Agreed with you. In Europe, there’s a superstition that gifting a knife can “cut” or sever a relationship. To avoid this, the person receiving the knife must give a coin—usually just a small one—back to the giver. This act symbolically “pays” for the knife, turning it into a purchase rather than a gift, and preventing any bad luck or harm to the friendship or relationship.

It’s blend of practicality, tradition, and superstition.