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Original poster

To buy my own knives?

31 replies

Elisheva · 18/01/2015 20:35

Ridiculous, unimportant situation.
For Christmas I asked in laws for some kitchen knives. My knives are cheap and not very good, and I would really like a couple of nice, good quality ones.
No problem said in laws.
On Christmas Day I had lovely presents from in laws, but no knives. Apparently MIL had remembered that it is bad luck to give knives as a present. They said that they would still buy me knives and I could just have them in the new year.
I still have no knives. The knives have not been mentioned again. What do I do? I'm more than happy to buy my own knives but then if they buy some I'll have two lots, and it would be a waste of money. I can't ask if they are going to buy me knives because that would be rude.
If I say 'I bought my own knives' so you don't need to worry' that also seems rude. How can I resolve this so I end up with un offended in laws and nice knives?

OP posts:
mrscumberbatch · 18/01/2015 20:36

Argh too much 'knives' now word has lost all meaning!!!

KirjavaTheCat · 18/01/2015 20:38

They probably don't intend to buy you knives. Go ahead and buy some, and don't mention it.

KirjavaTheCat · 18/01/2015 20:39

Incidentally I've read the word 'knives' so many times now it doesn't feel like a read word anymore!

KirjavaTheCat · 18/01/2015 20:40

Haha mrscumberbatch Grin x-post.

ouryve · 18/01/2015 20:42

Just buy some - and if it'll stretch your budget to do so, have a look at victorinox knives. They're really good value for money and very sharp.

mrscumberbatch · 18/01/2015 20:42

I actually can't read it because all I can see is knives, knives, knives...

I'm trying hard not to start saying 'knives, knives, knives' out loud on the train...

Hassled · 18/01/2015 20:47

ILs have worked out that whether they give you knives at Christmas or any subsequent random date, they will still be a present and thus unlucky. Go crazy in your local knife emporium. If I'm wrong and you get knives for Valentine's Day, - well, you can't have too many knives.

SorchaN · 18/01/2015 21:01

You can never have too many knives. Knives are the heart of a happy kitchen. Buy yourself some knives, and if your in-laws buy you more knives, simply chop and slice more stuff. You could assign some of your knives to cheese, others to meat, others to vegetables etc. I have lots and lots of knives and I love them all Smile.

Discopanda · 18/01/2015 21:13

My mum got me knives, even though we have a running joke about me not being allowed sharp, pointy objects. You're far less likely to have an accident with a sharp, good quality knife. Robert Dyas has a sale on atm, go treat yourself.

Amethyst24 · 18/01/2015 21:23

I had knives on my wedding gift list (fab Global ones). Clearly this is why my marriage went tits up.

maddening · 18/01/2015 21:26

With the bad luck thing and knives as resents the receiver is meant to give a symbolic penny to the giver to avoid the fabled bad luck

Hatespiders · 18/01/2015 21:29

If someone gives you knives or scissors as a gift, they just need to give you a silvery coin with the gift (5p or 10p would do) and it negates the bad luck.

t3rr3gl35 · 18/01/2015 21:36

Hah!! to timing..... I agree with PP's - it's simply not possible to have too many knives, or to have them too sharp (my favourites are Sabatier). However, after a lifetime of keeping my fingers away from sharp blades.....I'm nursing a plaster on one of my fingers tonight as I managed to slice through my nail bed while cutting up some cold roast beef. No idea how it happened, no alcohol involved, so slippage of blade or beef, fingers all neatly curled away from blade.....Blush

Birdsgottafly · 18/01/2015 21:52

"" I can't ask if they are going to buy me knives because that would be rude. ""

No it wouldn't be, you are supposed to be able to have open, honest conversations with close family members.

If you feel really uncomfortable, could you manage to slip having priced knives, or going shopping for knives, into the conversation?

I agree that you can't have to many knives and they are something that I would buy myself, so I end up with really decent ones.

NeedABumChange · 18/01/2015 22:04

Get some Global knives. I have them and they are amazing! Mine are a fair few years old and still so good.

We have tiny kitchen and three full knife blocks. The fancy globals for cooking. The crappy ones I bought myself before got the fancy ones, these are for if globals are dirty or I'm chopping direct onto granite work surface and very crappy old set that are not used for food but DIY type stuff/scraping things etc.

So get some and if you get some more given it's all good!

Original poster
Elisheva · 18/01/2015 22:31

Sorry about overuse of the weird knives Grin
I only want two, a vegetable one and a chefs one - is that not enough? Maybe I'll go and buy some tomorrow.

OP posts:
TheSkiingGardener · 18/01/2015 22:33

Buy knives. I exclaim to inlaws that lovely family member X has found some knives in the sales that you have bought and that they are wonderful.

atticusclaw · 18/01/2015 22:36

Just buy them. I have a smilier issue in that my parents said they'd get me a certain present for my 40th last year. They didn't get it for my actual birthday because they were away and then we were on holiday and so we didn't see them until about 6 weeks after my birthday. By that time of course the birthday was forgotten. I don't want to mention it because I don't want to look grabby but I really could do with the item and am happy to buy it myself but as soon as I do they'll probably remember and I'll end up with two.

MoreBeta · 18/01/2015 22:40

Sabatier knives are good and you need a good sharpening steel. Knives are useless without a steel to keep them sharp and a blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one.

Get a 10 or 12 inch cook knife and a short blade 4 inch paring knife and sharpening steel.

I would also strongly recommend you get one of these small serated knives. Very cheap but ultra sharp brilliant for slicing soft fruit, pastry trimming. A professional pastry chef told me to get one as he used his all day and he was right.

SummerHouse · 19/01/2015 19:51

Mrscumberbatch and sorchaN..... knives! I was crying laughing at your knives comments on this knives thread. I can't put my finger on why knives are so funny.

vienna1981 · 19/01/2015 21:14

Agreed that sharp knives are safe knives. Blunt equals useless and annoying.

Magnetic knife racks that screw to the kitchen wall are excellent if you have mismatched knives. I wouldn't be without mine.

vienna1981 · 19/01/2015 21:16

Also a sharpening steel is a must. My local butcher got mine for me - a real professional utensil.

SummerHouse · 20/01/2015 21:56

Oh and on the actual knives issue... Buy them and say... "Oh, hope you didn't get me any knives. I saw some knives in the sale and I got them. Still got the receipt just in case so I can always return them."

KingJoffreyObviouslyWatchesHol · 20/01/2015 21:59

I have a rabbit called Knives.

Just saying...

cozietoesie · 20/01/2015 22:29

I've got loads of good knives and I'm thinking of getting some more. As SorchaN said, you can't have too many. Go and buy some and then if you're given more, grin with glee. (And stop using the cheap ones: they're unpleasant, inefficient and - in many cases - actually dangerous.)