At what age do you start your young one out with a knife?

I was raised in the northern mid-west and in those day's everyone carried some sort of knife. I started carrying one, I guess, around 7 or 8 and knew how to use one. My grandfather, who was a trapper on the upper penninsula taught me how to keep them as sharp as a razor and always said a dull knife will hurt you. In addition to my knife I always carried a small wet stone and would sharpen it whenever I was sitting around. The knife has been a part of me as long as I remember and my grown son thinks the same as me.
 
I got my first- a Cam BSA- at 10. That was about right. I respected it, but there was still that hint of fear. Of course, I'm over the fear aspect now, leaving me with respect. I carried through most of HS, even though it was instant detention if I were caught with it. That was fine by me- I knew the consequences, and having the knife as a tool was more valuable than the detention was a deterrent.
 
I got a pretty large single blade folder from my dad when I was about 7. He riiged it up with a lanyard so I wouldn't lose it :D I lost it about 6 moth later and cried for weeks.

My boy is 11 months old and already has a Wood handled Swiss Champ in the drawer waiting for his 5th~6th birthday.
 
My dad is a hobby fisherman and outdoors kinda guys. I was always facinated with a big ass stag handle bowie he had. Of course I was to young to get one that size. But when I was six I got a little traditional bavarian fixed blade.
Even thou my mom beeing a doctor being overprotectiv was totally cool about blades. I got cut often with every edged tool I handled from saws , hatchets, machetes, but thus I learned.
My dad also took me out shooting when i was 14.
Most of my knives in my young age I got from my fathers sister. She travelled the world with the girl scouts and brought back tons of knives. She passed them down too me. I got southafrican sheffield style bowies, makedonian, daggers, african blades and spearheads of all sorts. Pretty cool stuff when you are twelfe, even cooler when you are 35....

Matthias
 
My memory's not all that great, but I started using knives when I was about 5 or 6. The local library had a class on soap carving for kids! So I started carving soap, eventually moved on to wood. My dad showed me how to use and sharpen his buck lockback. I could use it if I asked. My grandfather also would let me use his pocket knife and was always watching to see I was cutting away from myself and generally being safe with it. When I was about 9 or 10 my dad gave me a 3-blade slip joint. I still have it and use it. The slip joint made safety again an issue. There's a carved shark on my parents' mantlepiece with a big bloodstain on one fin where the knife closed on my finger.

I now have two small boys and am wondering when to start them in on knives. I figger they'll see me using/making knives from birth, and when they start really showing an interest I'll see how mature they really are. Constant supervision at first. I have a knife finished for my older boy that I don't plan on giving to him till he's 16 at least. I like it too much to see it get hurt. :) Still working on the knife for the second.
 
My Gramps gave me my first knife (a pocket knife with the swing out fork and spoon) for Christmas when I was about 11. When I opened it, my Uncle Gardie (actually my Grandfather's cousin) told me the "Every good American boy should always carry a pocket knife". I've been a "Good American Boy" ever since.
 
My parents gave me my first knife when I was 8 or 9, I think. The two things you have to expect your kid to do when they get their first knife is (1) cut themselves, and (2) lose it.

Don't buy them anything too expensive. A basic Old-Timer or SAK will be fine.

Chris
 
I have three daughters, i'm starting to introduce them to my knifecollection slowly from 7 years and up.
 
It’s been so long ago I can’t remember the exact time I started carrying a knife, but I imagine it was when ever I was big enough to lift it. In those days knives and guns were just part of life. The rule on the farm was that unless it was a woodchuck, snake or crow, if you killed it you ate it. We had a little single shot .22 with the stock sawed off for the kids and we shot a bunch of stuff and learned how to dress them out so they could be eaten. I was still in single digits at the time. To this day I wouldn't eat another squirrel or cotton tail for any amount of money.

My kids are now in there 30’s and my daughter really appreciates the fine kitchen knives I started her on and my son is a knife person. My son is an environmental consultant who uses a knife in the field every day. I guess in the knife regard I raised them right.

A definitive answer would be whenever you think they won’t cut their dingus off.
 
sixfeetdeep said:
I want to teach the young ones about knives, yet if something was to go wrong where they cut themselves or worse....I would feel terrible!

