At What Age?

My Dad gave me a Case 6233 when I was 5. Closed it on a finger and Mother confiscated it. I bought my first knife at 9, a 2 blade Schrade jack. I got the little Case back when I was about 12 and still have it.
 
Heh, memories. I remember getting a "knife" from a 25 cent machine. I thought that thing was so cool, plastic scales, aluminum "blade" and a plastic string to wear it around the neck. I guess I was 6 or 7. Glad it wasn't sharp I probably would have cut myself.
 
Got my first blade at 8. It was a leatherman and I wore it on my belt to school every day. I feel that this was a good age for a first blade and I think knife education should start as soon as possible.
 
Somewhere between the ages of 6 and 8. But it was the 1950's and things were different then.
These days I think it very much depends on the youngster and where the family lives.
 
If you are at the point where you can trust your kid with a steak knife at the dinning table, he is ready to go with his first knife. Just be careful with school and keep him under adult supervision at all times.

n2s
 
I would say 6th grade if the child is trustworthy (for a 6th grader). I cut myself with a traditional. I think a 2.5" lockback with a pocket clip is the best/safest way to go in the suburbs.
Knife use limitations would be a great second lesson, after basic operations/safety. Most of me, and my friends accidents came from throwing, and stabbing stuff.
 
My daughter got a Mora kids knife last Christmas, when she was 6. It’s got a thinner handle for smaller hands, guard and a rounded tip. The edge is just as sharp as any other Mora’s.

She loves to make wood curls for fire starting, wittle skewers for grilling hot dogs and marsmallows and sometimes she tries to wittle out a wooden knife or something like that. Melts my heart!

https://morakniv.se/en/product/scout-39-safe-s-natural/
 
Depends on the child.

Ages 4-5 for mine. Benchmade 556, Emerson CQC7, ESEE Izula.

All mine that were “taken” ;)

lately, kids are more interested in pruning shears.

If you read history regarding different cultures most boys were trained to hunt and shoot from ages 3,4. That included rifles.

Maybe we have gotten a bit ‘soft’ over the years thinking children are not mature and giving them more responsibility should actually be promoted?

Either way. Got my first at 5. A German Eye Brand Stockman.
 
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Can't recall the age I got my first knife. Growing up in a small southern farming community and hunting it was normal for boys as young as 5 or 6 to carry a small knife. It was just known, understood, accepted and expected. No one thought anything about it.
 
afishhunter said:
Depends on the kid. The level of maturity is much more important than age.
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Definitely depends on the kid. My son just turned 6 and yells "knife, knife, don't cut me!" any time he sees one of my pocket knives. LOL I'm not sure why he does because it's not like I treat them like weapons and he does not react the same to kitchen knives so I figure he's still a few years off from getting his own folding knife.

While on the topic. How many of you would buy your young kid their own high quality knife like a small Sebenza? The obvious risk is of course they could lose it but I also think it would be cool when they're older to have had a good and faithful pocket knife that's been with them for ages.
 
X XL883N My uncle gave me a brand new leatherman back in the 90's with the leather sheath and when we were driving back I put it in the car door armrest well we stopped at a gas station I got out and it fell through the hole to the ground so bye bye leatherman. Someone made out like a fat cat.

My dad was pissed! I probably would never give a child a very expensive piece just to have and hold on to.
 
I got my first knife when I was in the second grade. That corresponds to when I started getting a weekly allowance. I would get a child a knife when they were interested enough to listen to some foundational instruction. I never got any instruction/discussion.... just don't cut yourself kid. Cut away from your body....
 
I gave my daughter her first knife at age 4; a Victorinox Classic, and a Swisschamp at 5. I drilled into her the rules of knife handling, and she only cut herself once. She has a healthy fear of the edge and won't play with a knife that looks too scary.

For a boy, 4 would probably be too young. I got my first knife (a tiny little Imperial folder) at age 9; I could've handled it at age 7, I think, with proper instruction.

My daughter is 8 now, and she has her own little knife collection, some even with sentimental value already. :)
 
Side note: Prior to age 4, my daughter liked to open the corkscrew on my SAK and unscrew the screwdriver that goes in it.
 
XL883N said:
While on the topic. How many of you would buy your young kid their own high quality knife like a small Sebenza? The obvious risk is of course they could lose it but I also think it would be cool when they're older to have had a good and faithful pocket knife that's been with them for ages.
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Why not a Buck 110/112, or a multi-bade slipjoint from Case, Buck, GEC, or even Rough Ryder or Marbles?

I've given my nephew/godson a few knives (with his parent's permission), starting when he was 5:
First was an Opinel Number 7. For whatever reason, he picked that from a choice of a Number 6; Number 7; and Number 8. (all with carbone blades) He also received a "Medium" pocket Arkansas stone with the Opinel, and taught how to sharpen and care for a knife, the same way I was.

Second was at age 8. A vintage 1960's four blade Ulster "Official BSA" Scout/Camp knife, that I won in a GAW here. (Thanks again, Al :) )
Third was at the same time as the Ulster. A Buck 389 Canoe.

Third and fourth, when he was 9 or 10, a Rough Ryder (large 4 inch closed) stockman, and a standard production Buck 110.

The last to date, was a SK Blades Buck 112 SFO; The Lil' Jack with D2 blade, when he was 11, as his High School Graduation present. I figured he'd earned something special. Not only graduating 7 years early, but at the top of his class, as well.

Any of these knives have the potential of his "using them all his life" and being passed on to his kids, grandkids, or even great grand kids and beyond, if the knives are still in the family, anyway. Who knows if one, or all, will be lost or destroyed somehow, during the next 50... 60... 100 plus years?

The oldest ... let me rephrase that ... The pocket knife I've carried and used the longest is a 1974 or 1975 manufacture Western Cutlery made "Demo Knife" the Army Reserves issued to me in 1975. (Camillus wasn't the only company to make the Demo Knife for the USA military.)
I doubt it cost "Unker Sam" more than $5.²⁹ for my Demo Knife ... probably significantly less. I admit I retired it round about 2000 to 2005, for "sentimental reasons", and have pretty much carried other Demo Knives or Scout/Camp knives since ... tho the Western still gets carried now and again ... and I'm taking it with me when I leave ... along with a few others ... (the spear point is still at 98-99%. Amazing how much stropping when a stone isn't really needed to restore the edge, extends the blade life.)

A knife doesn't have to be expensive to potentially last centuries, or hold a special place in ones memory/memories. :)
 
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Odd...I clearly remember responding to this thread; but there's no sign of my post.
Short version - I've carried a folder since I was 8. Got my first fixed blade probably two years later.
 
I was 5 and in the rural area I lived that was not uncommon, but that was many moons ago. In todays world I would consider the child and how much knowledge and guidance the parent was willing to put into it. I know some start with the child only being able to use the knife when they are present and loosen up from there.
 
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