Give a woman a knife. Why not? Knives symbolize power and personality, two distinctions that go perfectly with femininity. Women, like men, love quality objects that embody authenticity and enhance their uniqueness. Today, professions and passions know no gender boundaries. Chefs, adventurers, sculptors: they all appreciate the timeless, unique value of a beautiful blade. Knives for women don’t really stand out. It’s more in the details that subtlety appears: weight, size, elegance, personalization. The choice of steel depends on taste and use, not on the user. There are no gender-specific criteria for the handle either. We focus on the quality and beauty of the material. In the end, it’s no surprise that the secret of the perfect knife for women lies in its intention. Here, however, are a few feminine tips to help you buy wisely.
🙏 Thanks to Coralie LESSAN, Mickael TEXIER and Christel DUPUY-PEPERMANS (pictured at the top of this article) for their photos.
Why a knife for women?
Knives and women, a long-standing tradition
Knives symbolize strength and virility. Traditionally, knives are associated with masculinity. However, knives are far from being the exclusive preserve of men! In the Middle Ages, women wore a blade under their skirt or on their belt. Later, from a different angle, Charlotte Corday reminds us that the female hand also wields the knife. But let’s move on from the violence of the past and into the 20th century.
Louise Nevelson, famous in the 20s for her wood sculptures, made this material her trademark. Her works convey the marriage of nature and femininity. She made it a point of honor to take her place in a world monopolized by men, according to Artsper magazine.
Crédit photo : Artsper Magazine
How do women use their knives in 2025?
Elegant, traditional and full of character, knives are used in everyday life. From DIY to gardening, not a day goes by without cutting a string or a flower. The women take advantage of their escapades in the countryside to unearth a few edible wild plants. Bear’s garlic, in particular, makes delicious pestos.
Mothers take along a folding knife for Sunday picnics, slicing bread and making sandwiches. On solo hikes, this one chops wood for the evening campfire, that one gathers mushrooms for the next day’s omelette. Moms or not, they all love preparing pretty country bouquets as they stroll along.
Like men, they appreciate a quality blade for cooking. Cutting or deseeding is always quicker with a good chef’s knife or paring knife. Ask Anne-Sophie Pic, Adeline Grattard or Julia Sedefdjian.
5 good reasons to give a woman a knife
Ladies, if you’re reading this, we’re preaching to the choir. Here’s the shortcut to the store: I’m buying myself a knife.
Would you like to give a woman a knife as a gift? Excellent idea. A knife, and a handmade one at that, is a traditional object often likened to a piece of jewelry, so personal is it.
Perfect for a birthday, Mother’s Day, Christmas or Valentine’s Day, it can also be given for retirement or a career change. Every stage of life deserves its own knife.
To give it to a woman is :
🔪 show her independence ;
🔪 choosing a timeless, long-lasting gift, a faithful daily companion that she’ll bequeath to her children ;
🔪 celebrate her uniqueness when it’s personalized with a cryptogram (a boat, an anchor, a wolf, a treble clef, a rose, a heart, a pin-up) that represents her passion or personality ;
🔪 convey a message (an engraved heart illustrates your love for her, a message recalls an intimate moment) ;
🔪 honor tradition and heritage, all the more so if its handle is made from a unique, local wood like Morta.
Adventurous woman, homebody, cook.
Woman adventurer, handyman, gatherer.
Woman (inclusive writing obliges 😉 ) sculptor, tailor, engineer.
To each her own knife, her own pleasure in owning a beautiful handmade object.
Choosing the right woman’s knife: our 5 tips from artisan cutlers
It’s true that a knife is a mixed object! But here are 5 criteria to consider when choosing the right knife. A few details to help your wife, mother or friend find it comfortable and to her liking.
Ergonomics
Choose a lightweight knife that’s comfortable to hold and adapted to the size of your wife’s fingers.
Personalized beauty
Aesthetics: opt for a refined, elegant design. Mammoth ivory inlays and a fine blue vulcanized fiber edging confirm Morta’s already authentic character.
Make this gift special, original and unique with our customizable designs.
- Add a first name, a note, a message or an emotion. Short of ideas? This article on engraved knives is for you.
- Select the font from 5 rock’n’roll proposals. Which one resonates most with her?
- Choose a pictogram representative of her hobbies or personality, our models are created by a painter.
The steel of the blade adds a special dimension.
- The moiré reflections of Damascus steel for sophisticated women.
- The strong character of forged steel for authentic women.
- The brilliance of stainless steel for women who love sharp beauty.
The use
Think about how she’ll use it. Is she more of a cook or an outdoor enthusiast?
The former appreciate paring, chef’s or oyster knives.
Others expect stainless steel blades, survival and bushcraft knives. Those who like to set beautiful place settings love table knives and bread knives.
Folding knives, EDC, keep up with modern women. They slip discreetly into a handbag or backpack.
Durability
A handcrafted knife is a guarantee of quality, and its blade of sturdiness. The knifemaker takes care to use noble materials and properly treated steels. All our collections are handcrafted in our workshop in Saint-André des Eaux, Loire Atlantique, in the heart of the Brière region.
I offer a handmade knife made in France
Budget
Gentlemen, it’s not about her, it’s about you. What price can you put on this gift?
We’ll let you be the judge.
Handcrafted quality comes at a price, but keep in mind that this knife will remain unique for her and will serve her for the rest of her life.
Don’t forget to think about knife kits, sheaths and scabbards, so you can store your knives or wear them on your belt. For sharpening, we recommend the use of a natural whetstone.
