person. A person living in suburban Connecticut and riding the commuter train everyday into the concrete canyons of NYC and Wall Street, will not need or carry a sturdy Barlow, nor will a man running a large farm in Nebraska or Kansas have much need of a small lobster pen with a nail file tool.

A knife is a very personal gift, and it must fit the one being gifted, or all is for waste.
Click to expand...

Good post! Back before my extended family went to a draw-a-name approach to gift giving due to the numbers involved I gave all the females in the family Vic Classics. I figured most would get considerable use and perhaps a few might not ever be used but I favored a fair and simple approach to volume gift giving and figured that they could always be re-gifted by those that didn't care to use them. There was one niece in particular that if I were a betting man I would have wagered that would never use the Classic. Much to my surprise at our next family gathering this same niece comes up to me with the Vic Classic in her hand and asks me if I would resharpen it for her as it had become dull from use.
 
First and foremost, a SAK. Classic or cadet, something small and with a few tools, as opposed to the Super Champ XL ;). Next on the list, a peanut.
 
jackknife said:
Over ten years ago now, I gave away several Vic classic's for stocking stuffers at Christmas one year. As unbelievable as it seems, Ihad several non knife people in the family. Some of them openly couldn't see why I would carry a knife in "this day and age" as they put it. So I did the Giddeon bible thing.

I picked a SAK classic for a couple of reasons. One, it was tiny enough, that even an anti knife person couldn't object to it, and these family members were not anti knife. Just didn't want to bother carrying a knife. But a few of them were always the "Hey Carl, let me see your knife for a minute." Uh-huh.

On Christmas day, they all got their presents, and the non knife people were slightly pussled as to the knife and just what to do with it. I told them the glaringly obvious; you put it on your keyring. They did so out of politeness to me I think, and that was okay. In fact I was counting on it. The second reason I picked a classic; it was small enough to fit on the keychain and not be in the way, so once there, I knew to would stay there for while.

Funny thing happened. After a while, they got used to having a small sharp edge on them, and the couple of them that were of the female persuasion got really used to having a sharp little pair of scissors available, plus the nail file. Even the tweezers got used. The non knife people in the family got to be SAK carriers, and one to two of the several non knife people got to be knife people. But the bottom line is, the gifted knife has to fit into the lifestyle of the person. Where you live and what you do has a very very great influence on that. Someone in the big city will have a completely different knife need than a country boy living out in the wilds of nature. Someone past middle age will have a different knife need than a young stud full of vinegar and just starting out on his life adventure. What we think is cool may well be a dud for the other person. A person living in suburban Connecticut and riding the commuter train everyday into the concrete canyons of NYC and Wall Street, will not need or carry a sturdy Barlow, nor will a man running a large farm in Nebraska or Kansas have much need of a small lobster pen with a nail file tool.

A knife is a very personal gift, and it must fit the one being gifted, or all is for waste.
Click to expand...

And somedays you will be really surprised. When my wife and I got married I gave the groomsmen and the pastor engraved, non-traditional knives. He wears it every-day and uses it out cowboying for "sharp work". I saw a traditional knife with scales that I thought would appeal to him so I made a purchase. I hadn't read the discription closely enough and got a "small" instead of a "medium". I gave it to him anyways and he loves it! He keeps it in his desk to open the mail with - just the right size for him and what he needs "that" knife to do.
 
I would either do the SAK or perhaps a Buck. One thing is for sure, don't spend too much because there is a good likelihood he won't even use it.

If he does, you have made a good choice with Buck of SAK. If he doesn't it didn't kill you.
 
Busse Moab.
hmmm prob not, actually.

A "man kit" ought to help this civilian better understand the presence of a knife. In other words, include with the knife (whichever you choose- great suggestions here btw) a wee bit of bourbon, a cigar, and some fancy matches, perhaps all wrapped in a second-hand cigar box that you can get online. Don't go crazy. But make it a lil package deal so they don't hold the knife with their thumb and forefinger with a "huh?" expression on their face
 
I'd say a Victorinox SAK. Any variety will do. They're well made, non threatening, easy to maintain, and handy as it gets. I think they're almost the gateway drug of the knife world. If a SAK won't turn them into a knife person, nothing will. Also, they can be had relatively inexpensively. So if the person doesn't take to it, you didn't drop big $$$ for nothing.
 
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