Age for first knife

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wesessiah

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Feb 23, 2012
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How old were your kids when you gave them their first knife? My son is 3, so it's not going to be any time soon, doesn't mean I won't go ahead and shop around, lol.

My first knife was a little cheap slipjoint when I was 5. This was in the 80s, so still the time of when not in school, it was lord of the flies, kids playing in the woods unsupervised till dark and so on.

I'm also not sure what I want to start him with. Right now the criteria is small blade. I'm considering anything between a buck slipjoint to maybe something like a delica/dragonfly. I want it to be a simple, easy to maintain steel, something like 420, 440, 14c28n, vg10 etc. Not anything high end, but something from a reputable company. I would be more likely to get a buck in 420j2 than something Gerber in "100% high end stainless." It's a farm/outdoors type setting he's growing up in.

Any experiences with what you found to be the best age, and best style of knife is greatly appreciated. I know it's a ymmv situation, but I like to do my research before the fact. Thanks.
 
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I was 7 when my great uncle gave me my first knife, a Wenger Nomad SAK. However my sister was 4 years younger, and no other kids to worry about. I'd give one to my 9 and 10 year old nephews, but their 5 year old brother is a psycho and gets into everything, probably would try to stab them with it. There is a reason his nickname is Dane the Pain.

I think it depends on the situation. Some kids are more mature than others.
 
My daughter isn't even 2 yet, so I can't answer that as intended, but I was I think 10, give or take a couple years (my memory is miserable) when my Grandfather gave me my first knife, which was a BSA branded lockback. I don't recall who made it, but that's not the point. I needed a knife for camping, so that was when I got one. Same thing with my brother, he got a knife once he needed one, but he was younger than I was when I got mine. As said above, I think it depends on the child, and how responsible they are, or if they have need of one at that juncture.

Edit: just re-read the post. missed the ymmv part, so the above statement was probably unneeded. As for what is needed, I'd suggest what I got for my first; a lockback. Sturdy, simple, and safe when operated with two hands.
 
I found my first SAK at 6 (?), I forgot ... My dad loved it, my mom not so much, but ever since then I had to sharpen the kitchen knives. Also started to have sling-shots around the same age.
 
At least a few years before their first gun. Just get him a classic SD, or some other Vic. With those he wont get in trouble if he whips them out in public. Otherwise, maybe an Opinel, or a spyderco dragonfly/ladybug.
 
As soon as he learned to walk, but his mother (b***h) confiscated knife immediately. The boy got it back when he turned 6.

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Now that y'all mention it, a lockback does sound like a better idea than a slip joint. However a simple sak has crossed my mind too.

I forgot about the slingshot, I was about 6 when I got my first one too.

Funny you mention first gun olumin... I started shopping for that early, so when he's ready, he already has a ruger 10-22 waiting on him, lol.

My experiences with giving knives has been bad so far... my wife has lost 3 pocket knives I've given her over the years. I always gave her cheap knives. however, the first one was the first knife I bought myself with lawn mowing money. Wasn't expensive, one of the smith & wesson baby swat knives from the 90s. Then she lost a crkt m16, and a gerber that I don't recall the name, small with a blue aluminum handle. I got her a Swiss army knife for Christmas last year so she would stop losing my screwdrivers. I need to see if she still has that, lol.

Based on how he is so far, he will more than likely be older than I was. He's very independent and hard headed, and my wife is soft on him.
 
I agree it depends lots on the specific kid. I was between 5 and 6 for my first knife which was a SAK. I think giving a fixed blade first is wise to teach fundamentals like always cut away from yourself and avoid the possibility of catching your fingers.
 
Around 10. My granddaughter got a SAK and my grandson a US military four-blade pocket knife, like my first Boy Scout knife.
 
I got my first knife ( Buck 303) for my 10th birthday. All 3 of my kids got same for their 8th…I couldn’t wait.
 
After my First Communion and when I turned 9 years old: a Buck 121 and a 301 as well as a Crossman pellet gun. I bought the former-after I was given permission to do so. My Dad bought that latter-after getting the permission to do so...from my Mom.

Things have changed in the last four decades.....
 
wesessiah said:
Funny you mention first gun olumin... I started shopping for that early, so when he's ready, he already has a ruger 10-22 waiting on him, lol.
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I remember back when, aside from an air rifle, the first time I ever shot real a gun was when my father made me shoot his 6" .357 S&W. Certainly left an impression. I think your boy will be better off with the .22, lol!

First knife I ever had was a multi tool that my uncle gave me. I carried that thing everywhere for a while. Despite how cheap it was, I don't think I ever managed to break it!
 
I was probably 7 when I got my first sak. Shot the first gun when I was too young to hold it. I had a bb gun before a knife though. At the least I was free to use one when I wanted. I remember my oldest brother shooting the middle one in the ass with it and blaming it on me. No one believed the guy though...
 
I was 5 when I shot my first gun too. My grandpa had me shooting his tube fed winchester model 77 .22. My grandpa left it to my dad, and my dad is leaving it to my son, lol.
Olumin said:
I remember back when, aside from an air rifle, the first time I ever shot real a gun was when my father made me shoot his 6" .357 S&W. Certainly left an impression. I think your boy will be better off with the .22, lol!

First knife I ever had was a multi tool that my uncle gave me. I carried that thing everywhere for a while. Despite how cheap it was, I don't think I ever managed to break it!
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He'll get his chance with one of those, lol. I have a s&w 6" 686-1 .357. My grandpa had me shoot a 20 gauge at around 6 or 7 years old, that's the one that left the impression for me.
 
I think it depends on the kid and the parent, the latter of which is harder to assess than the former! I was seven when I got mine (a victorinox pen knife), and in the subsequent 43 years I have only cut myself once, with a stitch scar to prove it. My son was 8, in scouts. My daughter is 12, occasionally complains that it isn’t fair that she doesn’t have one, and I still don’t think it’s appropriate. Has nothing to do with her gender, it is simply that she has a reckless, playful, destructive, and wild streak, which I love but I don’t think is ready for a blade outside of food preparation.
 
I'm concerned mine will be on the reckless side. He's the toddler that hops out of the jump castle and unplugs the air to the castle and incites the other toddlers to tear down the balloon structures at birthday parties. He already chases and catches the chickens
 
Got a BB Gun when I was 5, pocket knife at 6, .22 at 7, and shotgun at 9. Still unhappy about the knife.
 
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