A knife is a timeless and useful gift. The blade or set can be engraved, sharpened and selected according to who it is intended for. There are knives for lovers of outdoor activities and survival, culinary specialists, in general, for any occasion. However, before you run to the store, you need to know: giving knives as a gift has long been a bad omen.
Knife for a gift in a box.
Why, according to signs, you can’t give knives as gifts
Signs associated with the gift of knives are widespread. It is not advisable to give a knife as a wedding gift because, according to folklore, it can break the marriage bond. Same reason - a pocket knife should only be given to someone if it is closed. Otherwise it will cause dispute.
Such a gift to a friend or comrade for his birthday can promise conflict and even a break in relations.
If someone in the family has died, the sign insists that knives should be handled carefully, and, in general, sharp objects should be removed, since family members can prick the soul of the deceased.
If this makes you hesitant to give someone a bladed weapon, consider the following. Keeping a knife in a jug of water at the front and back doors of the house is believed to ward off evil spirits. Apparently they are afraid of their reflections in the water. So maybe the gift of a knife isn't so bad after all.
Why is it considered that a knife is a bad gift?
Is this a good gift or a bad one? Regardless of their view on this issue, no people have ever doubted the significance of the knife, both sacred and everyday. Of course, the most ordinary knife was used, as they say, in the tail and mane; it replaced several dozen modern tools. Only a “survivalist” who has nothing but this tool in his fight against the elements can experience a similar sacred awe in relation to a knife.
But a knife not only helps you survive, it can also take a life. For these two reasons he was always idolized and feared; It is because of this that negative beliefs arose.
- In Russia and Great Britain, it is believed that any cutting or piercing object given to a person will sooner or later end up in his body. A rather gloomy omen, which, naturally, does not come true, but is easily “defeated” with the help of a copper coin given in return. That is, we still want to both give and receive knives, albeit through a fraudulent ritual of “buying and selling.” And it is right!
By the way, in order not to force a person to frantically look for a coin, present it along with a knife - this is not only a good way out, but also good form in general. This tradition was started in Japan and gradually migrated to Western countries.
- In China and some Arab countries, a sharp object “cuts” friendship between people. Although this happens, most likely, precisely because of the presence of such a superstition: giving a knife means you want a quarrel.
Other superstitions associated with knives
There are a huge number of such superstitions, many have even been forgotten. Below are the 8 most popular superstitions associated with knives:
- It is believed that if you place a knife under the bed of a woman giving birth, it will ease her pain during childbirth.
- It is believed that a knife stuck at the head of the cradle will protect the child.
- In Greece, a knife with a black handle is placed under the pillow to prevent nightmares.
- Do not stir soup or coffee with a knife, for example, because this will bring misfortune - failure will be associated with pain or stitches.
- Two knives crossed on the table will cause a quarrel. It is believed that immediately crossing or straightening them will prevent misfortune.
- Knife owners believe that they will not be full owners of their tool if it does not “bite” them (taste blood). Superstition states that a blade that has "bitten" its owner will remain sharp longer and be less likely to accidentally cut him in the future.
- Some knife owners also believe that you shouldn't leave a knife unattended in its sheath. If someone else opened it, failure will occur.
- Something bad will happen if the knife falls off the table onto the floor.
Is it possible to give knives to women?
If a woman is not superstitious, then why not? Housewives spend a fair amount of their lives in the kitchen, and everyone would like to use high-quality and convenient “working tools.”
Ceramic knives are very popular now. They are lightweight, remain sharp longer, and do not require frequent sharpening. In addition, ceramic knives are visually pleasing - different colors, with beautiful designs. Such a knife flutters in a woman’s hand, and real culinary masterpieces emerge from under it!
Is it possible to give a knife as a gift to a woman or a man?
A knife as a gift is a popular gift for men . Most often he is presented with souvenir, pocket and army knives. Men like knives because such a gift has the powerful energy of a protector and warrior . They have “fascinated” men since they were children. In ancient times, it was believed that such a gift would protect its owner from adversity.
Knife as a gift for a man.
Whether to give knives to a man or not is up to you. But try to protect yourself from such a gift for the New Year. It is believed that knives on New Year's Eve will “ruin” life for the next year. Whatever you celebrate the New Year with is how you will spend it. Otherwise, give those knives that do not pose a threat in their appearance: decorative sabers, multifunctional knives, knives for backpacking trips.
Women are distinguished by the fact that they believe in superstitions much more than men. Therefore, they may be hostile to such a gift, even if you want to present high-quality steel products. Invite the woman to “buy” such a gift from you for symbolic money.
Is it possible to give a man knives?
Since ancient times, edged weapons have been considered a gift worthy of a real man. In the distant past, when a combat knife, dagger or saber was used for its intended purpose, such a gift showed respect for the recipient.
Today, men also do not remain indifferent to beautiful bladed weapons, and some collect them.
