In an attempt to honor tradition and avoid superstitious lousy luck, each Barnes comes with a die cast double-sided TJB coin. This is our first coin design, and it represents the evolution of the Clovis point which we use as our brand mark, and that fact that knives are in fact one of our very first tools, and are still just as useful today. We firmly believe that analog experiences matter, and the coin serves as a reminders to do real things, in real time, to try and properly counter-balance our overly-digitized existences.
History tells us that gifting a knife risked the possibility of "cutting ties between friends." To prevent affable bonds from being severed, real or imagined, the tradition of including a coin when gifting a knife was born. When a knife was given, a coin, typically a penny (for good luck), was attached to the blade. The receiver of the gift would simply return the coin to the giver, thus "paying" for the knife and ensuring that the relationship remained intact (and the knife remained out of anyone's back).
We find value in the critical pieces of culture that tradition represents. Something as simple as gifting a coin with a knife can add meaning, creates a story and leaves a mark in the memory bank. So, when you present The Barnes with a TJB coin as a gift, you turn an exchange into into memory.