Knife as a gift - Is it bad luck?

snowwolf

snowwolf

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A question I never ask myself until I offered a knife this week to a friend.

He said - are you kidding? It is bad luck to give a knife as a gift.

When asked more questions about it, he didn't really knew where he got that idea.

So I researched it a little (Google it for fun). Apparently it is known in many cultures around the world. Giving a knife as a gift can have various adverse effects (depending where you're from).

Now here's the interesting part. To give a knife "safely" you must give it with a penny. The one accepting the gift then must give back the penny to the person offering the knife. Which will prevent the adverse effect of giving the knife.

So... I guess putting a penny on some of the scabbards takes its roots in this belief. These are Kuks made as gifts. That penny is meant to be remove and return to the sender :D

Interesting isn't it?

Thought I would share.

(I didn't research the penny on the scabbard thing... It is only a deduction and I can be totally wrong. So feel free to add your knowledge in the thread)
 
The act of giving: when we share, you multiply, when we hoard we lose.
When we share we will have more.
Everything thing else is fear based superstition, IMHO
 
Yeah, I never bought into that old "a gifted knife can sever a friendship" superstition.

I give knives away all the time. When I need to thin the heard, I generally give khuks to friends that have never had one, have shown interest in mine, or might not be able to afford one of their own. I keep some because they are special to me. However, for me, selling a knife is more offensive than freely giving it, even if it's for a penny. I believe that special knives like those made by HI aren't NORMAL pieces of cutlery. They can be instruments of intention. I feel that it's my duty to make sure I spread as many positive blades out there as I can.

I've never lost a friend because I have freely given them a knife with nothing in return.
 
If your looking to sever a friendship (knowingly or not) in the first place and you give them a knife then in your mind it is true. For me its easier to just tell someone to P**S off! There were people on this little Island I lived on that refused to sweep the floor to their store front in the morning because they thought they were sweeping all the good luck out the door and they wouldn't sell anything that day. If you start your day with pessimism then that's all you see. On the other hand if you start your day optimistic it makes for a better day whether its real or not. Its still in my belief to respect others beliefs right or wrong as long as there is mutual respect. Your mind is setting the stage for what you plan to see be it good or bad.
 
I think this calls for a very scientific test to confirm or dispel all these theories.

Ndog, why don't you send me your Giant Bowie. Then in 5 years we'll see if we can still stand to hear each other's name without dispicable and hateful thoughts.

Seems like a right fair test to me. By the way have I told you lately how much I luv you?


Not in any mano / mano way ya understand.
 
Im still alive and feelin pretty dang good my friend! Next time I go to WA ill bring it to ya for show and tell at least! What if you loan someone a knife forever? does that count?
Bawanna said:
I think this calls for a very scientific test to confirm or dispel all these theories.

Ndog, why don't you send me your Giant Bowie. Then in 5 years we'll see if we can still stand to hear each other's name without dispicable and hateful thoughts.

Seems like a right fair test to me. By the way have I told you lately how much I luv you?


Not in any mano / mano way ya understand.
Click to expand...
 
Well we can experiment with that loan thing too. Send er up. Good chance that forever thing will take care of itself on my end. You been to Washington before?

Might be best to just send it, less risk of us resorting to fisticuffs over if it goes back or stays.

Best scenario would be for another to come up identical to yours, (on a rare moment when I have cash) it's worked for us in the past several times.
 
I gifted a knife to a friend and he immediately gave me an old coin, either way it was quite traditional our friendship could never dwindle after 30 years of fun together.
 
Superstition and or traditions do not have much science in it. I owned black cats, broke mirrors and walk under ladders... And still there to tell it.

Meanwhile I would be curious to know the reason behind scabbards with coins attached to it.
 
snowwolf said:
Superstition and or traditions do not have much science in it. I owned black cats, broke mirrors and walk under ladders... And still there to tell it.

Meanwhile I would be curious to know the reason behind scabbards with coins attached to it.
Click to expand...

Dang dude, all that? Your lucky to be alive dude.
 
smokinbasser said:
Have the recipient gift you with a penny so your friendship isn't "cut"
Click to expand...

Right on, that's what I heard too.. It 'cuts' the friendship. Supposedly.
To avoid that, the person gettin' the knife has to give you something back. A dime or a quarter should do...if not a penny.
 
I agree with NDog's view. If I want to sever a friendship I will tell em to just go away. If I give someone a knife it means I care enough about you that I want to do something REALLY nice (I rarely give up blades or guns and almost never sell either one either) If I am worried about a relationship, well, I am probably not going to give up one of my collection to someone I doubt I will be friends with for long anyway.
 
Pssst. Bawanna....Pssst....Get TWO knives offen ndoghuse. Tell'im yore little brother is sick at home an' couldn't come Trick or Treating tonight.........
 
That is one of several superstitions attached to knives that we all know about to some degree or other.

It's associated to what antropologists call "magical thinking".

The kinfe is sharp, so it will cut a friendship. So, to take the things out of the friendship realm, you have to sell the knive. But, because you don't really want to sell it, but to gift it, the whole penny business is devised.

The kriss knife is thought to have a soul, an spirit. And that spirit can be bad or good.
to test what kind of spirit you are dealing with, you are supposed to sleep with the knife below your pillow. If you have good dreams, good spirit. Bad dreams, bad spirit.
similar, katanas in japan.

Also, there is the myth about cutting yourself with the knife to really own the knife.

The knife in arabic culture, if the knife is a weapon, cannot be drawn and sheated again without having tasted blood. People would cut themselves before sheat the knife in order to respect this custom.

there are more...
 
Bookie said:
Pssst. Bawanna....Pssst....Get TWO knives offen ndoghuse. Tell'im yore little brother is sick at home an' couldn't come Trick or Treating tonight.........
Click to expand...

You got it little brother! I'm working it but he's a tough one to crack. I don't think he likes me, never did, never will. His momma says he loves me but she could be jivin too ya know?
 
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