Welcome Home...THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY

iKnife Collector

The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel

Knives as gifts

I love giving knives as gifts! But, apparently old tales say that the giving of a knife to a friend actually means you are "cutting off" the friendship. So basically you are saying "so long" to a friend after the gift of a knife.

Well, of course times have changed. I think we would have lost ALL of our friends and family because of this! LOL

Yesterday was mothers day. My mom surprised me and she wanted an iPod for her present! I was in shock! My mother is 64! Well, I had an old first generation iPod shuffle laying around the house and decided to fill it up with her music and give it to her as a present.

I pulled out one of my CRKT boxes to give it to her in! Oh man! It was classic!

My parent's think I'm so dumb for collecting knives, they don't condone it...but every time I show them my new knife, they shake their head.

Well, my mom opened her present and was like, " A KNIFE?! I DON'T WANT A KNIFE!" Oh man, it was hilarious.

anyway...the main reason for this rambling was because I like to give people the gift of a knife only when I see that they carry one aaaand it's not quite good enough for them (they might not know that...but I do.) So we will just go and pick out a GOOD QUALITY knife that is similar to the one they have!

Our friend cameron likes balisongs and switchblades so we bought him a cold steel ti-lite. Oh man HE LOVES IT! then we got him a byrd cara cara another time and he loves that too. We taught him the meaning of having good quality knives.

His wife had this crappy flea market bright orange and yellow flamethrower something knife. Piece of crap. Well, it broke...of course. But we got her a Byrd Meadowlark. She always has it with her!

Is this nice...or snobbish?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by bill bedenbender on May 11, 2009 at 13:03

Your nice to buy your friends quality knives. I'm a little more greedy. I buy myself a knives. Not anybody esle.

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Scott King on May 14, 2009 at 6:47

Good idea.

So, did you Mom really say she didn't want the knife?

My Dad is the only person I have been a knife too, so far.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wilma Slicer (Lynsie) on May 14, 2009 at 7:00

ummm yeah my mom really did say that! I've bought knives for my dad before when I was younger. He needs new one..but he doesn't want me to buy him one.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jerry Grimes on June 11, 2009 at 23:43

When I first heard this story, I was told it was tradition to tape a penny to the blade, or put one in the box, so that it could be returned to you as payment.

I love the old stories. Like a knife does not truly belong to you until it has "bitten" you. It's bad luck to sharpen a knife after dark. Stirring liquids with a knife is considered bad luck. There are many more. Most seem to have something to do with avoiding bad luck.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by 1013637 on June 16, 2009 at 9:38

its nice..i mean is it snobbish to donate a fortune to a orphange "oo your so rich you can give away a fortune" or "wow your so generous you can give away a fortune".....

of course a byrd cara cara is not a fortune but the same principle applies.

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Scott King on July 1, 2009 at 8:59

Gave my oldest daughter a pink Spyderco the other day....she's into hiking, camping and mtn biking. I also bought a Mantis (don't remember the model name) in San Fran from iKC member Phil and gave it to my 17 yr old son...hesitantly...it's a big old knife.

▶ Reply

KnifeMakerPermalink Reply by Allen Newberry on August 14, 2009 at 13:34

Now that I am making the knives that I am giving away family members tend to actually want them. Which is nice.

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Scott King on August 15, 2009 at 7:22

At the risk of sounding stingy with this question, let me ask you Allen- isn't it hard to give away a knife you spent hours and days, maybe weeks in/on?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian Wilhoite on August 18, 2009 at 17:44

that is why when giving the knife you ask for a pennie so that you don't cut off the friendship.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by kage on January 15, 2010 at 11:23

The aspect of "payment" for a knife given as a present started around the 1700s and become somewhat commonplace during the 1800s as a penny. Some of the thoughts of the day on the subject through the ages are....

16th Century - a knife as a present/gift given on New Year's Day will lead to the severing of the relationship between the giver and recipient.

17th Century - a pair of knives or scissors given as a present/gift can strengthen and also sever the relationship of the giver and recipient.

18th Century - a knife given as a present/gift will sever the relationship of the giver and recipient, unless a token payment be made by the recipient to the giver.

19th Century - a knife given as a present/gift will sever the relationship of the giver and recipient, unless a penny is given as payment by the recipient to the giver.