Just a bit of fun with magic knives

http://danbensen.tumblr.com/post/157452199175/brucesterling-i-would-buy-one-of-these-if-i

When the Becalmer looms over you, shadows writhing on its talons as it reaches toward your pituitary gland. But the handcuffs that they used to chain you to the chair are iron.

With an effort of will easier to do than describe, you unspool the cold metal around your wrists. Skeins twist under your fingers. A pinch and pull like closing a ziplock bag and the blade is ready.

There’s no time to look; time only to whip your arm around, burying the colloidal weapon in the unclean flank of the beast.

That’s when one of those things would be useful.