What's With The Knife?

Or rather, the lack of one. I'm speaking of Chinese restaurants, even the ones that serve Mexican fast food (like Fresco Tortilla). Now, I'm a big fan of Chinese food. I essentially subsisted on it in my 20's. A place called Hunan Wok/Jimmy's Place on 25th and 3rd got the bulk of my business back then; like most places in New York, it is now long gone. Fresco Tortilla on 35th and 3rd got a large chunk of my business for a while as well. The chicken combination plate was both tasty and reasonably priced. But like all Chinese-run restaurants, a disturbing phenomenon reared its head: the lack of a knife with your meal.

I've queried several people about this knife thing. One friend of mine said that using a knife at the table is considered bad manners by the Chinese. I once cornered a Chinese gal not too long ago and asked her about this; she said that the "bad manners" thing was bogus. She said it just isn't a custom that they have. Well of course it isn't; their custom doesn't include a fork, either. But if you're going to give a fork with every meal, why not a knife? And why a spoon, but no knife?

I don't think this question rises to the level of "if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it make a sound", but it still seems to be a question without a definitive answer.

The mystery continues....