It is one thing to open up an Amazon package of something I ordered for myself, but it’s another to get surprise mail like the envelope above. Historian and novelist Dana Sachs sent it to me, prefacing on Facebook that she had a gift to add to my kitchen. I had no clue what to expect. Then the manila envelope arrived.
It looked plain and unassuming. Being flat, it couldn’t contain artisanal palm sugar or homegrown chiles, a couple of past food gifts that I’ve received in the mail.
But it must have had something to do with Vietnam because that is Dana’s area of specialty. (Her new book, The Lives We Were Given, details the fall of Saigon through the journey of thousands of babies airlifted from Vietnam in April 1975.) On the back of the envelope, Dana cautiously warned me to open it carefully, lest I cut myself. Did she send me one of the 'killer' dao bao shredder/peeler knives?
Turns out that she sent me a handmade knife from Hanoi. She carefully wrapped the blade in paper and affixed this post-it note:
These are my favorite knives in the world. Don’t put it in the dishwasher. Also, they rust, so just wash it off. But they never get dull.
I slipped off the newspaper sleeve and found a hand-forged blade. My gawd. I’d never seen such a rustic knife. But I could not use it – yet.
Knife gifting superstition: If someone gifts you a knife, you have to give them something back. The going rate is $1 for my family. If you don’t exchange a small token for the knife, then it will seem like the gift giver wishes you ill-will. (Years ago, my brother-in-law’s dad gifted my mom a knife. She got so upset. “What is he thinking of?” she asked. She later slipped my brother in law a dollar to pass on to his father.)
I sent Dana a buck, and she responded that that was too much. Then she got worried as she hadn’t been fully aware of Vietnamese knife gifting etiquette. She had given a lot of these inexpensive knives from Vietnam without getting anything return. What kind of karma had she left in her tracks as a Hanoi knife dealer? She vowed that in the future, she’ll be asking for a penny. A smart workaround!
After I sent the dollar and Dana confirmed she received it, I used the knife. It was a little flimsy but did a fine job of cutting up Chinese garlic chives, avocado and yes, even a tomato. When I went to wash the knife, the blade fell out. My mouth fell open. I use lots of inexpensive Asian knives but this one was a doozy.
Disassembled, the knife looked like an antique museum piece. The tang, that skinny pokey thing at the bottom of the blade that goes into the handle, was next to nothing. That meant that the knife wasn’t meant for major kitchen duty. It’s not super sturdy and okay for simple easy tasks.
Putting the knife away in my drawer, I imagined the cooks who may use such a knife in their Vietnamese kitchens. That made me appreciate all the fine chopping that goes into cooking an Asian meal.
Where to buy these Vietnamese knives: Dana regularly buys the knives when she goes to Hanoi. Her source is the hardware market behind Dong Xuan Market. There are also lady vendors wandering through the old quarter selling them to tourists.
If you’ve used one of these knives, what was your experience? Have a knife superstition? Do tell.
P.S. If you wonder what kinds of food you can send in the mail, see this
Sydney Morning Herald story on sending
food gifts via postal mail by Carli Radcliff.
tea_austen says
I've recently heard about the knife giving superstition, hadn't been aware of it in the past. Though I did ask my brother to give me knives two Christmases running, and our relationship hasn't been doing that well.
I may be a new believer. Better give him some money quick!
Jack says
It's good to know about the superstition of gifting a knife - I'll have to remember that. I was recently back in VN and brought back one these knives for 6,000 dongs with the intention of gifting it but then kept it for myself. The women in Rach Gia used these knives exclusively to cut up the duck, chop the chillies, etc. It was fun to watch them prepare a feast with it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jvumn/4509360077/in/set-72157623828492762/
Jack says
And I almost forgot, while in Hue I picked up a copy of the December 2009 Delicious magazine and there was a 2 page story on you. Were you aware of that?
Karen says
Andrea, these are my kitchen knives! I'm sorry to hear yours fell apart. I have an entire set of Hanoi knives—big, small, everything in between. I've been using them since I studied in Hanoi 14 years ago, and I've never had a problem with them. I love them to death. In fact, I just brought one back for a good friend.
In the intervening years, I've added several similar knives (and machetes) from Laos to my ever-growing collection. In Laos, most knives like these are made from UXO and other war scrap left since the US bombed the country 35+ years ago. Many Hmong blacksmiths send their knives and gardening tools to relatives in the US, where the metal originated.
These knives are razor-sharp (and easy to sharpen on the bottom of a plate).
Dan Bloom says
andrea, nice post and nice photo above, great little story re superstitions, too. Love it. BTW, the Taipei Times today published my little story about French loan words used in Vietnam today, and you are in the article too, and your blog mentioned too. Thanks for all your help with my research, and as for pho, we will never know, maybe. More here
I read a DPA story a few months ago, in the Taipei Times, Deutsche Press Agentyr wire story, about Hanaoi travel and 1000th birthdaty this year 2010 of Hanoi as a city, 1010....as legend has it....and in the article a German dude there in Hanoi married to a Vietnamese woman, was quoted as saying two words from French are PHO MAT and GA TO for fromage and gateau...and that one sentence got me thinking THERE MIGHT BE MORE...so here is my report today:
http://taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2010/05/29/2003474148
Liver pate is called ''pa'' in Vietnam today. ''Pate chaud'', according to Californian foodie Andrea Nguyen of the Viet World Kitchen blog, is called ''pa so''.
