Giving knives as gifts -- superstitous?

A

alelser

Banned
Joined
Feb 26, 2001
Messages
473
I was wondering if anyone else out there was familiar with this one. Many yaers back when I first got into knives as a kid my mother informed me that it was bad luck to give a knife as a gift. She said you're always supposed to include a penny or something with the card so it's not really a gift (I guess that makes it a loan, or something). Anyone else hold this superstition? Hold any others? The holidays are fast approaching, and it'd be fun to hear some good stories.

-Al-
 
Interesting :)
Never heard of that, the one I knew was not to give an opened knife in hand or something like that.
 
When I give a knife as a gift[I do it quite often]I make the recipient give me a coin so that the knife does not cut our friendship.Been doing it since I was a small child and my grandfather made me give him a coin.I think it comes from the English.
 
My uncle had a large collection of Case and Schrade knives, among many others. He followed the same tradition. When I would visit, he would never just give me a knife, he would always make me pay for it, and the price was always the same; one penny. :)

He explained that a knife wasn't a toy, and that being a knife owner demanded a certain level of responsibility. In his mind, that payment, no matter how insignificant the actual dollar amount, was symbolic of the contract that one agrees to when assuming ownership of an edged tool. I wish he were still around to enjoy BFC.
 
A common superstition where I'm from. I've heard a number of reasons:

-so the friendship won't be cut
-so the new owner won't lose the knife
-so the knife won't cut the new owner

I'm giving out seven or eight knives for Xmas this year, and just to be safe, I'll demand a penny from the recipients.

Here's another knife superstition I've encountered: If you open it, you have to close it--otherwise, the knife will be lost.

Who knows?
 
Now I heard about this from a Frenchman, just so you know...

Only your FATHER is supposed to GIVE you a knife. If anyone else GIVES you a knife, it is tantamount to a challenge: "I challenge you to a duel. What? You haven't got a weapon? Than take one of mine!" is what the "gift of a knife" from other than your father is supposed to represent... So, if you give someone a knife as a gift, they are supposed to retrieve the smallest coin (or bill) they happen to have with them and give it to you in payment. Same thing, of course, if you are given a knife...

As you can see, it does no good to INCLUDE a penny along with the knife. The money is supposed to come from the recipient, not the giver.
 
I was raised in Africa and the coin principal applied there also.
My good friend wolfmann601 is in the process of forwarding a knife to me as I write this.
I sent him a coin, as tradition dictates.
 
Knifeworld had an article about the custom of giving a penny in payment for a knife a ways back. Among of the reasons for this custom that have not already been mentioned in this thread was the idea you had to pay even the King if he gave you a knife. If he didn't ask for payment, you were supposed to use it on yourself, so paying something for the knife was always a good idea.

Apparently a custom knife maker once presented a knife to Queen Elizabeth of England. She sent him a valuable antique coin as thanks.

I am not superstitious, but I don't think giving a penny as payment for a gift knife does any harm. Maybe it will save a friendship, or your life ;)

Para
 
Here in Finland we don't have that habbit. That has caused many problems to Finns abroad. When Finns want go give a good going away gift to e.g. their hosts traditional puukko is one of most common things that gome to our mind. I some cultures you can't make this mistake - leaving a house and giving a knife same time. Now most of us know that knives/puukkos are not good gifts for friends abroad that don't know our traditions.
 
Keep in mind that in Oriental cultures it is completely inappropriate to give a knife as a wedding gift. It's seen as trying to cut the marriage apart.
 
Over my lifetime I've given scores if not hundreds of knives as gifts. Nobody's been harmed yet.
 
The value of a "gift of friendship" is enhanced when there is an exchange of some sort of "lucky coin" having FINALLY gotten the knife off to my new found friend, I can now carry the coin and in one day, I sincerely feel luckier than before. I "gave away" two knives on the forums and BOTH ended up as trade pieces. So be it, I GAVE them away. But when there is a trade, and it is pure friendship, the knife becomes priceless, the coin becomes priceless and there shall always be a STORY to tell when the coin or the knife is displayed......wolf
 
When I was very young, my Great Grandfather gave me a knife and demanded payment for it. Hopefully one day I'll do the same for my great grandson, but superstition or not, it's just a tradition I'd like to pass on.

:D
 
I guess I have given away well over 100 knives to non family members as gifts or just because (there are a few victems here at BF). Never lost a friend over giving them a knife yet :).

I am not much at all on superstition, just not something I personally believe in. I only had one friend who insisted on giving a penny for the knife. At the same time, if the unpaid for gift offended some one, I would take the payment with a smile shut up and spend it. (I hate keeping change around - more of a chance to scratch up the knife in my pocket). :)

Guess I need to call my dad, mom, brother and a couple of cousins. They way I figure it each of them owes me a couple of bucks. :D.
 
Watch the movie called "The Edge" with Anthony Hopkins and Alan Baldwin. Hopkins receives a handmade knife(by Brian Lyttle)as a gift, which in turn, he must give a coin to Baldwin so it won't cut the friendship.
 
Originally posted by Guyon
A common superstition where I'm from. I've heard a number of reasons:...
-so the knife won't cut the new owner
Click to expand...

I heard that it's actually GOOD luck to be cut by your new knife (as long as nothing falls on the floor, I imagine!). It is said to make it one with your body (or something like that).
 
Originally posted by Guyon

Here's another knife superstition I've encountered: If you open it, you have to close it--otherwise, the knife will be lost.

Who knows?
Click to expand...


I lost my Kerhsaw BOA for about 6 weeks and when I finally found it, the blade was open! Coincidence? I think not! Stupidity? Most definitely!

You may have something here. :D
 
I recently lost a sebenza. Then I realized I never owned one.....It was such a scary thought that I had to go and buy one. My wife just found out and when I went to hand her a coin for luck she kicked me in the nuts. So much for the "lucky knife, coin, lost knife, loving wife, great gift" theory. Is it serious when you spit up blood??????
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top