It wont close on them if they are taught to use a knife properly. That's the whole point of giving them a slipjoint like the Farmer.
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Blades for camping trip (Youth Group)
- Thread starter thedukeoftank
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It wont close on them if they are taught to use a knife properly. That's the whole point of giving them a slipjoint like the Farmer.
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Try telling that to the parents when the kid just cut his finger tip off .
I would agree with you somewhat if you were talking about your own kid , but you´re not.
The knife I recommended has a guard on it , safety first .
1234,,,
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Agree. The Mora 511 carbon (red handle) can be had for about $10 with sheath, maybe get a stainless version for a buck or two more, add a Sak (maybe a spartan, or tinker) and their knife requirements for life have been met. Take a few stones, teach them to sharpen a knife, and knife safety, and they have a lifetime lesson many today are missing.
Pug-butter
BANNED
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Opinel #8?
I recently got gifted two Opinals. One's a 4 and one's a 12, so neither is really the right size for me, for their quality is astounding. And for, what, $10 per knife?
I recently got gifted two Opinals. One's a 4 and one's a 12, so neither is really the right size for me, for their quality is astounding. And for, what, $10 per knife?
I spent most of my youth playing in the woods, and I LOVED my SAK. (I carry a multi-tool in place of an SAK nowadays.)
I had many different version, and ended up losing almost all of them because they would fall out of my pocket while upside-down in a tree.
In my childhood circle of friends, we were proud to own a (red) SAK.
I had many different version, and ended up losing almost all of them because they would fall out of my pocket while upside-down in a tree.
In my childhood circle of friends, we were proud to own a (red) SAK.
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I have to admit, I'm a SAK fanboy when it comes to "First knives" especially for hiking/camping. There are a few multi-tools that are pretty cool as well, but most are quite a bit heavier.
That being said, there are a couple of really nice one-handed opening locking-blade folders out there too.
Spyderco's Value line (Persistence / Tenacious) or Byrd knives (the Robin is Dragonfly sized and really nice)
Ontario's RAT1
Kershaw's Cryo, Chill, OD-2, Clash, OSO, Asset, (and dozens of others)
CRKT makes more than a few good useable folders as well (and I'll be honest, I'm becoming more and more impressed with CRKT's budget-friendly models lately).
That being said, there are a couple of really nice one-handed opening locking-blade folders out there too.
Spyderco's Value line (Persistence / Tenacious) or Byrd knives (the Robin is Dragonfly sized and really nice)
Ontario's RAT1
Kershaw's Cryo, Chill, OD-2, Clash, OSO, Asset, (and dozens of others)
CRKT makes more than a few good useable folders as well (and I'll be honest, I'm becoming more and more impressed with CRKT's budget-friendly models lately).
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Sorry, I should have put a bit more background on the targeted recipients. The youngest guy on the trip will be my 14 year old brother (who has been handling/collecting blades for 7-8 years... That kid is awesome) ... The rest of the guys are 15-17.
I love (and own) many of the knives you listed. Usually when I see the guys at different events or at church, they ask me what blade I am carrying today. (Lately it has been either the Spyderco Manix XL, Para 2, Military or my ZT0561)
I'm leaning towards more of a camping/hiking focused tool/knife. The guys asked me to do a bit of survival training on the camping trip. Planning on some sheltercraft, fire building skills, small game snares, fishing, camp cooking, etc ... we called it Boy Scouts back then.
Thanks guys for the suggestions! I hadn't considered an opinel until now... I might just have to pick one up and test it a bit.
I do like the Mora/SAK combo idea quite a bit...
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You could make a case for both.
I would think most kids don't know what a Mora is. Heck, I didn't know what a Mora was until I joined this forum and watch Dual Survival. So, I think they would appreciate a SAK more for no other reason than recognition. Also, after the trip, they are more likely to carry and use the SAK.
However, if you're going to teach sheltercraft, fire building, trapping and food prep, then teach it with a Mora (as much as possible) and give them each their own to use during the camp and bring home afterwards.
I guess that means combo.
I would think most kids don't know what a Mora is. Heck, I didn't know what a Mora was until I joined this forum and watch Dual Survival. So, I think they would appreciate a SAK more for no other reason than recognition. Also, after the trip, they are more likely to carry and use the SAK.
However, if you're going to teach sheltercraft, fire building, trapping and food prep, then teach it with a Mora (as much as possible) and give them each their own to use during the camp and bring home afterwards.
I guess that means combo.
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Its never to early to start down the Kbar road.
TLR
Gold Member
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Just a few weeks ago I finished my second wilderness camp with 30 some middle schoolers as an instructor. We've been using moras and I couldn't be happier with them. They were extremely cost effective and do everything we need to allow our students to learn and practice the skills we are teaching them.
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Try telling that to the parents when the kid just cut his finger tip off .
I would agree with you somewhat if you were talking about your own kid , but you´re not.
The knife I recommended has a guard on it , safety first .
1234,,,
How the hell did I make it through childhood & keep all my fingers? Why did my Grandfather still have all of his?
I gave both my boys a Victorinox SAK upon earning their Whittling Chip in Cub Scouts. They were properly taught how to use a slipjoint & have yet to do any major injury to themselves. The only incident that occurred was for my oldest to get a slight nick when the blade slipped out of his hand while closing it. Same thing could of happened with a locking folder.
I will agree that you don't have to worry about a fixed blade closing on your fingers though.
Regardless I'd still recommend a SAK of some sort. I love my Moras, but I have a SAK of some sort on me everyday. A Vic Farmer would see more use than the Mora & might be the gateway drug to make a future knife-nut.
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Depending on the age of the kids, I'd go with SAK. And if they're young and you decide to go Mora, I'd go with stainless. Young kids tend to not take care of things very well and a carbon blade will get rusted and forgotten after a while.
When I faced making this choice for my kids I specifically chose a fixed blade for a couple reasons.
1)No risk of them getting caught in it folding up. WE're all old hands at using knives, these kids aren't, they need to learn how to not cut themselves with as little extra to keep track of.
2)Much harder to take somewhere they shouldn't, like to stick in their pocket and toake someplace show off to their friends. They need to learn that side of the responsibility and make it harder to be tempted to break the rules while learning that. A belt knife is harder to do this with.
EDIT: Noted that these are olderr kids who may have some knife experience or can at least not be so excited to be having a knife that they forget to pay attention to how its used. And less likely to be so excited to show it off...so folders are an option.. But if you;re doing sheltercraft etc, thats not really SAK work. except if its the only knife you have. A midsize fixed is better suited to that stuff. So Mora gets my vote.
Also Mora is easier to learn to sharpen for first timers as the Scandi grind makes it easy to get the bevel angle right. Better success out of the gate makes a better learning experience.
1)No risk of them getting caught in it folding up. WE're all old hands at using knives, these kids aren't, they need to learn how to not cut themselves with as little extra to keep track of.
2)Much harder to take somewhere they shouldn't, like to stick in their pocket and toake someplace show off to their friends. They need to learn that side of the responsibility and make it harder to be tempted to break the rules while learning that. A belt knife is harder to do this with.
EDIT: Noted that these are olderr kids who may have some knife experience or can at least not be so excited to be having a knife that they forget to pay attention to how its used. And less likely to be so excited to show it off...so folders are an option.. But if you;re doing sheltercraft etc, thats not really SAK work. except if its the only knife you have. A midsize fixed is better suited to that stuff. So Mora gets my vote.
Also Mora is easier to learn to sharpen for first timers as the Scandi grind makes it easy to get the bevel angle right. Better success out of the gate makes a better learning experience.
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