Ever heard that you shouldn't ever take a knife for nothing?

SVTFreak

SVTFreak

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Gave a guy I work with a buck 301. He gave me a nickle. He said it's bad luck to take a knife from someone without paying for it.

Anybody ever heard that superstition? New one on me.
 
My understanding is that you give a coin for a knife so the knife doesn't cut the friendship.
 
The custom we adhere to is putting a coin/dollar bill when gifting a knife. Same theory as Teranaut said- so the knife doesn't cut the relationship.
 
Similarly, a co-worker (female) of mine just last week said you don,t give a friend a knife as a gift because of the "cut the friendship" thing. I had never heard this before. I told her I'd gladly accept a knife as a gift, anytime. My son-in-law gave me Kershaw Leek as a gift a while back... Hmmm.
 
stog75 said:
The custom we adhere to is putting a coin/dollar bill when gifting a knife. Same theory as Teranaut said- so the knife doesn't cut the relationship.
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this is my understanding of it as well . But with a silver coin
 
I gave out several knives as Christmas presents this year, and gave them a penny with it to give back to me. I figure that it's a neat tradition if nothing else.
 
teranaut said:
My understanding is that you give a coin for a knife so the knife doesn't cut the friendship.
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That's right. Forgot about that part of the story. Not bad luck.

I had never heard it. Neat tradition to follow of nothing else.
 
Quiet said:
I gave out several knives as Christmas presents this year, and gave them a penny with it to give back to me. I figure that it's a neat tradition if nothing else.
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My grandma use to include a penny taped to knives she gave as gifts. She seemed to know all of the superstitions and I agree, neat tradition.
 
Yeah, I've heard of this one. I'm not superstitious in the least, but I usually tape a nickel to the box just in case the recipient is. And if they're not, hey, free nickel for them.
 
I first heard that as a kid as well. I was told if you are given a knife, give something to someone else (pay it forward) in some way.
 
I've heard the 'cut the relationship' theory before. I think it's actually so the person can give the coin back to you so they are 'buying' the knife because gifting a knife is bad luck.
 
Yep. Our family gives a coin/dollar/etc. with a knife so that it doesn't sever the relationship. That way, you are giving the money as the present, and the knife happened to be attached. If someone gives me a knife, I send them a dollar as "payment." Both ways are supposed to work...;)
 
I have heard of it when giving knives as wedding gifts, not for general gifting tho I suppose the idea is the same.
 
I just bought a Masakage santoku and it came with a 5 yen coin tied to the handle. I wonder if it is because of a similar Japanese tradition.
 
leghog said:
Yes, heard of it, but I'm not superstitious.
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I never heard of it. When I gift someone anything it's as much for me, as the person I'm gifting it to. Expecting absolutely nothing in return. To each his own.
 
i think it is a cultural thing...i learned about this from an Italian colleague, when i gave him a Buck 110, he gave a $1 coin (which is called a Loonie here in the great true north..temperature this morning -20 C and with Windchill -30 C)
 
I believe it's a European tradition . My grandparents where Irish and I've known that tradition all my life . It was considered bad luck to receive a knife as a gift . There for paying even a penny meant you bought it .
The "not cutting the friendship" is new to me , but I think it sounds very nice :)


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HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS ! :emot-yarr:
 
I've heard this traced back to Norse times, where it was considered an insult to gift a weapon. It implied that the recipient wasn't man enough to provide his own weaponry, so a coin was always given to twist the gift into a purchase, therefore you didn't insult your friend.
 
On December 17, 2009 at 11:35 am J.J. Smith said:


I remember, years ago, a knife company included a penny in some of their knife sets, around the holidays.
I’ve always heard to put a penny in with the gifted knife so that the recipient could give it back.
Wouldn’t want to “Cut your friendship”.

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On December 17, 2009 at 3:37 pm Elvis said:
One of the members of the Case Collector’s Club posted this sampling of superstitions and myths when the subject came up there recently. Hopefully, others will enjoy it as much as I did.

A knife as a gift from a lover means that the love will soon end.
A knife placed under the bed during childbirth will ease the pain of labor.
If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your the friendship will be cut.
It will cause a quarrel if knives are crossed at the table.
It is bad luck to close a pocketknife unless you were the one who opened it.
Unless the are immediately straightened, crossed knives on a countertop or table indicate that an argument will ensue.
In previous centuries a knife was a very personal possession, carried at all times by its owner and used for hunting and work as well as cutting food.
A steel knife was regarded as being protection against fairies and curses.
A house could be protected by a knife being thrust into the door.
A baby protected by a knife stuck into the headboard of its cradle (certainly not a recommended practice now!)
A knife could also be thrust into the mast of a boat for luck, although the word ‘knife’ was never spoken at sea.
A knife falling to the ground means the arrival of a male visitor.
A knife with a white handle could be used to divine whether the enquirer’s future spouse would be fair or dark. The knife was spun round, and if it came to rest with the handle pointing towards the enquirer, the spouse would be fair; if the blade pointed at them, the spouse would be dark. ”

There’s a superstition in Ireland that if you give a knife away the new owner must draw his own blood with it willingly to avoid bad luck, I’ve also heard that if the receiver gives the old owner a silver coin it provides the new bearer with good luck as long as he carries the knife…there’s also the “luck penny” that is given at a time of exchange be it a knife or any other object.
In Greece a black-handled knife placed under the pillow is used to keep away nightmares.

This is probably only a start to the knife myths, legends and superstitions that exist, but you get the idea.




These are not my words but there are tons of examples of knives being gifted for a coin.
 
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