The Republic of Heaven

In the subtle knife and in the audio version, they both say that the bearer before Will, can't remember his name, told Will that he musn't use the knife for a base purpose.

What does that mean?

Any thoughts?

I'm not quite sure, maybe don't use it lightly. something like that?

dictionary.com wrote:base
–adjective
1. morally low; without estimable personal qualities; dishonorable; meanspirited; selfish; cowardly.
2. of little or no value; worthless: hastily composed of base materials.
3. debased or counterfeit: an attempt to eliminate the base coinage.
4. characteristic of or befitting an inferior person or thing.
5. of illegitimate birth.

I would go with 1,2, or 4.

Maybe he meant that the knife is unable to cut through anything with alkaline properties.
I've found it's only weakness!

I interpreted it as not using the knife for a trivial purpose: Buttering bread, picking your toenails, trying to unscrew your doorbell when the battery runs out, etc.

Philip Pullman wrote:It said the knife could be harmful or it could do good, but it was so slight, such a delicate kind of a balance, that the faintest thought or wish could tip it one way or the other...

I think that what Giacomo Paradisi was talking about was that if one used the knife with harmful or base intentions the knife's "balance" would tip towards wickedness and hurfulness. Given the knife's extraordinary destructive power, I would imagine that using the knife for a "base" purpose would inflict terrible harm upon the world around it, and that Paradisi knew this, or part of it, in some way.

Midnighttosix wrote:Maybe he meant that the knife is unable to cut through anything with alkaline properties.
I've found it's only weakness!

You have no clue how hard I laughed at that. My whole English class looked at me. Ah, I'm such a nerd.

PS. I love you Midnighttosix!

Serenula wrote: You have no clue how hard I laughed at that. My whole English class looked at me. Ah, I'm such a nerd.

PS. I love you Midnighttosix!

Why, thank you. I do pride myself in my chemistry humour.

Luca wrote:picking your toenails

I think that would be a very risky thing to do indeed. I wouldn't even advise attempting it with a regular old serrated steak knife, let alone the subtle knife.

But something i don't get is why then is the knife not allowed to be used to cut bread or other things?

Because it's the uber-Godslaying knife of awesomeness. Using it for mundane tasks is demeaning.

So? It's a knife! Knives don't feel in this world.

There's not a list of rules that'll get you struck down dead if you use the knife for 'cutting bread' (it's a metaphor ). The point is that if you use the knife for petty purposes, as numerous members of the Guild previously had, then you will only damage your life and your world. Kind of like time travel... but without the space-time paradoxes and incest.

Personally, I believe this was just a word of advice from Paradisi, and the knife worked its own intentions regardless of its use.

I have a question, can the knife edge that cuts between worlds also cut through anything else or is that just the other side?

owatts93darkmaterials fan wrote:In the subtle knife and in the audio version, they both say that the bearer before Will, can't remember his name, told Will that he musn't use the knife for a base purpose.

What does that mean?

It means he probably shouldn't sell it to Gillette for a billion dollars, a jacuzzi filled with Pepto-Bismol, and a date with Scarlett Johansson. Not that I've thought about it or anything . . .

owatts93darkmaterials fan wrote:I have a question, can the knife edge that cuts between worlds also cut through anything else or is that just the other side?

Will warns the Himalayan girl to stay back when he cuts out of the cave again, lest he cuts her. So probably, yes.

In Primeval if anyone watches it, when an anomoly closes the raptor who has its head through the window gets its head chopped off by the closing of the anomoly. Is it the same with the knife?

I think he meant not to use it for his own gains. As to clipping your toenails and cutting bread with it, think of it as a lightsaber, or Anduril in LoTR. You wouldn't use them that way would you?

Things not to do with the knife

1.Do not ingest the knife
2.Always keep a firm grip on the knife, dropping it will result in unpleasentness
3.Always keep the scabbard well buckled, unless you are wearing trousers made of true love
4.Do not attempt to throw and catch the knife
5.Do not pretend to stab mutual friends/aquaintances with the knife
6.Keep the knife away from Deities and/or Divine beings at all times
7.Do not use the knife to sever space time, this will result in unpleasentness
8.Do not use the knife as a toothpick etc.
9.Do not stab yourself with the knife
10.Do not use the knife for base purposes ie. Severing space time to visit your true love who you will never meet again
11.Do not use th knife as a can/bottle opener or screwdriver
12.Always properly wash after use

I like #1