Knife gift traditions

C

CDH

Joined
Jun 8, 2007
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283
I was corrected by my mother a while back, and with the Christmas knives done and gifted to family, I thought I'd share this story and ask about your knife giving traditions.

First, my family tradition story. When I gave my mom a paring knife about 2 years ago, I was informed (later) that I was supposed to give a penny with it. There is some family tradition about good luck if you give it with money but if you don't you are wishing harm or bad luck to the recipient!?!?!? This comes from my Mom's grandpa, an old school Swede who came to the US shortly after WW I.

Can any of you folks shed some light on this? I'm curious to know the history of it, as I suspect it is more widespread than just my Mom's family, and to know the full story. My Mom's memory isn't that sharp these days...:D

So what other traditions are out there in the knifemaking world concerning giving? I'm curious as to who follows what and what other history I can learn about the old traditions...for example the whole KITH thing was fascinating to me especially when I read the history of how it came to be.
 
My Father's side of the family is Cuban and it is also considered bad luck to give knives as a present because it cuts a rift between the two parties.

I'm not so sure about that but his parents were happy about getting a new set of kitchen knives, so it must not be that important a tradition.
 
As I understand it, any edged tool should never be given. Instead, the receiver of the knife should give some amount of money to the gift giver, usually a penny. If I recall correctly, it something along the lines that a sharp tool given may sever a friendship, but if a penny is given by the receiver of the knife, it's a purchase rather than a gift and so the friendship will stay in tact.

-d
 
I've always heard that you have to give a "coin of the realm" if you're the recipient of a knife "gift" because of severing the ties of friendship.

Another tradition is to always return a knife in the same manner as you recieved it. If someone hands you a folder open, you return it open.
 
I did a promotion in my store by giving away one of my knives by drawing. The lady that won the knife would NOT let me give it to her. She gave me a penny for the knife. Said it was bad luck to get a knife as a gift. Go figure??
 
Same in my family. Knives and scissors were always given with a shiny new penny. The penny was given back.
 
In my family (old school New England, you were summer folk until your great grandpa was buried in the LOCAL cemetary) we were always told to give a knife with a penny to signify no ill will. My wife's family (Irish 3d generation) saw that as implying that I thought they were penniless
different traditions . . .
-Page
 
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