From peeling fruit to slicing cake, knives are an indispensable tool in our daily lives. In illustrations, they can also be powerful symbols, reflecting a character’s unbreakable resolve or inner turmoil.

Stay sharp with this collection of illustrations featuring knives.

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On its own, a knife might look relatively harmless, and yet, once it’s in someone’s hands, it can appear highly menacing. There’s a terrifying beauty in the way the light bounces off the blade, and even though you know you shouldn’t, you might be tempted to stretch out your hand and grasp it. Like a magpie, you may find yourself irresistibly drawn to these illustrations despite the looming threat they pose.

Did any of the drawings below feel like a stab in the heart?

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