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Comment by dsr_ | Hacker News Reader

Since I know about knives, I would buy them a knife.

If I was an accomplished bread baker, I would give them a couple of loaves each week for a month -- unless I knew they had a dietary issue.

Don't buy a book about programming for a programmer; do buy the best book on programming in Python for a kid who shows interest.

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You can, but if you consider knives an uninteresting kitchen tool, then you have just given them a $300 knife that they will feel bad about every time they use it open a can of beans.

btw: if you do know about knives, please hit me up at my email address and let me pick your brain a bit.

[Edit: my email address wasn't in my profile. fixed, but I'll reach out to folks shortly, thanks!].

Hey I don't see your email address in your profile but I know a bit about knives and would be happy to answer any questions

I do know a bit about knives. Your email address isn't in your profile. Mine is in mine; feel free.

Part of knowing something about knives is in selecting the right tool(s) for the users. I'm not going to buy a 200mm gyuto for my parents; I got them a set of [chef's knife, bread knife, paring knife] that is miles better than what they had and still holds up well because I know it's only going to be sharpened when I come to visit.

Anyone opening a can with a knife should feel bad about it.

I have a nasty scar down my finger from opening a bottle with a knife, I’d advise against using knives like this.

Spoons work great though!

Different kind of bottle but I've pulled a damaged cork with a 3.5 inch deck screw and a pair of pliers before. Worked great.

I mean, you have a knife and you have a can. You need to open said can... You _will_ use the damned knife.

Less of a problem nowadays, since it seems most cans have pull tabs. But the metal of the cans is usually far more malleable than the knife, and if you have a work knife, it isn't unreasonable to do so.

> feel bad about every time they use it open a can of beans.

There are no words for this.

On the flipside, it can definitely portray a quality on the item - it's not just a $300 knife, but a $300 knife that Jim picked out, and Jim window-shops knives when you walk by his desk. Because Jim picked something he knew about, he knows how to give a better gift.

I'm a big fan of giving the best gift you uniquely know how to give, and failing that something broadly useful or consumable.

Email sent. Knives have been a hobby for a long time. Got to spend some time, when I've visited the US, in workshops of Chad Nichols damascus, Vegas forge, Tom Krein and Brian Fellhoelter. Great fun.

Yeah. There are also indie crafters at that price point with high-quality products.

It's much harder with knowledge material.

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