Morta handle: the secret of an ever more authentic knife
The cutlery market offers handles in horn, plastic or steel.
There are many knives with wooden handles: beech, boxwood, ebony, olive, rosewood, walnut, deer antler, rosewood, etc. But morta is a special kind of wood.
Morta, however, is an unusual wood. But why? Morta is a wood in the process of fossilization. It has been buried in the peat of the Brière region for 5,000 years. Its exploitation and extraction are subject to very strict regulations. The Parc Naturel Régional de Brière, the Commission Syndicale de la Grande Brière Mottière and the Biodiversity Services have agreed on a list of obligations to safeguard the environment, flora and fauna. It’s a unique and rare material. Even its name is specific. The term Morta comes from the Briéron dialect, still spoken in the last century in the villages of Saint-Joachim, Mayun and Saint-Lyphard. It’s so special that it’s regularly used in literature, as in Alphonse de Châteaubriant’s La Brière.
Knives are highly symbolic objects. Handcrafted, it conveys the richness of local heritage and culture.
That’s why our cutlers like to remind us that slipping a Morta knife into your jeans is like putting 5,000 years of history in your pocket. Just think, this wood dates back to the time of the Pharaohs. Imagine yourself, ladies and gentlemen, sporting an object from Cleopatra’s time – rather classy, don’t you think?
Testimonial from our knifemaker Charlotte
What better testimonial than that of a passionate cutler to illustrate what a knife means to a woman?
Here’s what Charlotte, the feminine energy of the Atelier JHP team, thinks of knives in the feminine sense.
Does a woman choose her knife differently from a man?
Until now, men were more interested in the technical aspects (manufacturing, choice of steels), while women focused on the knife’s aesthetics and practicality.
However, this boundary is becoming increasingly blurred, and choice criteria are less and less gendered.
🔪 For example, this grandfather is looking for a knife to scrape chicken carcasses and buys the smallest model in our collection.
🔪 Similarly, this couple comes to choose a knife for madame who decides on the standard model and not on the Morta mini proposed by her husband.
Why is this? Quite simply, because customers choose their knives according to their needs and sensibilities.
A woman who wants to keep her knife close at hand prioritizes size and weight, so that it fits in her bag (or jeans pocket) and is easy to carry.
Of course, hand size counts, but it’s not as decisive as you might think.
In fact, more and more customers are giving knives to their wives. As I tell visitors, knives are for everyone.
The feminine or masculine influence is felt more in the choice of cryptograms. The heart-shaped engraving, in particular, is sold almost exclusively to women.
Women in cutlery
I’m seeing more and more young women training to become cutlers, women who are genuinely interested in knife-making techniques,” says Charlotte. We’re welcoming more and more female apprentices, and it’s a real pleasure to see that cutlery, a traditionally masculine field, is opening up to women.
Choosing a knife for a woman requires getting to know the future owner. Just as with a man’s, a knife adapts to the tastes and activities of its user. While aesthetics may differ through decoration and personalization, quality and ergonomics remain the major criteria. A handcrafted knife made in France using traditional know-how is your guarantee of making the right choice.
Source
Article written by Christelle Lorant 🪶
The article in a few questions
Why is giving a knife to a woman a great idea?
Giving a knife to a woman is a wonderful way to celebrate her independence, uniqueness and passions. More than a simple object, a knife is a piece of handcrafted jewelry that expresses a strong intention. Whether for everyday use or for specific activities, it embodies timeless quality and unique elegance.
By personalizing the handle with engravings, cryptograms or rare materials such as mammoth ivory inlays and/or vulcanized blue fiber edging, it becomes an unforgettable and lasting gift, both practical and symbolic.
How do women use their knives on a daily basis?
Women use their knives in many different contexts: DIY, gardening, cooking or outdoor leisure activities. A folding knife slips easily into a bag or pocket, ready to cut string, pick flowers or prepare a picnic.
For adventures in nature, they prefer survival knives or stainless steel blades. And for the kitchen, a paring knife or damascus blade brings precision and elegance.
What criteria should I consider when choosing a knife for a woman?
A knife for women should combine aesthetics, practicality and comfort. Here are the main criteria:
- Ergonomics: A comfortable grip with a light weight.
- Aesthetics: personalized engravings and refined materials such as wood, ivory or damascus steel.
- Use: Needs vary from cooking to outdoor activities to collecting.
- Durability: A handcrafted knife made from quality materials, such as Morta or stainless steel, ensures long life.
- Budget: A top-of-the-range knife is an investment that reflects its quality and uniqueness.
Why is Morta so special for a knife handle?
Morta, a rare and precious material, comes from trunks that have been fossilized in the peat of the Brière region for 5,000 years. This material combines history and craftsmanship: it dates back to the time of the Pharaohs and bears witness to an incomparable wealth of heritage.
Used to make knife handles, it brings an unrivalled authenticity, with shades of black and a remarkable texture.
What is the importance of craftsmanship in women's knives?
Craftsmanship guarantees superior quality and attention to detail, making each piece unique. Our handmade knives, designed in the Atelier JHP in Saint-André des Eaux, reflect traditional craftsmanship and use noble materials such as Morta, damascus steel or ivory.
As well as being functional, these knives are true works of art that bring pleasure and satisfaction to their owners.
What occasions are ideal for giving a small pocket knife to a woman?
A knife is an ideal gift for special occasions: birthdays, Mother’s Day, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or even retirement.
As a lasting, personal object, it accompanies its owner on a daily basis, becoming a precious keepsake to be passed on to future generations.
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