We are coming up on National Knife Day. Yes, there is a national day commemorating the knife.
We sometime forget how important knives are to the story of civilization, perhaps to the evolution of humanity. I often think early man’s first tool was a stick to extend his reach, followed by a rock to pound things. Somewhere along the way he got the idea of cutting things and everything took off!
We have been celebrating National Knife Day since 2011. For some of us, every day is a celebration of
knives. Knives fill our lives both in
the physical sense and in our thought process.
Our cars have windshield wiper blades, I buttered my toast with a knife,
the mill at work has a doctor blade, we need something to slit the envelope
open to announce the winner. And nobody
tried to cut the cake without a knife.
We cut to the bottom line, a foolish person is described as “not
the sharpest knife in the drawer.” We
like (sometimes) people with a razor wit, we cut the fat out of a job quote,
and we want to sharpen the pencil to work a better deal.
Rumor has it the day was selected from a letter written August
24, 1838, by Rezin Bowie, claiming he (and not his brother, Jim) was the actual
creator of the Bowie Knife and deserved the fame and credit for it. Of course, Jim was dead by then…
Celebrate August 24 by carrying your favorite knife. Maybe show it a little respect by sharpening
the edge and wiping it down. A drop of
oil isn’t too extravagant, is it?
Remember the proverb: “A knife-less man (and woman) is a lifeless man.”
