Knives of all types make a wonderful gift idea. Whether you need to give a wedding shower, birthday, Christmas, anniversary or other gift, a good knife will cause you to be remembered every time the gift is used. And, knives are gifts that will be used often.

Wedding showers are great times to give knives as gifts. Every couple starting a new life together needs quality kitchen accessories to have fun cooking together. Whether you choose a knife block filled with various size knives, a set of steak knives, a ceramic chef's knife or a small but very sharp paring knife, the gift will enjoy a great deal of use through the years.

For birthday, Christmas or a special occasion where you wish to give a person something special, consider a top quality pocket knife for a gift idea. Both ladies and gentlemen can enjoy a pocket knife; they come in very handy at the most unusual times. Whether a package needs to be opened or a steak cut, a quality pocket knife with a sharp edge will do the job. Pocket knives can be found in sizes from quite large to very, very small.

Martial arts fans or people with Oriental décor will enjoy a large decorative knife in an Oriental design. These knives often have a stand on which they can be displayed. Samurai swords are another type of knife that makes a great gift idea.

Hunting and fishing knives could be your selection if the recipient is an outdoors enthusiast. Filet knives, sharp skinning knives, handy knives for rigging tackle and large pocket knives make wonderful gifts for this type of person.

There is a folk lore superstition regarding the giving of a knife as a gift. If the knife is given to a friend, money must be exchanged as well. It is considered very bad luck to give someone a knife without exchanging money or the friendship will be cut by the knife. Because of this superstition, it is common that the gift of a knife will be given along with a penny, nickel or dime in the box with the knife so that the recipient can give back the coin, thereby saving the friendship from being severed by the giving of the sharp blade. The exact background of this superstition is unclear yet, even today most people will include a coin with the gift of a knife and request the coin be given back. The apparent view is that it is far better to be safe than sorry.

When choosing a knife for a gift that will be used frequently, select a tempered steel blade and a well-crafted handle that is secured firmly to the knife shank. This will insure a long lasting gift idea that will be enjoyed for many, many years.

Iouri Kroukov is an owner of My Gift Idea gift shop with gift ideas for men,gift ideas for women and more!

Pocket knife collecting has been a hobby of millions of people for hundreds (if not thousands) of years.

For some people, the joy and excitement is in the "chase" or "pursuit" of any particular pocket knife or set of pocket knives. Yet for others, the excitement is in owning them, and displaying them for others to also enjoy. Pocket knife swapping has also grown over the years, as people search out viable avenues to exchange their pocket knives, straight knives, and /or folding knives with other collectors of the same.

The pocket knife industry has shown tremendous growth in recent years, and that growth continues today. Prices of these types of knives vary, according to the what the knife is constructed of, and from where it originates from.

There are literally millions of versions from which to choose. Some have surgical stainless steel blades, while others sport other types of high impact metals. The handles on pocket knives can vary greatly as well. There are the folding and straight knives that offer handles with genuine wooden inlays, animal bone components, laminates, plastic. Some are simply 100% metal.

Then there are the collectible pocket knives that offer matching keychains with a fantastic Bald Eagle on them, or a simulated or real jewel fashioned into the handle itself.

For me, the joy and excitement of collecting pocket knives, folding knives, boot knives, and straight knives, is a combination of all that has been mentioned above.

Collectible Pocket Knives

Ben Nunzio is a Partner and CEO of Above All Wholesalers, Inc. (http://www.AAWSALES.com/),and writes for assorted article directories.

AAWsales.com

Folding knives, also known as folders or pocket knives are the most popular of all the different types of knives collected today. There was a time when every man and young boy for that matter carried a pocket knife. Within the folding knife category there are many special types and manufacturers. Most American collectors are interested mainly in knives mass produced for practical use in the United States.

One of the oldest knife manufacturers in the United States is John Russell who opened a factory on the Green River near Deerfield, MA in 1830. Among the most notable knives of American manufacture, in addition to John Russell, are several known as Case.

There were several because a whole family of Cases were making knives and they were rivals. The first Case firm was known as Case Brothers Cutlery Company, which was founded in 1896 in Little Valley, NY by the three younger sons of Job Case. John, Jean and Andrew made their "Tested XX" knife famous. However, they were later overwhelmed by Russell Case, a son of their oldest brother, who worked for John, Jean and Andrew as a salesman. Russell quit after an argument over money and started a company named after his father, W.R. Case and Son. Vintage knives made by any of the Cases are very sought-after.

Collectors of American folding knives also look for knives made by the Winchester and Remington gun companies. They started making knives after WW1. Other popular brands include Buck, Camillus, Colonial, Ka-Bar and Schrade. Novelty knives and advertising knives were very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Many large companies such as Coca Cola gave away many advertising knives made by some of the companies mentioned above.

Collecting vintage folding knives can be a fun, educational, rewarding and sometimes a profitable hobby. The best place to buy or sell vintage knives is eBay.

Glyn Farber has published a catalog of all known Hickey Brother Cigar Store Tokens and co-authored a book about Louisiana Trade Tokens. In addition he wrote several articles for The Token and Medal Society (TAMS) and The National Token Collectors Association (NTCA). Glyn has been a devoted collector of Louisiana Trade Tokens, Louisiana collectibles and Lake Charles, LA postcards for almost 40 years.

Find out more information about Folding Knives, Collectibles and Trade Tokens at his web sites
http://www.most-popular-collectibles-at-auction.com and http://www.louisiana-trade-tokens.com