Ben Zimmer, a noted US-based word maven who writes the weekly “On Language” column for the New York Times, pointed this reporter to the work of Milton Barber, whose 1963 paper, The Phonological Adaptation of French Loan Words in Vietnamese, was eye-opening, to say the least.
Christina says
I don't have a knife superstition... but it reminded me of the Chinese clock superstition. You never gift some one with a clock (it sounds like you are sending them to their funeral... or something like that) so you always have to ask for some amount of money so that the clock wasn't a "gift"
Andrea Nguyen says
@Tea_Austen: Maybe you can patch things up with a small amount of money?
@Karen Coates: Love your sharpening tips! Now I'll be getting a sent in VN.
@Jack: I didn't know of the 2-page article in Delicious mag. How nice. That's is so cool. Only 6,000 dong? That's a major deal!
@Dan Bloom: Thanks for the link.
@Christina: If it's as easy as handing someone a buck for a gift to ward off bad vibes, I'm all for that. Never heard of the clock one but now I'll be cognizant.
khanh says
This looks like the kind of knife my grandma carried in her plastic shopping bag. She used it for cutting, sampling, marketing. Perhaps the reason why you couldn't get much use out of it is that such a knife is more of a on-the-go utility instrument. I often watched her cut into things that vendors proffered: a wedge of lime, for instance.
Fran says
Although it's not very functional, the knife has a lot of character.
It's funny how superstitions/traditions vary across the world. I've heard that you give the "giver" of a gift of a knife a penny in return as a measure to ensure the relationship will not be severed.
Carolyn Jung says
What a great story! And what a wonderful, thoughtful gift from half-way around the world. The best part is that every time you use it, you'll think of the special person who gave it to you.
Nancie McDermott says
Exact same belief in Thailand. As a food-person with the must-travel gene in my DNA, I've given knives as gifts rather often over the years, and having learned this same belief from friends in Thailand, I always request some dough, so to speak, pennies, dimes, a dollar is fine. As @fran notes, the idea as I learned it is that making it a purchase instead of a gift prevents the knife from cutting the relationship. And when my good friend and fellow food writer Sandra Gutierrez was over for dinner recently, she mentioned the same traditional belief in Latin culture, particularly Guatemala, her home base. So I'm thinking that this one could be elemental, universal, and go way way back. Anybody know this belief firsthand outside of Vietnam/Thailand/ Southeast Asia?
Andrea Nguyen says
Carolyn -- I'm a sucker for kitchen-related gifts. I think of the gift giver every time I use something. That applies to stuff we got for our wedding gifts too!
Nancie -- What an interesting question. Is the knife gifting superstition a tropical clime thing?
tea_austen says
I find that money often patches things up? 🙂
Sandra Gutierrez says
Andrea,
I grew up with the same superstition in Latin America. Like my dear friend Nancie McDermott said above. If someone gives you a knife, you have to "pay" for it, usually a penny will do but I tend to give $1, just in case a penny doesn't suffice. In addition, we don't even pass a knife to one another directly (hand to hand). Instead, we set a knife on the counter, for the other person to pick up and use. We believe it breaks friendships and relationships. The fact that so many people share the same idea makes me think that perhaps it's not so bad to pay up!
Rose-Marie says
The same belief/superstition exists in France and also applies to scissors: both are thought to "cut the friendship". Once a token pay is received, the gift is considered safe.
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The tang, that skinny pokey thing at the bottom of the blade that goes into the handle, was next to nothing. That meant that the knife wasn’t meant for major kitchen duty.
Teo says
Hi Andrea,
In Vietnam, we also have similar exchange when you give pepper to friends. Because "pepper" means "tieu" (destroy, break...) We believe that when we exchange a small amount of money, it will clear up the negative effects of the gift.
t.d.nguyen says
The things that you learn from the internet. Thank you for the posts. I feel a bit more "Viet" now than I was 5 minutes ago. 🙂
Le Diet says
We believe it breaks friendships and relationships. The fact that so many people share the same idea makes me think that perhaps it's not so bad to pay up!
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I would believe it. It's better to believe and be free from the curse than it is to be cursed..
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Ricky Giordano says
...good piece of knife...i am sure it could hold its own among the best kitchen knives now available.:)
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Kitchens are not without merit, and are generally much less expensive compared to the kitchen by hand, and it is also much faster to install. But they are mass produced less expensive materials, so they tend to deteriorate more quickly and easily be damaged.
Oanh Blake says
Does anyone know where I can order these knives online? I was in Vietnam a couple of months ago but didn't pick any up to take home...now I really want a few!
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marlon says
that skinny pokey thing at the bottom of the blade that goes into the handle, was next to nothing. That meant that the knife wasn’t meant for major kitchen duty.
Oanh Blake says
Hi Andrea, I've been trying to find a way to buy these online for my Vietnamese mother. I can't seem to find any website or vendors who sell these online, and I won't be returning to Vietnam for awhile. Do you know a source where I can buy these and have them mailed to my house in the US? Thank you! Oanh Blake
Pocket Knives says
I have several hand made or altered knives from Vietnam in my collection. I always do my homework to verify that the knife was actully made or used in Vietnam before I purchase. My first criteria is use. This knife would not meet that criteria as it looks almost unused. I would have to have some visual proof like a photo or some military paperwork before spending that kind of money on a story.
Brandon buck knives says
I never heard about the knife giving superstition until I read your post. Thanks for sharing. This was really interesting. I want to add one of those knives to my kitchen now!