My 3rd wedding anniversary with A just recently came and went. We celebrated as usual: good food, good drink, good laughs, and a gift. Before our first anniversary, A and I had decided that we were going to gift each other traditional gifts for our anniversary. First, paper. Second, cotton. Third, leather. The challenge of finding the right item and the nod to a centuries-old tradition suits us. So how did we manage to both gift each other knives for our third anniversary?
Let me backtrack a little to add that we are both Polish and raised with some superstitions, one of which is that you should never gift someone a knife. The idea is that if you give someone a knife, it will sever your relationship. Obviously, this does not make for a great anniversary gift. The workaround to this is that someone should pay you for the knife you are giving, even if it is only a penny.
So, for our leather anniversary, I bought A a leather key chain and a fishing knife with a leather sheath, for which he gave me a penny. My honey bought me a leather leash for our new puppy, Indy (aka Indiana Bones), and the thing I’ve always wanted: a new chef’s knife. I returned his penny.
A got me a Japanese blade: a Global 18″ Cromova Stainless Steel chef’s knife. For a few days, I didn’t even want to use it, saving it for something worthy of chopping with. Now, I use it for everything and I baby it more than A ever babied any of his cars. No one is allowed to touch it, I wash it and dry it immediately after each use, and it’s stored in its original box for now, until I can get a proper knife block or magnetic knife strip in my kitchen.
I adore it. For one thing, it’s actually sharp, so really any new knife would have been a boon for me. I’ve been slacking in the knife sharpening department. Although, in my defense, the cheap knives I’ve had until now weren’t really worth the time and effort of sharpening.
It’s hefty enough to feel like A Knife yet light enough to be easy to handle. The handle is comfortable to grip. The blade chops smoothly. This knife is definitely giving me a reason to brush up on my knife skills in the kitchen! Luckily, summer veggies give me plenty of practice. This lapse in tradition and superstition was well worth it. If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen, chopping…
XO,
Karo
Field Notes on Feasting 