At what age to teach my son knife use?

The first video - was VERY good.

Every mistake I have had that led to me cutting myself - was ME working too fast!

I gave my son a lock back Dozier (Ka-bar) when he was 5. He does not ever open or close it himself and he never uses it on his own. When he get's older - I will teach him to open it and close it.

There are many theories about this:

Two include:

1) Don't give a younger guy a slip joint - because it can close on him and cut him.
2) Don't give a younger dude a lock back - because although it can't slip - when they try and close it - they don't have the strength - and can cut themselves.

I contemplated a fixed blade - but did not have one with a tip that I felt good about. So I decided on my Ka-bar folder. It had a drop point (not AS pointy) and was a lock back. I haven't even told him about the locking feature. I hand it to him, instruct him on cutting (or I do hand over hand) and then I take it away when we are done.

I show him EVERY TIME how he can cut himself badly. I use a small twig the size of his finger and I cut it in half. I tell him it could be his finger if he is not careful. Then (as not to terrify him) I tell him a cool thing knives can do.

It seems to work - but every kid works at their own pace - and I may even not be doing everything right. I HOPE I am right - but this is true for everything in parenting.

TF
 
I am going to go agains the grain here...

My son is 6, nearly 7. I really, really, really want to give him his first knife. But the truth is that he isn't ready yet. His maturity level isn't there and his attention span is minimal at best. Manual dexterity is fairly good though. I think we are almost there; maybe next year.

I had my first knife about 4 years old. I remember running around, and losing, slipjoints all the time. Dad just kept relplacing them for me. I also remember cutting myself on occasion. But as somebody already mentioned, it still happens from time to time.

So, I would say it depends on the child. And lets be honest, you have to have mom's support, even if it is reluctant support, or the boy will be in the doghouse and you will be on the couch.
 
I got my knife at 6 or 7. Come to know sharpening 7 or 8.
I still have that knife in my old house.
My dad told me how to use it, with some practical examples like
making of bow and arrows.
 
I got a Case folder when I was about 10. I have to give my parents credit because I cut myself several times, although most of them were not that bad. Just enough to make me a bit more careful. They didn't supervise me much at all and I came out fine.

Like it was mentioned before, you have to know the kid and think hard about if they are responsible enough to use a knife. My nephew is 9 years old and in cub scouts. He's got to go through some sort of knife safety training before he can use one with them. I think this is a great idea. I'm also in the process of puting a handle on a Mora blade from Ragweed for him to use on camping trips and to learn some skills. When my son is about that age, I'll do the same.
 
I got my first knife at around 7 or 8 years old. I say now is the perfect time to teach him safe handling.
 
I have been teaching Martial Arts and Knife work for almost 40 Years.(started training when I was 9)

I make sure I teach what I call the "KNIFE RULE" first--long before the cutlery is brought out)

Knife Rule:The knife does not care what it cuts.

Stress it over and over to your son that the knife will cut him as soon as he forgets this rule and acts in a manner that is unsafe.

Kids especially think they have some type of POWER while holding a knife and that gets them careless.They think about all the things "they" can do with the knife to "other things"--but forget the knife will do that to them as well.

Teach him to respect the knife and what getting cut will look like/feel like --etc.
 
Great topic! I've had knives since I cannot remember...

I was wondering when as well. My son just turned 7 and i've given him a cheapy BPS micro multi tool and an old slipjoint that was my grandfather's (he passed last may and he and my son were close, so i gave him a knife to remember him by), but he has never really used them. This St. Patty's day, I am taking him and my two nephews (one a year older than my son and one a year younger) on their first real camping trip. Just an overnighter as they are pretty much city boys. I feel this trip will be a good way to educate them on some of the stuff I've picked up here and through the years. So, I think between ages 6-8 might be a good starting point to teach outdoor skills. Correct me if I am wrong. I am quite excited about the trip. WIll be my first outing in quite awhile, and I love my son and nephew to pieces, so it will kill two birds w/ 1 stone.
 