As for kitchen knives, it is important to take into account the habits of the man to whom you are going to give a gift. For example, if your friend or relative likes to spend time preparing various dishes, you can give him a set of knives for working with different foods.
And if a man is not interested in cooking in general, but is great with meat and cooks great steaks, give him a branded cleaver! A hunter or fisherman will be delighted with a folding multifunctional knife, and a gourmet and aesthete will be delighted with a serving set.
Pocket knife Evolution 17 2.3913.E Folding knives
3300 rub.
Penknife Evolution S54 2.5393.SE Folding knives
10700 rub.
Penknife Spartan From Russia 1.3603 RUSSIA Folding knives
1830 rub.
Pocket knife RangerWood 55 0.9561.63 Folding knives
6600 rub.
Is it worth giving a knife for a holiday?
Usually, gifts are given for significant celebrations. And coming to visit with a knife as a present is not the best option, according to signs. Such a gift will bring quarrels, squabbles, swearing, negativity and troubles into the house. Not everyone will be happy with such a surprise. The one who gives a knife as a gift may himself find himself in a dark period in his life. So it's better not to take risks.
However, in the countries of Asia and the Caucasus, the sign about a gifted knife works exactly the opposite: there it is a long-awaited, valuable and pleasant gift. He is able to bring prosperity, comfort and inner strength to the family, strengthening relationships between household members.
Everyone decides this question for themselves, depending on their beliefs and beliefs, as well as the wishes of the recipients.
Reasons why it is better not to give knives as gifts
There are several reasons forbidding the presentation of “edged weapons”, and all of them are based more on customs:
- Superstitions
It has long been believed that all sharp objects attract “bad” forces, negativity; that knives are the embodiment of an evil supernatural being. They bring quarrels and discord into the house and are the cause of a tense situation in the family. Of course, it is not a fact that this is true, and people simply do not shift responsibility for their behavior to an inanimate object because of its unpleasant “magical history”, which will be discussed below. When wondering whether it is possible to give knives as a gift, you should not lose sight of this moment. Especially if the hero of the occasion believes in omens.
- Magic story
Knives also have a “bad” reputation because they were actively used in witchcraft rituals. With their help, sacrifices and bloody rituals were performed. It is known that earlier, in order to attract illness and misfortune to the house, enchanted knives were stuck under the threshold, in the corners. Answering the question whether it is possible to give knives as a birthday present, the conclusion suggests itself: no. After all, it is believed that what is given to the birthday person on his day should accompany him all year, until his next birthday.
The knife has long been used to perform various rituals
- Negative symbolism
Knives are associated with strife, murder or war. Someone may take such a gift as a hint and become angry or offended. It will be bitter to lose a relationship because of such a trifle.
- Ancient custom
There is a beautiful but dark belief that the one who first takes possession of the knife will become its master. And if the object ends up in the wrong hands, it will still store information about the previous person, and will only bring misfortune to the new owner. Previously, for this reason, the purchase of a knife was approached responsibly, and it was prepared individually for everyone.
| A symbolic gift for men can be not only a knife, but, for example, a Cossack whip. |
| Knife? No... yes, this is a whole system for a real adventurer - a multitool. |
| A dangerous gift can become completely safe if you give a man a chocolate gun. |
However, not everyone was afraid to bring a knife as a gift..
In the Caucasus, for example, it is a very valuable gift and means great respect and influence. And such a gift was popular with heads of state. In some places, let’s take Central Asia, it was even considered a talisman. There are so many peoples and so many opinions. However, it is still better to play it safe and choose another gift so as not to hurt the feelings of the person for whom it is intended.
More for men!
When a man is active and likes to exercise his body, it is worth choosing a sports gift for him.
What knife would be a good gift for a man or young man?
The key question that you must answer for yourself is: what is the hobby of the person to whom you want to give a knife, and in what situations will he use it.
A good knife for a gift.
If a young man is interested in hunting, tourism or fishing, then a good option would be a multifunctional tourist knife or a handmade dagger, which is more suitable for older men, because this is when quality begins to be valued.
A separate question: is this a collector or a fan of bladed weapons? Here you will have to worry about it and shell out a considerable amount, since men's collectibles have a chic appearance and are more intended for aesthetics than for practical use. It is better to contact a specialist in this matter.
You can give a former military man a knife with an interesting engraving, reminiscent of his service.
How to give?
If you are giving a knife as a gift, ask for a coin for it. In this case, you no longer give it to the person, but sell it. As a result, the bad omen will no longer act.
It’s not hard to guess what to do if you’ve been given a knife as a gift - just pay a nominal fee for it. And it doesn’t matter what the amount is, since even one penny can transform an item from a gift into a purchase.
And the main thing to remember is that you should not give free rein to negative thoughts. If you gave this item as a gift, read the prayer and accept the gift with a smile.
What kind of knife can you give to a girl?
