The Life-Changing Magic of a Stylish Letter Opener

Despite my best efforts, I am unable to open an envelope by hand without completely mangling it. It wasn’t until around a decade ago, when I bought myself a brass fox-head letter opener at the checkout counter of a local gift shop, that I discovered there’s a better way—perhaps even a correct way. Suddenly, thanks to my impulse purchase, letters were no longer in danger of being torn to bits, and friends’ wedding invitations could be saved with their beautifully calligraphed envelopes still intact. (Of course, I could have just used a knife, but having a tool dedicated solely to the task of opening mail felt elegant and grown-up in an old-fashioned way, like wearing a silk scarf or knowing how to use a French hair pin.)

Today, I am the proud owner of multiple letter openers—there’s always one in the foyer, one on my desk, and one that’s mysteriously missing. To me, sliding a pleasingly well-designed piece of metal under the flap of an envelope and watching it tear a perfectly straight line is among the small joys in life. And who doesn’t need that?