By the time I was about 7 years, dad would hold the tape, and I would cut it when doing wiring or home repairs. It was the same age when I had my first knife. By the time I was 10 I was the one cleaning the fish.
 
it really depends on your kid...

i was ten before i got my first knife-a SAK classic. i feel like i would have been ready for a full size SAK, since i've always had pretty good fine motor control. i often used my parents' 91 mm SAK, which worked out well.

when my younger brother was 9 i bought him a small lockback knife (after he almost closed the blade on my SAK on his hand cutting the wrong way!). not only did he not really have any interest, but he also lacked (and even now at age 11) the fine motor control necessary for good knife handling.

fine motor comes from practice, but with a lack of interest, i don't think he will be getting better anytime soon.

but if your son is interested, is mature enough to handle it, and posessed the fine motor control required for effective handling of a blade, i say go for it. i suggest small doses at a time and i also suggest starting him with a small fixed blade or lockback until he is comfortable with a blade.
 
I started learning as soon as I was old enough to go outside by myself (right about 4 or 5, I think). I got my first knife when I was five (a small Buck folder), heck, I had my first shotgun at 5.
They're never too young to learn something, it just depends on how fun and interesting you make it. My three year old tries his hardest to mimick me when I make a bow drill. A friend of mine gave him one of those plastic SAK's for his birthday, so now, when we go outside he wants to carry his knife and "whittle" like daddy.

The bottom line is: Are you comfortable with him having a knife to get him one? He's plenty old enough. Just teach him the basics, teach him responsibility and be patient...you should be fine.
 
Your son is at the perfect age where kids learn RESPONSIBILITY. Life is hard, so if we keep life skills such as basic use of a blade away from them, WHEN and WHERE will they eventually learn? I COMMEND you for wanting to teach your son knife skills. You have the oppertunity to make a huge impact on him.

Buy him a SAK Farmer with Alox. Great little knife. Teach him cutting skills with THAT knife. Share the moment!
 
When my son was 7-8 I would let him use my SAK Farmer to help me with chores or cutting tasks with me right by his side. Because it was "dads" knife he was very focused on the task at hand. I think he felt priviliged to be using my knife.

At age 9 I would allow him to do small tasks, again with my farmer. I would not be hawking over him but would be talking him through the task.

At age 10 he was given his own Swissbianco orange alox Farmer. He uses it only with me . It is kept in his room and is not carried daily. When he does get to take it out he respects it and has shown me that he is focused and responsible.

I can only share my personal experience with my son and give you my opinion on this matter. My son has seen dad make mistakes and cut himself with the same knife he carrys so he understands that the same knife will cut him if he is not careful. Good luck with your decision.

Paul
 
Stormstaff - Give me a call or stop by the house. I`ve got a new Economy Victorinox you can have to give your son if you decide to go that way.
 
WILLIAM.M said:
I have been teaching Martial Arts and Knife work for almost 40 Years.(started training when I was 9)

I make sure I teach what I call the "KNIFE RULE" first--long before the cutlery is brought out)

Knife Rule:The knife does not care what it cuts.

Stress it over and over to your son that the knife will cut him as soon as he forgets this rule and acts in a manner that is unsafe.

Kids especially think they have some type of POWER while holding a knife and that gets them careless.They think about all the things "they" can do with the knife to "other things"--but forget the knife will do that to them as well.

Teach him to respect the knife and what getting cut will look like/feel like --etc.
Click to expand...

Excellent, excellent advice and bears repeating.
 
FOUR is a good age!

Actually, it depends on the child. Leif is a very physically dextrous child and very into Doing Stuff. He was 4 when I made him his first kitchen knife, a 45 degree bevel edge round nose banana slicer. He's 5 and a half now and some things I've noticed as he's gone through the past year and a half.

Kids will cut themselves. Hell, I cut myself almost daily being as I make the things.

Around age 5-7, a good sharp real child size chef's knife with a rounded tip is a good idea. Kitchen work teaches a lot about knife handling and gives you experience every day.

Leif also has a fixed blade field knife I made him with a good fore and after guard. The other two things he has are a "my first SAK" and a leatherman wave. The wave isn't used as a knife, but the pliers, files, and saw get used a LOT. He'll sit for a solid hour and work on a hiking stick. The My First SAK with saw is a fantastic tool. I generally prefer lockblades, but don't think kids can always safely close them until age 8 or 9. Which is hwy he has a fixed blade.

If you tailor the knife to the age and skill level, you can start almost anytime. My 2.5 year old daughter is so jealous of leif's knives that I've done a cord wrapped serrated table knife from a camping set (the 3 piece lock togehter ones) and she tears up bananas with it.
 
My youngest son just carries mine. He's kind of like my knife Caddy.;):D
Zmule.gif

He's almost 4 and carries his toy SAK in his pocket. He is always willing to use it to help others as a good knife owner should.:thumbup:
 
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