Is it strange that my boyfriend, who is 25, gifted me a pocket knife?

I'm a 22-year-old woman, and I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend, who is 25, for about four months now. He’s my first boyfriend, and my mother hasn’t taken to him at all, mainly because our beliefs differ. She’s been trying to convince me that everything he does is odd. For some context, I still live at home with my mom while I’m in college. One of her biggest complaints is that we stay out until midnight, but since we live quite a distance apart, we really want to maximize our time together, which is often just a couple of times a month due to our busy school schedules. Another thing she dislikes is his family, suggesting that their influence might affect how he treats me in the future. The list goes on, but one incident that particularly stood out was when he gave me a pocket knife as a gift. He knew my father never gave me one like he did for my brother and thought it would be useful for my safety. I found it really thoughtful, but my mom reacted strongly, saying it sounded suspicious and likening it to a murder scenario straight out of a true crime show, mentioning cases like Gabby Petito's. This left me wondering—if he had bad intentions, would he really treat me so well? He pays for all our dates, makes the long drive to see me, gives thoughtful gifts on special occasions, and respects my desire to wait until marriage. Additionally, I question why he would give me a knife if his intent were harmful. I'm feeling really confused about all this and would love to hear others' thoughts. Am I just being naïve, or is there something deeper at play? Overall, he’s making this experience, my first and hopefully only one in dating, incredibly positive.