Any advise is always appreciated. FYI, the kids range from 6years-12.
I also have a clue as to which knives to start them out with...like one of the smaller Spyderco's for example, but....hell, I don't know. I want to do the right thing to help them out & to educate their parents as well, but it gets confusing.
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I think I know how you feel. I have a three year-old daughter who is fascinated by knives. At first I tried to keep her away from my knives, but now I try to educate her. Now she knows that she can see Daddy's knives if she asks nicely. She also knows not to touch any of my knives without permission. When I let her handle them, she grasps them properly by the handle and doesn't touch the blade. I've let her use them to cut a few things, but only under close supervision and with patient instruction.

A few months ago my wife was carving a watermelon in the kitchen and my daughter pointed at the knife blade (from a safe distance) and said "Mommy, don't touch that part. Its sharp." Its going to be a long time before I give her a knife of her own, but she's proven that I can at least trust her to exercise caution. I also feel that if she's at a friend's house and sees a knife, she knows enough to leave it alone.

For her first blade, I'm considering a BRKT Mikro. Its small enough to fit a child's hands, but large enough to handle some real tasks. I'm also thinking that a fixed blade is less likely to be smuggled to school in a pocket because its a little more awkward to conceal in child-size clothes. Also, a folder just screams to be carried, but fixed blades are more associated with open carry in outdoor activities. Her first folder will come after she's demonstrated that she's safe with a knife and its legal for her to carry one. Right now she wants a pink Spyderco, so I might just buy one and put it away for her.

A few weeks ago I was going to the Central Texas Knife Show. When my daughter heard about it, she started begging to come. I was reluctant at first, but took her along at my wife's urging. At the show, my daughter was very careful to look without touching. A few times she saw a knife that she really liked and was allowed to hold them briefly after I checked with the maker. The end result was that we had a great time and there were no accidents or even close calls. I was really proud of her.
 
My son just turned 2. It's so hard to wait - but I'm in no hurry to see him bleeding! I agree with the importance of a short, less-pointy blade. A child is MUCH more likely to fall on a knife - you want it to be short enough that this probably won't do any permanent damage. I would also STRONGLY suggest that the first knife be either a fixed blade or a LOCKING folder. A SAK or other slip joint is very likely to fold onto the fingers of someone with little experience. Lastly, I'd recommend buying a QUALITY knife as your child's first. Yes, they may lose/break it (although I still have mine) so I wouldn't recommend a custom, etc., however if you are trying to generate a genuine appreciation for knives in your child, starting them out with a dull piece of junk (like my first knife) isn't going to do it.

Although I've never owned a Spyderco, I think that the cricket, dragonfly, or spot would make ideal first knives. These knives have a very "tool-like" look (versus "weapon-like"), and I think this is an especially important quality for a kid's knife as well.

Good luck,

Buy band-aids,

SCDUB
 
jggonzalez said:
I think I know how you feel. I have a three year-old daughter who is fascinated by knives. At first I tried to keep her away from my knives, but now I try to educate her. Now she knows that she can see Daddy's knives if she asks nicely. She also knows not to touch any of my knives without permission. When I let her handle them, she grasps them properly by the handle and doesn't touch the blade. I've let her use them to cut a few things, but only under close supervision and with patient instruction.

A few months ago my wife was carving a watermelon in the kitchen and my daughter pointed at the knife blade (from a safe distance) and said "Mommy, don't touch that part. Its sharp." Its going to be a long time before I give her a knife of her own, but she's proven that I can at least trust her to exercise caution. I also feel that if she's at a friend's house and sees a knife, she knows enough to leave it alone.

For her first blade, I'm considering a BRKT Mikro. Its small enough to fit a child's hands, but large enough to handle some real tasks. I'm also thinking that a fixed blade is less likely to be smuggled to school in a pocket because its a little more awkward to conceal in child-size clothes. Also, a folder just screams to be carried, but fixed blades are more associated with open carry in outdoor activities. Her first folder will come after she's demonstrated that she's safe with a knife and its legal for her to carry one. Right now she wants a pink Spyderco, so I might just buy one and put it away for her.

A few weeks ago I was going to the Central Texas Knife Show. When my daughter heard about it, she started begging to come. I was reluctant at first, but took her along at my wife's urging. At the show, my daughter was very careful to look without touching. A few times she saw a knife that she really liked and was allowed to hold them briefly after I checked with the maker. The end result was that we had a great time and there were no accidents or even close calls. I was really proud of her.
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I want a kid like that someday. ;)
 
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