- Joined
- Feb 17, 2009
- Messages
- 1,464
I also had a BB Gun at 5, 1st pocketknife at 7, shotgun at 9 and .22 rifle at 11. Times were different back then. I took my shotgun to school in 5th grade for a presentation. No one thought anything odd about it...
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Age for first knife
- Thread starter wesessiah
- Start date
With sak, I see the difference in signature vs executive 81. Better scales, flathead on the file with signature. Why is the classic SD precious alox $15 higher when it looks just like the signature minus the tweezers and tooth pick? The deluxe tinker is what I bought my wife last Christmas hoping she would stop using/losing my tools.
scdub
Basic Member
- Joined
- May 29, 2004
- Messages
- 2,968
MANY people who used a slipjoint as a child, myself included, had it fold onto and cut a finger. Slipjoints are for advanced users imho.
Consider a small fixed blade with a guard that is only used under supervision to complete particular tasks/crafts/meals.
I’d suggest something like one of these offerings from Mora:
Consider a small fixed blade with a guard that is only used under supervision to complete particular tasks/crafts/meals.
I’d suggest something like one of these offerings from Mora:
Gave my nephew a toy Swiss army knife.. He luvz it......Turned 3 yesterday!!!!
Every kid is different and matures at different rates......Dexterity follows the same general path...
Both are necessary!!!! He.likes to cut his own meat with a serrated plastic knife too
.
I've inducted him young
Every kid is different and matures at different rates......Dexterity follows the same general path...
Both are necessary!!!! He.likes to cut his own meat with a serrated plastic knife too
.I've inducted him young
I got mine at 7 also. I camped a lot since we owned a few acres and had cows, horses, and goats. But what I really remember most is that i would take my grandpa (who lived with us) my knife to sharpen it for me. He would pull his Arkansas rock from his overall's pocket, put some oil or spit on it, and start going back and forth with my blade on it. After a few strokes, he wold feel it - hand it back to me (closed) - and say, "That's good enough for you young man". I would always want him to put a few more strokes on it but he never would. His pocket knife, that he constantly whittled with, was always razor sharp. But he would leave mine just "somewhat" sharp. I really think that is the difference today. Its not the knife that one gives, but the edge that is on it! My gosh, I got some 20 years old nephews that I wouldn't give a sharp knife to!!!
VorpelSword
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2007
- Messages
- 1,554
I was involved with the Boy Scouts in the 1990s. The troop was small with bout as many adults (parents) at meetings as there were Scouts, so direct supervision was pretty good.
The youngest there were 11. We had a Toten=Cip" wayt of monitoring safe knife usage. A Scout received safe knife handling instruction and was observed doing some cutting chores. If they could show that they knew and used safe handling practices, they were issued this card so that let another adult know they had done so.
If a /scout was observed in unsafe behavior with a knife, he was "re-educated" on the spot, and a corner was clipped off his card. Three corners gone revoked the card and he got further "instruction." . . .immediately and often by his father. Reinstating the privilege and he knife, was held for a later date.
I did get a pocketknife when I was younger through=gh participating in Cub Scouts . . .I was eight years old and lost it, Our grandson has had a Buck 110 since he was 10 I think. He got to take it out of the gun safe when the family went camping. He is now 13. Last weekend, he and his father did aa forging workshop and together created a 4"-5" knife with a stag handle.
I do not Tink a youngster should be left with a knife unsupervised even as they become a teenager now a days. I remember when I was still to young to drive: We would take turns throwing a surplus bayonet or Ka-Bar into the dirt near each other's feet. that foot was moved to touch the knife and the other guy diid it../ Eventually one of us could not stand from the split and the game was over. Ity was great fun at the time, but looking back sixty years or so now, as an adult it seems unwise.
The youngest there were 11. We had a Toten=Cip" wayt of monitoring safe knife usage. A Scout received safe knife handling instruction and was observed doing some cutting chores. If they could show that they knew and used safe handling practices, they were issued this card so that let another adult know they had done so.
