Giving and receiving knife as a gift

sniperboy

sniperboy

Joined
Oct 19, 1999
Messages
2,836
I have send an inquiry to my father but decided to post a rather interesting topic (to me anyways)

In Chinese culture it is deemed 'wrong' to give a knife or receive a knife as a gift. In Japanese culture your gift would be returned if you give it as a wedding present.

It seems as if a knife gift symbolizes 'severing' of relationships...

Another note, I think to give white flowers is reserved for sickly people or for funerals. (i could've gotten that wrong)

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<A HREF="http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html
</A> If you play with love you will be heartbroken; if you play with knives you will [bleed]


 
That's bad news, because I'm both Chinese and Japanese, and I recently bought my Dad a BM-710.

Do I have to sell it to him?
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~Mitch
 
A nice mix Mitch
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I envy your lineage. I am also envious that you can talk knife with your dad.

Although I dunno the concept is that giving a knife to someone means 'severing all ties' I don't think that would be an probable situation for a good father and son.. then again it would be a goo dtime to tel lhim abou the tradition and have him treat you to an obligatory sashimi dinner
tongue.gif



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<A HREF="http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html
</A> If you play with love you will be heartbroken; if you play with knives you will [bleed]


 
That is why there is a tradition in America and England to never give a knife for free. You are supposed to charge .01.
There was an article in Blade about this last year. Otherwise the knife cuts the strings of friendship.
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Phil. 4:13
Dave
Wharton,NJ

I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.
 
A knife as a gift could also be seen as a hint it's time to use it to perform seppuko.

Avoiding giving knives as gifts isn't hard, I've got more of a problem with keeping track of what number of things you don't give and what colours fit or don't fit what occasions.

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Urban Fredriksson
www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
Latest udates WM1 neck sheath, Moki Blossom and Fällkniven S1

I hear the South Park movie is R-17 in the USA. Due to the language used. Here it's got a 7 year old limit, and wouldn't have even that if it wasn't for the violence.
 
We in Germany belief too, a knife as gift would cut the friendship. But we found a way: We give our smallest coin, the Pfennig, as present. And with this coin the friend can "buy" the knife. That´s always great fun on birthday parties.

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A man without a knife isn´t a man

My Grandfather
 
I have had the honor of giving a couple of my knives to friends in Japan, both were knife enthusiasts as are many Japanese men. I was told that a knife should never be given as a gift, but not told why exactly. I was also told the easy way around this problem was to ask for a dollar in return. That is the symbolic way of changing a gift into a sale, and the problem was solved. In both cases these gifts were to elder Japanese gentlemen who had been warriors in their youth and were very traditional in their thinking. They both gladly accepted the knives, understood the simple exchange of the dollar, and I am told have appreciated the gifts ever since.

Sadly one of these gentlemen passed away recently, and his son wrote me that his father had willed him the knife with a request that he write and thank me for it. Some knives have a value that transcends money. My most precious knives have always been gifts.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
I have been giving and receiving knives.I always ask for a penny to keep it from severing our friendships.Always give the obligitory penny when receiving.
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have a"knife"day
 
We also have that tradition here in the Philippines. I only learned about it recently when a friend told me (after giving him a knife as a gift).

Okay I recently received a kit knife as a gift.
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I will be sending in a coin, as I wouldn't want to severe our friendship.
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You know who you are... hehehe...

Dan
 
My grandmother sent me a packet of sugar (something sweet) along with each of my grandfather's knives.

I love getting knives as gifts, because when someone else selects a knife, it almost always takes my collection in a direction it otherwise wouldn't have gone.

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AKTI Member #A000832

"That which does not kill me just postpones the inevitable."
 