Before giving a knife to a girl, it would be useful to know that 99% of the fair sex will consider such a gift inappropriate and useless. Imagine your feelings if you are a man and on your holiday you receive silicone molds for baking muffins.
A set of high-quality culinary knives comes first if the lady of your heart loves to cook. They definitely won’t be superfluous at home.
Small knife with scissors and nail file. No girl/woman will refuse such a gift, especially if you tell her that this is not just a knife, but real Swiss quality. All Victorinox Classic tools work perfectly, and the woman is constantly fiddling with her nails, so the gift will be relevant.
Knife as a gift for a girl Victorinox Classic.
The foreign knife industry produces quite a lot of women's knives for self-defense, but we will not recommend them as a gift. They frankly don’t look very good, and self-defense with a knife is not encouraged in our country.
If you really want to give a knife
Let’s say you’ve already made a knife to order, and it cost you a pretty penny, but you learned about the bad taste of such a gift too late and now you’re sitting, upset, not knowing what to do now. Usually knives are given to the stronger sex, but when wondering whether it is possible to give knives for a man’s birthday, consider the information described above. As a rule, men are less superstitious than women. But you can still do this only if you know for sure that you will not be received with hostility and, in any case, will be allowed to explain everything. Say that signs “work” only if you believe in them, politely ask to treat things simply as things, that you didn’t want to hint at anything, but just give something that won’t gather dust in a corner for a hundred years, and bring real benefit. Well, offer to “buy” a knife from you for 10 kopecks. Don’t forget, of course, to pack the knife well and attach a card with good wishes to it.
When a knife is truly worth giving as a gift, give it as a gift and charge a nominal fee for it.
And this is important!
Hobbies vary, but when you have them, it’s hard to go wrong with a gift; for example, we know what to give a football fan.
How to choose the right knife as a gift
If you are giving a knife as a gift, it is obvious that you either do not believe in superstitions or have circumvented them.
Everyone wants the hero of the occasion to be delighted with his gift. This is not so difficult to do if you follow the rules for choosing a gift blade.
You need a knife that has the look. It is desirable that the product be larger than average in size.
The steel from which it is made should be stainless for easy maintenance.
It is desirable that it can be used constantly. Therefore, choose a universal knife.
Remember that owners must keep bladed weapons sharp and store them in proper conditions. You can add sharpening tools and a sheath or stand to the gift.
If the recipient is too superstitious, try by all means to bypass the signs so as not to spoil the mood for yourself or him.
The knife should be like this: it is easy to take care of, it can be used every day, it should have its own personal place, the appearance should force the owners to keep it in a visible place and show it off to guests at any opportunity.
What to do if given a knife?
It may happen that this still happened, and the person did not really think about whether it was possible to give knives as a gift. Anxiety for future well-being can overshadow the celebration, although, most likely, there was no bad intention in such a gift. It’s just that some people believe in omens, while others don’t.
Don't panic under any circumstances, there's nothing wrong with that. Remember that, first of all, people themselves endow things with a special meaning, and if you don’t get hung up on the idea that this or that gift is necessarily not good, then life will go on as usual.
Of course, you shouldn’t upset the person who gave you this “sinister” object with a dissatisfied expression on his face, or, worse, with unpleasant words: he tried. It happens that people just like to give practical gifts that will be useful around the house. What could be more useful than a knife? Moreover, if it is of high quality, made of good metal, or, even better, beautifully designed.
If you understand that superstitions will not give you peace, “cheat” fate: in response to such a gift, give a couple of coins, as if you were not given a knife, but you bought it. This way, you will not give anything bad a reason to break into your life and calm your nerves. And, of course, you can really enjoy the gift.
| An ideal option when “everything is in place” and at the right time, present a real man with a real men’s suitcase with a picnic set. |
| Even the most superstitious man will be delighted with such a gift - an officer’s folding knife. |
| A barbecue is always appropriate if there is a barbecue set in the trunk. |
Is it difficult to choose? When you choose alcohol as a gift for a man, choose it correctly, and we will help with this: tips on how to choose cognac.
How to give a knife to bypass a sign
Even though superstition is fantastic, there are people who want to avoid bad luck (these are the same people who refuse to walk under a ladder or open an umbrella indoors).
If you are superstitious, there is an old tradition that allows you to use a knife as a gift without worrying about any consequences.
Gift knife Zlatoff.
To circumvent the superstition, the giver must attach a coin to the knife. Thus, when the hero of the occasion receives his gift, he can return a penny to the donor and, in fact, “pay” for his gift, thereby preventing himself from all troubles.
This superstition actually dates back to the Vikings, who believed that giving a knife to someone implied that the recipient couldn't buy himself a pretty good knife to kill the giver, so he should be given the knife for free. Thus, to avoid any perceived insult, the Vikings would "sell" the knife to a friend very cheaply - the cost of one copper coin.
Today, some companies, in particular Parker River Knife Company, already attach coins to their products so as not to worry about signs.