If a /scout was observed in unsafe behavior with a knife, he was "re-educated" on the spot, and a corner was clipped off his card. Three corners gone revoked the card and he got further "instruction." . . .immediately and often by his father. Reinstating the privilege and he knife, was held for a later date.
I did get a pocketknife when I was younger through=gh participating in Cub Scouts . . .I was eight years old and lost it, Our grandson has had a Buck 110 since he was 10 I think. He got to take it out of the gun safe when the family went camping. He is now 13. Last weekend, he and his father did aa forging workshop and together created a 4"-5" knife with a stag handle.
I do not Tink a youngster should be left with a knife unsupervised even as they become a teenager now a days. I remember when I was still to young to drive: We would take turns throwing a surplus bayonet or Ka-Bar into the dirt near each other's feet. that foot was moved to touch the knife and the other guy diid it../ Eventually one of us could not stand from the split and the game was over. Ity was great fun at the time, but looking back sixty years or so now, as an adult it seems unwise.
Last edited:
oldrifleman
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2006
- Messages
- 2,091
My first knife was my Cub Scout knife at 8, followed by an Boy scout knife at 10, oldtimer 80T at 12, Buck 301 at 17 and the hunt continues.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2019
- Messages
- 14,787
Instead of recommending an age, let me share somethings I've learned:
1) my 5 year old still hasn't used the SAK Tinker I bought for him when he was 6 months old
- he's not ready to carry it on his own, so we use my knife for most things.
2) he's used the little scissors on 58 mm SAKs more than anything else, and loves it.
- the Jetsetter was great; it's too bad he lost it already.
- he did once drop it on his bare foot and make a small puncture with the scissor tip. Not a huge deal, but worth noting that even the little scissors can draw blood.
3) He doesn't have any real use yet for an actual blade
- cutting vegetables isn't fun because he can't do it anyway he wants to
- whittling anything besides a pointy stick is probably beyond his attention span
- if he's cutting anything else, I probably want to know about it.
4) He doesn't demonstrate good awareness of where the blade tip is pointing. I used to think the rounded tipped knives were silly, but I've come around. He's got a "my first Opinel" no. 7 now, which will be the training folding knife. I'm going to let him start using it in 2 weeks.
your mileage may vary, but I have realized that my desire for him to have a knife is unrealistically greater than the number of uses a 5 year old has for one. Now that said, I think exposure is a key part of education, and knowing he's got special knives set aside for when he's ready is a great motivator. We'll keep using them together, supervised, trying to train some discipline into him.
I've really come to appreciate scissors as a good training tool, and honestly for the past two years he's been mostly interested in cutting paper into fun shapes. As far as I'm concerned that's a good start.
1) my 5 year old still hasn't used the SAK Tinker I bought for him when he was 6 months old
- he's not ready to carry it on his own, so we use my knife for most things.
2) he's used the little scissors on 58 mm SAKs more than anything else, and loves it.
- the Jetsetter was great; it's too bad he lost it already.
- he did once drop it on his bare foot and make a small puncture with the scissor tip. Not a huge deal, but worth noting that even the little scissors can draw blood.
3) He doesn't have any real use yet for an actual blade
- cutting vegetables isn't fun because he can't do it anyway he wants to
- whittling anything besides a pointy stick is probably beyond his attention span
- if he's cutting anything else, I probably want to know about it.
4) He doesn't demonstrate good awareness of where the blade tip is pointing. I used to think the rounded tipped knives were silly, but I've come around. He's got a "my first Opinel" no. 7 now, which will be the training folding knife. I'm going to let him start using it in 2 weeks.
your mileage may vary, but I have realized that my desire for him to have a knife is unrealistically greater than the number of uses a 5 year old has for one. Now that said, I think exposure is a key part of education, and knowing he's got special knives set aside for when he's ready is a great motivator. We'll keep using them together, supervised, trying to train some discipline into him.
I've really come to appreciate scissors as a good training tool, and honestly for the past two years he's been mostly interested in cutting paper into fun shapes. As far as I'm concerned that's a good start.