I see that this custom is the same in many countries (and in Ukraine too).
But my business partners in USA were fun (and surprised little bit) when I proposed our smallest coin (one kopeck) for gifted SAK.
MIKLE
 
The whole idea is rather silly and reserved only for the most superstisious and ignorant and if it was taken seriously the companies that have made millions of promotional/novelty knives such s ambassador and even swiss army would not have done so well. Thousands are given away be many companies,organizations and individuals.
The young men in my family eagerly look forward to seeing my pick for their Christmas presents. It's not unusual or me to give a knife to somebody that has done me a small favor or even if it's a person that I just happen to like or a person i meet that is using a crappy knife that annoys me. I've never even had somebody mention that silliness to me until the movie The Edge came out. But still, I've never had anybody refuse the gift. Sever the friendship?
I've given knives to a couple forumites I've gotten to be friends with and we're getting to be very good friends. Seems to have the opposite effect for me.

[This message has been edited by TomW (edited 02-23-2000).]
 
Yeah, I agree with TomW.

If anyone wants to test the theory, send me a knife and we can see if we stay friends
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.

I can honestly say that a person that cares enough for me to give me something I love, is a person I'll be friends with for a while. Not because they give me stuff, but because they care enough to know what I like.

Not bagging on ancient tradition, you should all have fun the way you like. Sounds like it would be a memorable event to have someone "pay" you for a gift...in fact I think I'll bring this idea up a Christmas. (Me: I think giving you this Cuisenart would severe our relationship. My Wife: Damn straight it would, I wanted jewelery you moron!!!)
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Jared

[This message has been edited by Flesh Gordon (edited 02-23-2000).]
 
Sorry, but I find it quite reasonable and honorable to respect the traditions of others. I also think it's fun since it adds a bit of ceremony to the occassion, marking it as something special, and taking it beyond the trivial nature of "just another SAK keychain."

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
I agree. I think it`s a little harsh to catagorize people who do the penny thing as "silly...superstisious (sic) and ignorant". I`d at least make sure I checked my spelling before calling someone ignorant!
 
Okay, maybe I should read posts a little better.(Who's the ignorant one here!
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) I don't agree with TomW that it is silly or ignorant, but you would all be lying to say it's not superstitious...not that its bad, that's just what it is.

I think you should do what makes ya happy, for me getting a knife anyway I can makes me ecstatic!
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Jared - Still waiting for my knife!
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This custom is found in a wide variety of cultures, each with a different twist. I gifted a dear friend of mine, a winemaker in his 70's, with a collection of SAK's, each celebrating a famous battle in Switzerland's history. His wife looked at him and said 'don't forget the silver coin!' He looked through a box of coins, and finally came up with a 2 franc coin, which he gave me. They were unsure as to the exact meaning of the custom, but were sure as to its' necessity. Walt
 
In my culture people are allowed to give me knives for almost any occasion. I know that my dad gave me a really great Sabatier chefs knife as one of my wedding presents. Some people think it is odd to give guns for Christmas, but I always appreciate those as well.

Before this thread I had never heard of any traditions about not giving knives. No one I've given knives to has severed personal ties. Instead they come back periodically and ask me to sharpen them again.

I often get quality knives at places like Goodwill thrift stores, sharpen them, and give them to visitors who envy our kitchen knife. I have a friend who always marveled at my cheap ways. He was moving to California so as part of his going away present I gave him a knife to remember me by. It was an old Flint Vanadium Stainless carving knife. I put an edge on it like a straight razor. The joke was that I left the price tag on it when I gave it to him, "15 cents". He called last week to talk about life in Irvine.
 
I don't think anybody is meaning to stomp on
a persons cultural beliefs or religion.
And I'm sure none of us would do something
that goes against a persons beliefs.
But a superstition is a belief that is maintained despite evidence that it is unfounded and/or irrational. A superstition is also an irrational belief that is passed from generation to generation. Hmmm So are a lot of religions. Sorry if i offended any of you sun worshipers. Let me know if you want me to put you on my "Don't send me a free knife list" :-)
 
Tom W. What is the harm in honoring an old tradition? It adds some fun to the gift exchange. I really don't think that all of our fellow fourmites are superstitious, if they are, what difference does it make? I never heard about this until now, but I think the next time I give a buddy of mine a knife, I'll ask for a penny in return. This way I can teach him about the rule.
 
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