August 24 is National Knife Day. Hip hip hooray! It is a grassroots holiday that is celebrated by millions but never recognized by Congress.
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| TOPS Silent Hero 4 |
The history of this holiday is
contorted, and should you go down this rabbit hole, you will find dead ends and
conflicting information. A good source
is Blade HQ: "The Real History of National Knife Day."
Many of us have wondered why knives
are so appealing. At its simplest, a
knife is a thin wedge that comes to a very fine edge, with a handle that lets
us use it with some degree of safety.
It is one of man's oldest
tools. In the absence of a time machine,
I have my own theory. I think the oldest
tool was initially a stick to extend our reach to push dangerous things farther
away. The next was a simple hammer.
Watch a child at play. He'll use an object to pull something that
interests him closer. While he's playing
with it, he'll hit it. This reflects our
need to understand things by seeing what's in it. Somewhere along the way, a human progenitor discovered
shards of his hammer were sharp and made separating things faster and easier
than bashing it to nothing.
Prehistoric flint and bone tools
As we developed technology, we also developed art. Museums are filled with examples of edged tools decorated for ceremonies, for artistic pleasure, and for simple identification. That knife with the rawhide strings and birdwing carved in the handle is mine!
At the same time, they have become
a source of mystery and snatches at our attention across the ages. One only needs to consider Jim Bowie's knife
in all its iterations.
Open any catalog, and you'll find
knives ranging from the simplest to works of art. I have at least two knives that I carry only
to formal events like weddings and funerals.
They are attractive to me, and I value them.
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| Bad Feather fixed blade with sliding handle |
Knives remind us of people, places, and times from which we are separated. I know more than a few people who treasure a worn-out knife that belonged to someone special. Most of the time it isn't about value; it's about connection.
How am I going to celebrate
National Knife Day? My favorite carry
knife, a Spyderco, needs a little sharpening.
I'll spend a little time wiping some of my blades with oil. Others I'll take out and wonder about.
CRKT's Taco Viper
Enjoy your Knife Day.
